syria iraq border
Iraqi forces have now begun an important operation to defeat ISIS from the final major city they control in the country.

Al-Qaim, with a pre-war population of 150,000 people, is on the Syrian-Iraqi border and is one of the last major transit points for the terrorist organisation between the two countries.

This comes as Syrian government forces are conducting an operation to liberate Al-Bukamal directly opposite Al-Qaim on the Syrian side of the border in Deir Ezzor province.

The countrysides of Iraq's Anbar province where Al-Qaim is located, and Syria's Deir Ezzor province is considered the heartland of ISIS and where they enjoy most of their support among Syrians and Iraqis.

The capture of these two aforementioned towns by Iraqi and Syrian forces respectively will effectively turn ISIS into a hit-and-run insurgency force rather than the army it once was.

Syria to launch operation to clear ISIS from major border crossing with Iraq

Al-Masdar CEO, Leith Abou Fadel, has confirmed on his Twitter account that the Syrian Army are preparing to liberate the town of Albukamal on the Syria-Iraq border.

This comes as Iraqi forces have launched an operation to reach Al-Qaim directly opposite Albukamal on the Iraqi side of the border.

As reported earlier by Fort Russ News, Iraqi forces have already liberated a host of sites from ISIS in their operation to liberate Al-Qaim.

With the expected liberation of Albukamal and Al-Qaim, ISIS will effectively be reduced to an small-scale hit-and-run insurgency group without any other major cities or towns under its control.

It is unclear at this moment whether these simultaneous operations was coordinated or not.