Civilians Evacuated from Islamic State-Held Areas in East Deir Ezzor
US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the evacuation of civilians from Islamic State-held areas of Deir Ezzor on January 23. A day earlier, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that, after evacuating IS-held areas, approximately 300 families had been transported to refugee camps in al-Hasakah, about 100 km northeast of Deir Ezzor. The SDF has claimed it gained ground in the final battle against the IS, which holds a small area of Deir Ezzor east of the Euphrates, according to Deir Ezzor Now. The Syrian state news agency, SANA, reported that 20 civilians, including women and children, were killed in coalition strikes in east Deir Ezzor. Footage here was released by SDF Press. A man speaking in the video says that his group was stranded in Baghouz al-Fawqani, in east Deir Ezzor, and were troubled by air strikes and hunger. He adds that they have not slept in two days and have not eaten properly for 15 days, and have only managed to sustain themselves by eating “grass and leaves.” Credit: SDF Press via Storyful