Syria - The Islamic state Group under pressure, surrounded in its stronghold of Al-Bab: FRANCE 24 English

FRANCE 24 English

Published on 6 Feb 2017

Now to Syria, where the Islamic State group is coming under pressure from multiple sides in the town of Al Bab in Aleppo Province.


Today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced that the goverment and Hezbollah have retaken a key route into the town, cutting off IS access to Turkey and its territory in east Syria.


Nadia Massih has the story


[[SCRIPT]]


The Islamic State group under pressure...


From the air and on the ground,


the extremists are being gradually being squeezed


dfin their heartlands in northern Syria.


Its fighters are now completely besieged in their only remaining major stronghold in Aleppo.. the town of Al Bab


Its strategic location, just 25 kilometers from the Turkish border...


has Al Bab has long been thought of as a prize by nearly all sides here


And on Monday, the Syrian army and Hezbollah retook a vital road, linking Al Bab to Turkey and to Islamic State territory further east.


Losing that road makes it harder for the Islamic State to bring in troops and weapons from over the border. And leaves them increasing isolated in their so-called capital, Raqqa.


This one of the most complex battlegrounds in Syria's deeply factionalized war...


MAP


The fight for Al Bab has seen rebel groups, backed by Turkey, advancing on foot from the north..

and the regime and its allies pushing up from the town's southern flank,,,

as Damascus and Ankara race to capture the largest Islamic State area in Aleppo.


All this risks sparking a confronation between Turkey and the Syrian government - and alongside isolating the Islamic State, a second key motivation for both sides here is to prevent the other penetrating deeper into these strategic areas north of the country.


Ankara is also trying to obstruct the advance of the powerful Kurdish YPG militia - a longtime enemy of the Turkish state.


Meanwhile, in the skies, Turkey and Russia - who've backed opposing sides in the war - have joined forces to isolate the militants and have been bombing al Bab from above.


The outcome of the multi-sided battles here certainly isn't clear yet,


but it does seem increasingly likely with rebels groups divided and the Islamic State losing ground, it is the regime and it's international powers that will reshape the battlefields north syria


[[SUR-TITLE]] Al Bab, Syria


[[TITLE]] IS surrounded in Al Bab


[[AUTHOR]] Nadia Massih