Over the last 4 days, the U.S. backed “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) have captured nearly 35 km of territory from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) inside the Al-Hasakah Governorate’s western countryside after a successful military operation at the ‘Abdel-‘Aziz Mountains.

The Syrian Democratic Forces – in close coordination with the predominately Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” (YPG) – seized several villages located along the western slopes of the ‘Abdel-‘Aziz Mountain after a violent battle with ISIS this week.

The ‘Abdel-‘Aziz Mountains are located directly west of the provincial capital – they had long been contested until the YPG seized most of the area following a successful counter-offensive that caught ISIS off-guard.

With the SDF and YPG completing several successful operations near the provincial capital, ISIS has been forced to abandon several villages and hilltops in order to hang-on to their remaining strongholds near the Al-Raqqa Governorate’s border.