DAMASCUS, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Two Islamic State (IS) suicide bombers detonated themselves at a gathering point in eastern Syria on Friday, a war monitor reported.

The two women set off their bombs when reaching the gathering point set up for people to leave the IS-held areas in the Baghouz town in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour Province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The explosions caused deaths among members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and civilians at the gathering point.

A total of 1,300 people evacuated the IS-held areas in the farmland of Baghouz on Friday, the latest in a series of evacuations that have been dragging on since December last year.

Most of the people leaving toward the SDF-held areas are families of IS militants, who are being taken to the al-Hol camp in the northeastern province of Hasakah.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists on the ground, said the evacuees are mostly foreigners.

The SDF has been carrying out a crushing offensive in eastern Syria against the IS since last September.

The U.S.-led coalition is backing the SDF in its push to eliminate the IS from the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in eastern Deir al-Zour. Enditem

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