Kurds Press on for Control of Hasakah

Kurdish forces made advances on May 18 in their ongoing battle to seize control of of al-Hasakah province, northeastern Syria, from Islamic State (IS) militants.

The People’s Protection Units (YPG) seized four villages including Tel Huda and Samir, according to news reports, bringing them close to the strategic IS-controlled Tel Tamer. YPG footage uploaded on May 19 is described as showing operations between Tel Tamer and al-Aliya villages.

Kurdish forces backed by US-led coalition air strikes broke an IS siege on the Kurdish village of Kobane, al-Hasakah, in January 2015 after nearly five months of fighting. IS militants also abducted more than 200 Assyrian Christians from al-Hasakah during an offensive on the province in March 2015. Credit: Ragihandina YPG