ETV Bharat / international

Assault on last IS enclave of Baghouz continues

US-backed Syrian fighters were forced to slow down their battle against Islamic State (IS) militants to retake Baghouz because the extremists were using civilians as human shields.

Assault on last IS enclave of Baghouz continues

US-backed forces firing weapons at Islamic State group positions

By

Published : Mar 4, 2019, 11:00 PM IST

Baghouz: US-backed Syrian fighters battling Islamic State (IS) militants in their last foothold in Syria said they were forced to slow down their push on Monday because the extremists were using civilians as human shields.

US-backed forces firing weapons at Islamic State group positions

A spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, tweeted that the battle to retake Baghouz was "going to be over soon," despite the slow down.

Also Read:Over 1,500 turtles found inside luggage in Manila

The US-backed forces resumed their offensive on Baghouz last Friday, after a two-week pause to allow for the evacuation of civilians.

Retaking the sliver of land would be a milestone in the devastating four-year campaign to end IS' self-proclaimed "caliphate" that once straddled a vast territory across both Syria and Iraq.

IS militants are desperately fighting to hang on to the last tiny piece of land in eastern Syria, deploying snipers and guided missiles and using dug-out tunnels for surprise attacks.

Also Read:Tornado kills 23 in US state of Alabama

On Sunday, black smoke billowed over the besieged speck of land in the village after airstrikes hit several targets.

SDF fighters had tightened the noose on the militants the day before, advancing from two fronts and cutting off their access to the river in Baghouz.

undefined

Baghouz: US-backed Syrian fighters battling Islamic State (IS) militants in their last foothold in Syria said they were forced to slow down their push on Monday because the extremists were using civilians as human shields.

US-backed forces firing weapons at Islamic State group positions

A spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, tweeted that the battle to retake Baghouz was "going to be over soon," despite the slow down.

Also Read:Over 1,500 turtles found inside luggage in Manila

The US-backed forces resumed their offensive on Baghouz last Friday, after a two-week pause to allow for the evacuation of civilians.

Retaking the sliver of land would be a milestone in the devastating four-year campaign to end IS' self-proclaimed "caliphate" that once straddled a vast territory across both Syria and Iraq.

IS militants are desperately fighting to hang on to the last tiny piece of land in eastern Syria, deploying snipers and guided missiles and using dug-out tunnels for surprise attacks.

Also Read:Tornado kills 23 in US state of Alabama

On Sunday, black smoke billowed over the besieged speck of land in the village after airstrikes hit several targets.

SDF fighters had tightened the noose on the militants the day before, advancing from two fronts and cutting off their access to the river in Baghouz.

undefined

RESTRICTIONS: SNTV clients only. Use on broadcast and digital channels, including social. Available worldwide. Use within 14 days. All usage subject to rights licensed in contract. For any questions regarding rights restrictions please contact planning@sntv.com.
SHOTLIST: Stoke Minster, Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK. 4th March 2019.
1. 00:00 Chairman of the Stoke City Football Club, Peter Coates, walking up to give Gordon Banks tribute speech
2. 00:15 SOUNDBITE (English): Peter Coates, Chairman of the Stoke City Football Club:
"Gordon (Banks) joined Stoke City in 1967 and lived the rest of his life in this area. We regard him as our adopted famous son. He was fully integrated into the community at all levels, and he was at home with us and we were at home with him. Gordon played in one of Stoke CIty's best ever teams, making 246 appearances. Of course, he would have made many more both for Stoke (City) and England, apart from an accident, an eye injury, which affected his career."
3. 01:01 SOUNDBITE (English): Peter Coates, Chairman of the Stoke City Football Club:
"So much has been written and said about Gordon's stellar international career. There's nothing for me to add to that but to say that he is in the pantheon of the world's greatest goalkeepers. And his place is forever assured."
4. 01:20 Geoff Hurst, former England forward - scored hat-trick in World Cup final, when England recorded a 4-2 victory over West Germany at the old Wembley Stadium in 1966 - walking up to give tribute speech
5. 01:31 SOUNDBITE (English): Geoff Hurst, former England forward, World Cup 1966 winner:
"Gordon Banks OBE contributed to the worst moment in my footballing career. We often joked privately and often publicly about the save against Pele and the save against myself in the second leg of that semi-final. Of course I always maintained that the most important save as you'd appreciate this in this community was the save that got them (Stoke City) through. The save against Pele wasn't important, we lost the game and we still qualified for the latter stages of the World Cup."
6. 02:16 SOUNDBITE (English): Geoff Hurst, former England forward, World Cup 1966 winner:
"He was a superstar on the field but quite frankly off the field he was not a superstar at all, he was a very ordinary guy. Never had any airs and graces. That was one of the beautiful things about Banksy (Gordon Banks' nickname). I remember very well. He often talked about goalkeeping, and me as a striker was not really remotely interested. But talked about many things and some things stuck in my mind. He always used to say that he'd always be a yard or two off the line, so if it hit him ricochet off him it would go beyond the bar. I look at goalkeepers in the Premier League, they're stuck on the line and sometime in the back of the net. The ball hits them and finishes up in the back of the net. I often say to myself when I watch those, Banksy would have saved that."
7. 03:06 SOUNDBITE (English): Geoff Hurst, former England forward, World Cup 1966 winner:
"I love Banksy's final line from his address, after dinner address when we appeared together a few times. He said, I broken most bones in my fingers, thumbs and wrists. A knuckle disappeared in 1968. I had a metal pin in my knee, a plate in my elbow. I've had two hip replacements. I'm blind in one eye, yet I still get some idiot come up to me and ask if I'd still play (laughter). I will let you know I have cleaned that up for this church. Banksy rest in peace, we love and we miss you."
SOURCE: Stoke City FC
DURATION: 04:06
STORYLINE:
The funeral of former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, who passed away aged 81, on February 12th, took place at Stoke Minster on Monday.
Former England team-mate Geoff Hurst described him as "a superstar on the field," but "a very ordinary guy" off the field.
"He always used to say that he'd always be a yard or two off the line, so if it hit him or ricocheted off him it would go beyond the bar," said Hurst, who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final, when England recorded a 4-2 victory over West Germany at the old Wembley Stadium in 1966.
"Goalkeepers in the Premier League, they're stuck on the line and sometime in the back of the net ... I often say to myself when I watch those, Banksy would have saved that," added Hurst.
Stoke City Chairman Peter Coates praised Banks' legacy as one of the "world's greatest goalkeepers".

For All Latest Updates

TAGGED:

Islamic State enclave

Syrian Democratic Forces

US-backed forces

Copyright © 2025 Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., All Rights Reserved.