BAGHOUZ, Syria — The sound of mortar shelling and fighter jets whizzing by filled the air. Artillery rounds were meant to clear land mines for the SDF fighters to advance. But SDF commanders insist the official end of the group’s hold on territory in Syria is near. SDF fighters said they were fired by the U.S.-led coalition. SDF fighters said that as they cleared areas captured from IS they found some captives held in bathrooms four days earlier, including two soldiers from the Syrian government.

Source: Washington Post February 16, 2019 10:09 UTC