In Syria, It's Game On

US-backed forces attack Baghouz
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 10, 2019 4:09 PM CDT
In Syria, It's Game On
Columns of black smoke billow from the last small piece of territory held by Islamic State militants in Syria in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Andrea Rosa)

The waiting is over: US-backed forces in Syria are waging an assault to kick ISIS out of its last remaining "caliphate" land, CNN reports. The heavy barrage of mortar fire, explosions, and airstrikes by the Syrian Defense Forces erupted Sunday in Baghouz and officially targeted weapons stores. The forces had been waiting for weeks while thousands of ISIS fighters surrendered and civilians—often children and wives of ISIS rebels—fled the area, per Reuters. Baghouz is the last known ISIS enclave, but experts say the group will likely launch guerilla strikes from remotely held strongholds. (More ISIS stories.)

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