Syria force braces for new outflux from last IS village

US-backed Syrian forces prepared for another outpouring of civilians and suspected jihadists yesterday from the remnants of the Islamic State group’s “caliphate”, which is teetering on the brink of total collapse. A fierce assault on the besieged enclave in eastern Syria has sparked an exodus of dust-covered children, veiled women dragging suitcases and dishevelled, wounded men from the village of Baghouz.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are waiting for more survivors to trickle out before dealing what they hope will be a final blow to jihadists holed-up in a makeshift camp along the banks of the Euphrates. The SDF was not actively advancing yesterday, out of concern for remaining civilians, but its fighters entered the settlement two days earlier and control a chunk of it, an SDF source said. Remaining families have been pushed towards the far end of the camp near the river, he said.

More than 7,000 people have exited the enclave over the past three days, mostly women and children. The operation to smash the last pocket of the “caliphate” that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed in 2014 had resumed on Friday after a long humanitarian pause. The deluge of fire unleashed by SDF artillery and coalition air strikes at the weekend appears to have taken a toll on the diehard jihadists and relatives still inside.