Kurds cut IS strategic route between Syria, Iraq
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E-mail Xinhua, February 19, 2016
The Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday cut a strategic supply line for the IS between Syria's northern province of al-Raqqa and the Iraqi city of Mosul, a monitor group reported.
The SDF cut the IS strategic supply line in the city of Shadadi in Syria's northeastern province of al-Hasakah. The road connects al-Raqqa, the de facto capital of the terror group with its stronghold in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The SDF progress in the northeastern province of al-Hasakah, namely the vicinity of the city of Shadadi has enabled them to cut the supply line between Shadadi and Mosul and Shadadi-al-Raqqa.
The UK-based watchdog group said the SDF captured on Thursday eight towns from the IS in al-Hasakah, adding that the IS fear of losing Shadadi pushed them to move their families from Shadadi to Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, where the enjoy a considerable sway.
The SDF, which is supported by the airstrikes of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition and the People's Protection Units (YPG), has been making notable gains in al-Hasakah, and the northern Aleppo province, near Turkey.
Dismayed with the advance of the Kurds near its borders, Turkey continuously shelled the Kurdish areas in northern Syria over the past 48 hours, Kurdish sources said.
Additionally, the Turkish authorities allowed as many as 500 rebels to cross from Syria's northwestern province of Idlib into Aleppo through the Turkish borders to protect the rebel stronghold of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo against the progress of the Kurds, according to the Observatory.
Turkish officials recently said that they will not allow the Kurds to take Azaz, a main stronghold for the Turkey-backed militants in Aleppo.
Earlier this week, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the Turkish shelling had succeeded in halting the YPG advance toward Azaz.
He further pledged the "harshest reaction" if the YPG tried inch closer to the town, which is of a strategic importance for Turkey as it's the main conduit of support from Turkey to the rebels inside the city of Aleppo.
Aside from the Kurdish backed rebel groups, the Syrian army is also pushing further against the Turkey-backed militants in the northern countryside of Aleppo in a bid to cut the city from its northern countryside near Turkey.
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