6,000 civilians trapped by ISIS in Hajin, UN warns
NEW YORK – The United Nations is concerned about an estimated 6,000 civilians trapped by ISIS in Hajin.
“We are of course aware of continuing reports of intense fighting in and around Hajin enclave, with estimated 6,000 civilians trapped by Da’esh in desperate conditions,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told Rudaw’s Majeed Gly on Friday.
“Sustained access to civilians displaced by ongoing hostilities in the immediate vicinity of the Hajin area has remained very challenging,” he added.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) broke the back of ISIS defences in Hajin last week, after weeks of stalemate, but are fully in control of only 35 percent the town, estimated SDF spokesperson Mustafa Bali on Friday.
And ISIS is fighting to regain territory. The SDF forces came under an intense attack by militants in Hajin’s Abu Khatr village, said Bali. The Kurdish-led forces were defending themselves against ISIS car bombs and heavy weapon fire, with the aid of coalition air support.
The civilians are caught in the middle. Conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the deaths of 200 civilians in the last month of fighting in eastern Deir ez-Zor province.
Some 1,700 civilians were able to flee the town as the SDF advanced, but the militants also executed more than 700 of its prisoners when it was under military pressure.
Civilians who do escape are sheltering in makeshift circumstances and Dujarric said they have difficulty accessing the IDPs as “the area remains largely inaccessible due to current instability.”
The UN's warning and ongoing intense clashes firmly contradict US President Donald Trump’s recent claim that he “defeated ISIS in Syria.”
The International Crisis Group (ICG) said that Trump’s announcement and order to pull American troops out of Syria “may have given it [ISIS] a new lease on life.”
A “military free-for-all” if ISIS has the space to regroup and Turkey has the freedom to attack the SDF, will “have devastating humanitarian consequences,” ICG warned.
“We are of course aware of continuing reports of intense fighting in and around Hajin enclave, with estimated 6,000 civilians trapped by Da’esh in desperate conditions,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told Rudaw’s Majeed Gly on Friday.
“Sustained access to civilians displaced by ongoing hostilities in the immediate vicinity of the Hajin area has remained very challenging,” he added.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) broke the back of ISIS defences in Hajin last week, after weeks of stalemate, but are fully in control of only 35 percent the town, estimated SDF spokesperson Mustafa Bali on Friday.
And ISIS is fighting to regain territory. The SDF forces came under an intense attack by militants in Hajin’s Abu Khatr village, said Bali. The Kurdish-led forces were defending themselves against ISIS car bombs and heavy weapon fire, with the aid of coalition air support.
The civilians are caught in the middle. Conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the deaths of 200 civilians in the last month of fighting in eastern Deir ez-Zor province.
Some 1,700 civilians were able to flee the town as the SDF advanced, but the militants also executed more than 700 of its prisoners when it was under military pressure.
Civilians who do escape are sheltering in makeshift circumstances and Dujarric said they have difficulty accessing the IDPs as “the area remains largely inaccessible due to current instability.”
The UN's warning and ongoing intense clashes firmly contradict US President Donald Trump’s recent claim that he “defeated ISIS in Syria.”
The International Crisis Group (ICG) said that Trump’s announcement and order to pull American troops out of Syria “may have given it [ISIS] a new lease on life.”
A “military free-for-all” if ISIS has the space to regroup and Turkey has the freedom to attack the SDF, will “have devastating humanitarian consequences,” ICG warned.