“Currently now we are at the gate of Sousa. It is a neck and neck fight between us and the mercenaries, within a distance of 150 meters,” a Kurdish member of the force told Rudaw.
ISIS militants have planted a large number of landmines and bombs and are sending explosive-rigged vehicles at the advancing forces, he added.
The SDF, with coalition air support, recently took Shejla village after three days of heavy fighting, spokesperson Kino Gabriel said in a public statement.
They have advanced eight kilometres on multiple axes, killing more than 75 ISIS fighters, he detailed, adding that the coalition have carried out some 60 airstrikes, destroying ISIS ammunition and food storage sites as well as tunnels and fighting positions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported intense clashes around Sousa and al-Baghuz areas.
The Kurdish-led SDF are in the midst of an offensive push against the last ISIS stronghold in Deir ez-Zor province after months of closing in on what is known as the Hajin pocket.
The fighting is taking place just kilometres from the border with Iraq and the SDF is coordinating with the Iraqi army.
"I can say that our relations with the Iraqi government and army are very good. We have frequent meetings,” an SDF commander told Rudaw.
Iraq’s air force has carried out cross-border airstrikes.
At least 211 ISIS militants and 113 from the SDF ranks have been killed since the start of the current phase of operations on September 10, according to the Observatory.
“The battle hasn’t been easy and we still have a lot of ground to cover before all of Syria is liberated by the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces to give back to the people of Syria to live in peace,” said Gabriel.
An Iranian commander, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizade, said that Iran killed nearly 40 ISIS in missile strikes against the group in the Hajin area on Monday.
Iran said they had launched the missiles in retaliation for an attack on a military parade in southern Iran on September 22.
An ISIS commander for Mosul was among those killed, Hajizade said, Tasnim news reported.
