Syrian forces eradicate traces of ISIS from Aleppo: Syrian Observatory

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday that the regime forces drove out the last remaining Islamic State militants from the city of Aleppo after a six-month long intense fight, as they advanced towards the road of Al-Resafa - Ithriyah and fully gained its control.

"Regime forces led by Tiger Groups and with the support of the pro-gunmen of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, were able to advance in the last hundreds of meters from the road of Al-Resafa - Ithriyah and fully control it, thus, the regime forces have completed the siege on the last area of presence of the "Islamic State" organization in Aleppo province, after a military operation that started on the 17th of January 2017 until the 30th of June 2017, said a statement from the SOHR.

The statement said that no information has been received yet about the fate of the remaining members of the "Islamic State" as to whether they withdrew during the hours of night towards another areas that still under its control in the Syrian Desert, or if they were caught in the siege and chose to fight till the end.

The Observatory published that in case the "Islamic State" organization withdrew from the southeastern countryside of Aleppo, the regime forces would have completely secured the road of Aleppo-Khanaser-Ithriyah, and that the road extending from Ithriyah to al Salamiyah is vulnerable for attacks by the organization which is deployed on a distance close to the road in the eastern and northeastern countryside of Salamiyah.

Moreover, this advance will allow the regime forces to approach Twinah gas field that they seek to control.

The Syrian Observatory for Human monitored that there are still 15 km left so that the regime forces could tighten the siege on the remaining area controlled by the organization in the southeastern countryside of Aleppo, and the organization is stationed on hills and positions allowing them to overlook areas in the vicinity of these hills.