ISIL Left with Only 34 Bases in Iraq, Syria

The Syrian and Iraqi forces’ advances supported by the Russian airstrikes have left just 34 bases for the ISIL in the two Arab countries, a media activist revealed on Saturday.

“At present, the ISIL only has 34 bases in Mosul, Raqqa, etc. which were many more in number,” Managing-Director of Iraq’s al-Nakhil news agency Mohammad Ali al-Hakim told FNA.

He underlined that the ISIL is a terrorist group which has been created by Israel, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s money and the US and other western states’ support, which has no goal but providing security to the Zionist regime.

Hakim, meantime, stressed that the ISIL is on the verge of collapse, and said, “The end of the ISIL which has been borne by the westerners is close.”

The Syrian and Iraqi army and popular forces have hit heavy blows at the ISIL terrorists in recent days.

Reports said on Wednesday and Thursday that the top leaders and commanders of the ISIL terrorist group had been witnessed escaping from the Syrian city of Raqqa after sustaining heavy casualties in the Russian airstrikes and long-range cruise missile attacks from its Mediterranean fleet.

Intelligence sources confirmed citizens’ reports on Thursday that militants’ leaders are fleeing the so-called capital of the ISIL terrorist group after hundreds of ISIL members escaped the city on Wednesday to save their lives.

Various sources from citizens of Raqqa to local villagers and intelligence sources have reported in the last 24 hours that the terrorist group has started hasty evacuation of Raqqa after the Russian strikers and long-range bombers intensifying airstrikes on the strongholds and command centers of the ISIL militants in Raqqa in recent days.

The Russian military has also been pounding the ISIL stronghold in Raqqa with cruise missiles fired from the Mediterranean Sea since Tuesday.

Meantime, reports disclosed on Wednesday that the ISIL terrorists retreated from the Southern parts of Hasakah province, located North of Raqq, as Syrian army and popular forces, backed by Russian and Syrian airstrikes, continue to strike heavy blows at the militants.

According to the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television, ISIL terrorists are moving their families and heavy weaponries from the city of al-Shadadi in the Southern countryside of Hasakah to Deir Ezzur.

Hasakah is a region in Northeastern Syria mostly populated by the Kurds. The Kurdish and Arab fighters have recently pushed the terrorists out of the Northern parts of the region.

Following similar heavy strikes in the Southern parts of the province by the Syrian forces, the ISIL terrorists were forced to retreat furthern to Raqqa, the so-called capital of the ISIL terrorist group. But after the start of heavy airstrikes by the Russian and French air forces in the last few days, the ISIL is again on the move to retreat further to deploy its central command in Deir Ezzur.