IS jihadists cornered in south Syria after losing territory to regime — monitor

BEIRUT — Dozens of Islamic State jihadists are cornered in a pocket of Syria’s Daraa after losing all other territory there to a Russian-backed regime assault, a monitor says.

To get themselves out, IS is using the release of 30 Druze women and children it kidnapped last week as a bargaining chip, says the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“There have been talks since yesterday between regime forces and IS to evacuate around 100 IS fighters and their families from the southwest part of Daraa to the Badiya,” says Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

The Badiya refers to the vast desert stretching from central Syria to the eastern border with Iraq, and where IS still holds territory.

“In exchange, IS would release 30 hostages it took from Sweida last week,” says Abdel Rahman.

“To put pressure on IS, Russian warplanes carried out strikes on the area today,” he adds.

— AFP