(Zaman Al Wasl)- Three children were killed Wednesday when an ISIS landmine set off in western Raqqa as the Kurdish-led forces step up offensive against ISIS near the group's self-proclaimed capital, sources said.
One more child was wounded due in the explosion of al-Mahmoudely village that fell to the Syria Democratic Forces two weeks ago.
SDF warned of ISIS planted mines, saying its fighters work to demine all sites.
Backed by the the U.S.-led airstrikes, the YPG-led alliance of Kurds and Arabs has pushed further into the western countryside where at least 45 tiny villages have been encircled.
The Wednesday's clashes took place at Tel Samn battlefield north of Raqqa city. SDF said its had killed 15 ISIS militants.
Most residents have fled their villages as the aerial bombing intensifies.
In a two-month offensive, the SDF has taken large areas of northern Raqa province.
Kurdish social media pages said the siege of ISIS major pocket will facilitate the military operation and make ISIS collapse imminent in the Raqqa countryside.
On December 10 it announced the second phase of the operation to oust the jihadists from their Syrian stronghold.
The SDF has been battling since November 5 to oust the jihadists from their self-declared Syria capital of Raqa, 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the citadel.
SDF seized two weeks ago the ancient Ja'bar fortress at the banks of Assad lake, which was formed by the country's largest dam at Tabqa on the Euphrates River.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.