SDF hopes to complete evacuation of last ISIS enclave in Syria

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hope the evacuation of people wishing to leave the last enclave of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in eastern Syria will be completed on Thursday. The SDF wants to ensure all civilians have been evacuated from the besieged enclave of Baghouz before launching a final assault. Baghouz is the last shred of populated territory held by IS, which once controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria. Thousands of people, many of them family members of IS militants, have poured out of Baghouz over the last several weeks, Reuters said. Hundreds of militants have also surrendered, according to the SDF. The IS militants are still widely assessed to represent a security threat with a foothold in patches of remote territory and the capacity to mount guerrilla attacks.