Two weeks after being forced to retreat from the strategic Tal Abyad border-crossing into Turkey, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) militants have resurfaced in this city, launching a powerful counter-assault on the eastern district that was previously under the control of the predominately Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” (YPG).

Following their vicious assault on the eastern district of Tal Abyad, the militants from ISIS declared full-control of this area after a series of clashes with the YPG and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Tuesday afternoon.

Despite the powerful assault launched by the terrorist group, the YPG was able to regroup near the city-center in order conduct a counter-attack at the eastern district; this has reignited the violent firefights between the two opposing parties, as they both seek to establish control over this imperative border-city in the Al-Raqqa Governorate of northern Syria.

Recently, displaced civilians crossed the Turkish-Syrian border to return to the city of Tal Abyad after the armed combatants from ISIS were kicked out of the area; however, similar to the predominately Kurdish city of Kobane in northern Aleppo, ISIS has specifically targeted the civilian neighborhoods of Tal Abyad in another twisted attempt to punish the residents for cooperating with the YPG.

According to social media activists from both parties, firefights are still ongoing between the YPG and ISIS inside the city of Tal Abyad, with the former currently on the offensive against the terrorist group.