Tragic photos of a Syrian infant suffering from severe malnutrition have shown the grave consequences of the battle against ISIS that has forced thousands from their homes.
The child was treated by a nurse at a clinic in the rebel-controlled town of Kafr Batna, in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on Saturday.
It is unknown how old the child is, but doctors recorded a weight of just four pounds (1.9kg) for the baby.
The Syrian conflict, which began seven years ago, has killed hundreds of thousands of people, made more than half of Syrians homeless, and created the world’s worst refugee crisis.
A malnourished child, whose age is unclear, was treated by a nurse at a clinic in the rebel-controlled town of Kafr Batna, in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on Saturday
The Syrian conflict, which began seven years ago, has killed hundreds of thousands of people, made more than half of Syrians homeless, and created the world’s worst refugee crisis
The child brought in to the clinic on Saturday was so malnourished that all of his or her ribs could be seen
For now, the Islamic State group’s biggest and most strategic presence is in and around Deir el-Zour and the border town of Boukamal, as well as territory in Iraq’s sprawling Anbar province.
The group also still has pockets in Syria’s central province of Homs and near the capital, Damascus.
Rebel factions fighting the Damascus government in the multi-sided war hold swathes of Quneitra, while the army and allied militias control another part of the province.
Both warring Syrian sides accused each other of prompting the Israeli attack on Saturday. The army said militants in nearby territory fired mortar rounds into the Golan Heights.
A rebel official in Quneitra said pro-government fighters had been shelling insurgent-held parts of the province, when some of the shells fell on the Golan Heights.
Earlier this week, IS lost control of the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of its self-declared caliphate, after a four-month offensive by the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
The malnourished child wore an oversized diaper as a nurse at the clinic held him or her in her hands
IS still has pockets in Syria’s central province of Homs and near the capital, Damascus, including the region where the malnourished child was treated
Last week, IS lost its stronghold of Mayadeen in eastern Syria.
US President Donald Trump issued a statement Saturday commending the US-led coalition partners on “liberating” Raqqa, adding that they had made “more progress against these evil terrorists in the past several months” than others had done in years.
He added that the end of the Islamic State group’s self-styled caliphate “is in sight’.
IS still holds parts of Syria’s eastern Deir el-Zour province and Iraq’s Anbar province, as well as small, scattered pockets elsewhere.
The loss of Qaryatayn is another blow for the extremist group.
Earlier this month, the Russian military accused the United States of helping IS launch a series of attacks against Syrian troops.
Moscow said that IS launched a series of attacks in late September week from the area around Tanf near Syria’s border with Jordan, where US military advisers are based.
The Russians said the IS attacks near Qaryatayn in the Homs province, and a key highway linking Palmyra and Deir el-Zour, wouldn’t have been possible without US intelligence.
The baby was surrounded by doctors who weighed the child and took him or her into their care
It is unknown how old the child is, but doctors recorded a weight of just four pounds (1.9kg) for the baby
As nurses weighed the small child on a baby scale, doctors and nurses took photos to document the infant’s size
The capture of Qaryatayn came as Syria and its strong backer Iran signed a joint memorandum of understanding for developing cooperation and coordination between the two countries’ armies.
It said the memo was signed between the two countries’ chiefs of staffs, adding that it provides for exchanging military expertise and intelligence and technology information in a way that can boost the two countries’ capability for fight terrorism, according to state news agency SANA.
Iran has been one of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s strongest supporters since the country’s crisis began in 2011 and has sent thousands of Iranian-backed militiamen to boost his troops against opponents.
The Chief of Staff of Iran’s armed forces, Maj Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, is on an official visit to Syria. He toured the front lines in the northern province of Aleppo and discussed military cooperation with President Bashar Assad.
Israel has been concerned about Iran’s growing role in Syria and has been trying to keep Iran and the fighters it backs away from its border.
Earlier this week, IS lost control of the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of its self-declared caliphate, after a four-month offensive by the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tuesday that he will not tolerate an Iranian military presence in neighboring Syria.
Israel fears Iran will plant itself on the country’s doorstep by establishing a Shiite “corridor,” with land links from Iran to Lebanon, allowing the movement of fighters and weapons across the region.
Earlier Saturday, the Syrian army said Israeli forces struck one of its positions near the Golan Heights south of the country.
The army statement said Saturday’s shelling by Israeli troops came after Syrian opposition fighters fired mortar rounds that hit an open area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, giving the Jewish state a pretext to bomb the army.
The army said the shelling caused material damage without saying if there were casualties.
In one rare incident, Israel this week struck an anti-aircraft battery deep in Syria after it had opened fire on Israeli jets flying over Lebanon.