The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Details of the first month of ISIS fade and its retreat to tunnels and trenches of Baghuz, about 21400 of them are out, about 2800 members and 72 children are dead, and tens of others are killed

On the 16th of February 2019, the “Islamic State” Organization ended, it subsided after years of declaring itself as a “caliphate State”, and at some point it controlled more than half of Syrian territory, and since the aforementioned date until the 16th of March 2019, the scales have been reversed, and the Organization members, its families, and the remaining civilians started getting out of tunnels and trenches, in a series of exits and surrenders involving thousands of civilians, Organization families, and fighters, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the exit of about 21400 people including about 2800 ISIS members, where the Syrian Observatory monitored since the end of the Organization’s control as a dominant military force until the 16th of March 2019, the death of 72 children, the overwhelming majority of them are under the age of 12, they died during their exit out of Baghuz farms towards the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, and during the process of moving them from the gathering area towards al-Hool camp in the southeastern countryside of al-Hasakah, and some of them died after arriving at the camp due to the lack of medical care.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented during the same period significant casualties in the ranks of both parties, as a result of the successive military operations that killed tens of members, where the Syrian Observatory documented the killing of at least 55 of the “Islamic State” Organization including about 12 suicide bombers 2 of them were women, and at least 32 of the Syria Democratic Forces killed in the clashes, while the exit process of civilians experienced difficulties and took place in batches, interrupted by clashes, ground shelling, and heavy bombardment killed ISIS members, and formed a pressure on the Organization pushed it to flee or exit, but a state of astonishment prevailed among those who follow the developments of east Euphrates area and the remaining of the Organization, their families, and the civilians; from these large numbers that came out of tunnels and trenches in the area, while the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the identities of figures of the “Islamic State” Organization who are getting out of Baghuz farms in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor are still unfolding, where the tunnels and trenches which were dug by detainees taken unlawfully in different ready charges, or as a result of surprise attacks by ISIS with the aim of capturing the largest number of the people or fighters in addition to inflicting significant casualties in the ranks of the organization’s opponents in different areas, and as many of the men who got outside of the Organization’s enclave claim that they came to trade or work, the Kurdish intelligence and the Syria Democratic Forces worked on sorting the fighters and investigate the rest to identify the fighters and transfer them to jails and prisons of Syria Democratic Forces, and of the figures who the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights discover during the exit of thousands of fighters since December 2018; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the commander in the “Islamic State” Organization Abu Yousef al-Maghribi (which means “the Moroccan”), who came out within the recent batches after the 16th of February 2019, where reliable sources of the Syrian Observatory and the Observatory’s activists confirmed that the al-Maghribi was one of the important assistants in digging tunnels of the” Islamic State” Organization within its control areas in Deir Ezzor, where Abu Yousef al-Maghribi was responsible for bringing youths, men, and captives to the tunnels on various charges, to dig tunnels that the Organization still holed up in today and fear getting out of the area, also al-Maghribi was responsible for the operations of lashing young men and carrying out the “Hudud” within al-Mayadin area and other areas at Deir Ezzor countryside, and the sources confirmed that al-Maghribi has a bad reputation that his record is full of violations and crimes within the “Islamic State” organization’s-controlled areas.

This Moroccan leader is considered as a part of large number of ISIS members who appeared in videos, while the Syrian Observatory monitored women from the Organization’s families who were working as fighters and security members, and they were talking about the Organization as a “Califate State,” and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the agricultural lands of Baghuz on the east banks of Euphrates River are witnessing the continuation of operations by the Syria Democratic Forces targeting areas where the tunnels and trenches of the remainder ISIS members are present in farmland there, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the exit of a new batch of civilians and families of the ISIS members towards the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, and it included 1050 people of civilians and ISIS members of the “Islamic State” Organization and their families, including at least 90 fighters, who have gotten out during the last 24 hours from the agricultural lands of Baghuz towards the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas east of Euphrates, raising to 18530 including 2130 fighters, the number of people who have gotten out of Baghuz farmlands since the 16th of February 2019 until now, and it is expected that the rest of who stay in the agricultural land will surrender as there are large numbers of civilians, ISIS fighters, and their families that have not been expected.

Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the continued presence of members of the “Islamic State” Organization of different nationalities with their families in the Organization’s tunnels and trenches east of Euphrates; continues to delay the process of announcing the final statement of the victory over the “Islamic State” Organization, where it was expected to be announced on world Women’s Day, and the Syrian Observatory published in the past hours that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued operations in the area of Al-Baghuz farms and its vicinity, at the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, where the SOHR monitored shelling by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition on the areas where tunnels and trenches of what remained for the “Islamic State” organization, are located in farmlands in Al-Baghuz area, along with the flight of the International Coalition warplanes over the area, amid targeting on areas where ISIS members used to be present, and there is information about the exit of citizens and families of the organization and its members from the area to the SDF-held area, and the SOHR published hours ago, that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored renewed ground shelling by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition Forces, on areas in which the “Islamic State” Organization used to be present, while the Syria Democratic Forces continue sweeping the area and information about preparations to receive a new batch of people who remain in tunnels and trenches in the agricultural lands of Baghuz area, while the Syrian Observatory monitored sniping by the remaining members who remained in the area between Baghuz and the east bank of Euphrates River, also the Syrian Observatory monitored the death of 2 fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces in a mine explosion, and 3 other fighters were  injured, while the sweeping is accompanied by the flight of warplanes of the International Coalition over the area.

The Syrian Observatory published today morning, the 7th of March 2019, that it learned that it is expected in the next few hours; for a new batch of civilians and fighters of the “Islamic State” organization to be gotten out of Baghuz farms, which in turned was turned into one of the capitals of the major Arab capitals, where SOHR received information from those who have gotten out of the area that there are still thousands of people in these agricultural lands, but the Syrian Observatory cannot confirm or deny the authenticity of this information.

While the number of those who have gotten out of the agricultural land reached 17480 including 2040 ISIS fighters, since the 16th of February 2019 until now, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained a video showing children of the Yazidi followers, who were abducted by the “Islamic State” Organization earlier with other children the reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that they were of the Shiite citizens from Tal Afar area in Iraq, while the Syrian Observatory monitored renewed shelling by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, targeting the areas in which the Organization’s members remains of those refused to surrender to the Syria Democratic Forces and the Coalition, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation preliminary investigations by the Syria Democratic forces, with the people who are getting out of trenches and tunnels in the farmland area around Baghuz in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where the Syrian Observatory monitored investigations to separate the civilians members and families of ISIS members, and to transport the civilians and the families to the camps at the southeastern countryside of al-Hasakah, and the members and the fighters to the detention centers and jails, while reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the Syria Democratic Forces received 5 of their fighters who were captured by the “Islamic State” Organization earlier, but until now the way they were released through is not known whether they were handed over in exchange of a deal, also the Syrian Observatory received information about liberating a Yazidi woman by the Syria Democratic Forces from Jabal Sinjar on the Syrian-Iraqi border, also the Syrian Observatory monitored during the past hours that the Syria Democratic Forces await at the outskirts of the contact lines at the end of the safe road, to transport the last remaining civilians and families of the “Islamic State” Organization and members; towards camps at the countryside of al-Hasakah, and to transfer ISIS members to prisons and jails of Syria Democratic Forces, in a simultaneous preparations for the announcement of the end of the “Islamic State” Organization by the Syria Democratic Forces, after tens of thousands handing over themselves of the civilians and members of the Organization and their families of Syrian, Iraqi, Arab, Moroccan, Asian, and western nationalities to SDF in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored since the beginning of December 2018, the exit of 57620 people out of Baghuz farms and ISIS enclave before being besieged within this area, including more than 55620 people have gotten out the Organization’s enclave since the decision of the US President Trump to withdraw from Syria on the 19th of December 2018, including about 6040 members of the “Islamic State” Organization, and the majority of them are of Iraqi nationality, who have been arrested among the displaced people, after the residents were able to identify them and inform the security forces about their infiltration, while another part of them handed themselves over after they managed to get out of the last enclave of the Organization, also the Syrian Observatory learned that during the past days and weeks about 300 ISIS members managed to infiltrate through the Euphrates River to the largest and last remaining enclave of the Organization in the Syrian Desert within the areas that are controlled by the regime forces, Russians, and the Iranians in north of Palmyra.

At the same time, the Syrian Observatory documented the transfer and handover of hundreds of members of the “Islamic State” Organization and its fighters to the Iraqi authorities, and the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: about 400 members of the “Islamic State” Organization including members of western nationalities were transported and handed over to the Iraqi army.