United States forces in Syria have noticed a pattern that Daesh leaders escape any territory they recognize is being seized while leaving some militants to fight and die in their place, he added.
Al-Qaida's leader meanwhile urged his followers and other militants in Syria to unite and prepare for protracted jihad, or holy war, against what he called an "international satanic alliance", apparently referring to the Syrian government, its ally Russian Federation, and the USA, all of which are targeting the group.
The US-led coalition warplanes carried out "intense" strikes in support of the offensive, Rahman said, adding that one raid had killed seven children and four women trying to flee Tabqa.
A US-backed alliance of forces entered the key militant-held town of Tabqa yesterday as they pursued their campaign against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.
The activist-run Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently also reported the airstrike, saying a family was killed.
Tabqa and the nearby major dam of the same name are considered key prizes in a broader offensive for Raqa, the de facto Syrian capital of IS's self-proclaimed "caliphate", 55 kilometres (34 miles) to the east.
The assault on Tabqa began on March 22 when SDF forces and their US-led coalition allies were airlifted behind ISIS lines south of the Euphrates River.
Lawyers for man dragged off United plane file court request
A United Airlines spokesperson told the agencies that the passengers "are receiving compensation for the cost of their tickets". Another man traveling with high school students stood up at that point and said they were getting off the plane, Bridges said.
An Israeli military statement said the strikes early Sunday in Syria's Quneitra province came in response to Syrian artillery shells that allegedly landed late last week in the Golan Heights - a strategic Syrian plateau bordering Israel seized by the Jewish state in the Six-Day War of 1967. Al-Qaida's official branch, the Nusra Front, changed its name to the Fatah al-Sham Front and formally cut ties with al-Qaida a year ago, but is still widely seen as being linked to the global terror network. His remarks came in an audio message released through al-Qaida's media arm, As-Sahab.
"The real battle begins now", Mr Abdel Rahman said on Monday, adding that ISIL fighters had "no way" out of the town. Another 8,000 people have left two pro-government towns in northern Syria, besieged by rebels, in recent weeks. The government has denied using chemical weapons. Al-Qaida's leader, al-Zawahri, has urged his followers and all militants in Syria to unite ranks and prepare for protracted jihad, or holy war.
Ayman al-Zawahri tells the jihadis to remain steadfast and change tactics to a guerrilla war.
US -backed Syrian forces have for months announced their intentions to retake Raqqa, ISIS' self-declared capital and most important stronghold in Syria.
On Monday, they entered it for the first time, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.
"We support whoever wants to liberate any city from the terrorists, but that doesn't mean to be liberated from terrorists and being occupied by American forces, for example, or by another proxy, or other terrorists".
Comments