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At its height, the Islamic State possessed much of Iraq and Syria – an extent of the size of Portugal.
Its territory has now been reduced to a small pocket in Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria, and militants have been found in Baghouz al-Fawqani village near the Iraqi border.
After being arrested more than a week to allow thousands of civilians to flee the city, Israeli security forces renewed Saturday their willingness to tear off the last 4 square kilometers of militants.
At sunrise on Sunday, US-led coalition air strikes struck the western part of Baghouz al-Fawqani, sending dark smoke columns into the sky.
SDF commanders told CNN that its fighters were facing fierce resistance from militants of the Islamic State, who are avenging themselves with missiles in search of heat. Two IDF fighters were killed and others injured after the shock of an IDF vehicle.
The militants buried under the city, building a network of tunnels allowing them to move from house to house without being detected. The strategy, which the group has deployed in Mosul and elsewhere, presents a real challenge, said commanders of the Israel Defense Forces.
It is believed that at least 500 Islamic State fighters remain in the city, constituting a concentration of the most experienced and seasoned ISIS combatants and commanders.
US, French and British forces also operate in the region, supporting the SDF. The teams, which are not engaged in street fighting, fire artillery and mortar fire at positions of the Islamic State.
Before the badault began at sundown on Saturday, one could see civilians fleeing the city. CNN spoke to someone who said that many people were trapped, but that it was impossible to get a number. Israeli Defense Force officials say some 1,500 civilians may still be in the country.
According to the estimates of the Inherent Resolve Operation (CJTF-OIR), the official name of the coalition fighting ISIL, 7.7 million people would live under ISIL's regime. Many of these people paid taxes, fees and collective fines, which accounted for a large portion of ISIS's income.
Despite the loss of territory and funds, a UN monitoring committee estimated in July 2018 that the number of members of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was still between 20,000 and 30,000 .
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