With the surrender of thousands of ISIS terrorists, the terror group has reached eradication in Syria.
One video captured by journalist Mohammed Hassan this week shows the longest ever line of surrendered terrorists.
The video lasts nearly two minutes and spans the seemingly endless line of masked terrorists as they huddle together in single file formation.
“The longest line of #ISIS armed from different nationalities surrenders to Syrian democratic forces #SDF in #Baghouz #Syria” Hassan tweeted with the video.
The longest line of #ISIS armed from different nationalities surrenders to Syrian democratic forces #SDF in #Baghouz #Syria https://t.co/FJxEm8tRzU pic.twitter.com/AZqxlgyfiu
— MOHAMMED HASSAN (@MHJournalist) March 18, 2019
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been encroaching on the last ISIS-held territory in Baghouz, Syria since early February.
In early March, the group had been pushed to single square mile of territory along the Euphrates River.
More than 40,000 civilians have been evacuated from camps and mountain caves in the area, slowing down the SDF’s eradication efforts, while thousands of ISIS terrorists have surrendered.
Hundreds of ISIS fighters, as well as women and children, surrender to U.S.-backed Syrian forces near the group’s final besieged territory in Syria https://t.co/DMLN34MGWV pic.twitter.com/ADjCMY3ITS
— ABC News (@ABC) March 6, 2019
SDF forces arrested 157 terrorists on Tuesday alone, according to SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali.
#SDF special forces conduct an operation against ISIS terrorist in Bagos.#SDF managed to capture 157 experianced terrorists, mostly foriegn nationals.
— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) March 19, 2019
Bali also said that 1,300 terrorists and their families surrendered on March 14, and 3,000 had surrendered in a 24-hour period just days earlier.
Number of Daesh members surrendered to us since yesterday evening has risen to 3000. 3 Yazidi women and 4 children were rescued, too.
— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) March 12, 2019
Early this year, SDF officials originally estimated that just 1,500 civilians and 500 ISIS fighters remained in the small village along the Euphrates River, CNN reported. However, they were unaware of how wildly inaccurate those estimates were until they encroached on the fighters and civilians holed up in the area.
The SDF was waiting to evacuate all civilians before making the final push to kill or capture the remaining ISIS fighters.
CENTCOM Commander Gen. Joseph Votel testified earlier this month, warning, “What we are seeing now is not the surrender of ISIS as an organization, but a calculated decision to preserve the safety of their families and preservation of their capabilities.”
CENTCOM CHIEF: “What we are seeing now is not the surrender of ISIS as an organization, but a calculated decision to preserve the safety of their families and preservation of their capabilities,” Gen. Joseph Votel testified today pic.twitter.com/3FBaI0XCRi
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 7, 2019
ISIS still remains in the Middle East, as most of its leaders escaped Syria ahead of the eradication efforts, but for now, counterterrorism operations have snagged a major victory in Syria.
