US-led coalition leave over 300 ISIS fighters stranded

Islamic State fighters are attempting to evacuate members from desert
US-led coalition has marooned convey to bait militants into trap
Over 300 ISIS fighters and about as many civilians are stranded in Syrian desert
The convoy left 10 days ago after ISIS fighters arranged deal with Hezbollah
US was not a party in the deal, and began bombing routes and roads
US allowing Syrian regime forces to bring convoy food and supplies

By Daniel Roth For Dailymail.com

Published: 01:59 BST, 8 September 2017 | Updated: 02:15 BST, 8 September 2017

Islamic State militants attempting to evacuate members stranded in the Syrian desert are being pummeled by US-led coalition air strikes, the military said Thursday.

‘Like moths to a flame,’ coalition spokesperson Army Col. Ryan S. Dillon told the military publication Stars and Stripes.

Dillon said that at least 40 vehicles belonging to ISIS have attempted to rescue the stranded jihadists, including armored technical vehicles and a tank disguised as a truck.

Army Col. Ryan S. Dillon said that ISIS fighters attempting to rescue members stranded in the Syrian is like picking off 'moths to a flame'

Army Col. Ryan S. Dillon said that ISIS fighters attempting to rescue members stranded in the Syrian is like picking off ‘moths to a flame’

‘We were able to continue to just observe and pick them off one at a time,’ Dillion said.

At least 300 ISIS militants and about as many women and children have been marooned in the Syrian desert over the past 10 days, who were seeking passage out of an enclave on the Lebanon-Syria border after surrendering and brokering a deal with the Lebanese Shi’ite militant group Hezbollah.

But the United States, which was not party to the deal, quickly marshaled coalition forces to halt their progress, and began targeting routes and roadways to extremist-held areas farther east.

Airstrikes on roadways and bridges have now left around 11 buses stranded in the middle of nowhere in between Syrian regime and ISIS-held territory on the border with Iraq.

US-led coalition forces destroyed routes and roadways leading to an extremist stronghold in Iraq 10 days ago, stranding 11 buses in the middle of nowhere

US-led coalition forces destroyed routes and roadways leading to an extremist stronghold in Iraq 10 days ago, stranding 11 buses in the middle of nowhere

Militants who attempted to execute a scouting mission in recent days were also targeted in airstrikes after they strayed far enough from the buses to avoid killing civilians.

In all, 85 ISIS fighters have been killed by coalition forces since the convoy was halted.

The US has also disputed claims by Syrian opposition activists that some members of the convoy have made it safely to a nearby militant stronghold.

The convoy ‘has not … and will not reach Iraq,’ Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the coalition, said Wednesday on Twitter.

The US has also allowed Syrian regime forces to send food and supplies to the stranded convoy.