Daesh is done

US-backed Syrian forces said they were close to capturing Daesh’s last territorial possession in eastern Syria yesterday after seizing the militants’ camp at Baghouz, though clashes continued with some remaining militants.

“This is not a victory announcement, but significant progress in the fight against Daesh,” said Mustafa Bali, a media official with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia on Twitter, using an Arabic acronym for Daesh. Asked by Reuters how long it would take to defeat the remaining militants, Bali said he expected the operation to end “very soon.”

“The battles are not yet over. There are still some pockets next to the river. Some of the terrorists have taken their children as human shields. There are intermittent clashes,” he said.