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Resistance See other Resistance Articles Title: ISIS defeat could give coalition blueprint for success Tal Abyad, Syria (CNN)ISIS has been forced from one of its stronghold outposts, a key access point to its self-declared capital, where it was entrenched for two years. And the defeat along a vital stretch of terrain could be a potential blueprint for more military successes against the militants. In freshly-liberated Tal Abyad -- not far from the Syria-Turkey border -- the scars of battle are everywhere, as are ISIS booby traps. ISIS ruled this rural landscape with impunity, fortifying it to defend a vital frontier and a key access point to their capital. The YPG, the Kurdish fighting force, had tried and failed to capture key towns in the past. ISIS would counter each assault with heavy weapons, car bombs and suicide bombers, each time forcing the YPG to retreat. But in the past month, the battlefield dynamics have changed. U.S.-led coalition airstrikes pounded ISIS fighting positions, taking out the terrorist group's armored vehicles, heavy weapons, headquarters, and other targets, allowing the YPG to barrel through around 80 kilometers (50 miles) of ISIS territory to reach the major prize -- Tal Abyad. The town is the gateway to a crucial border crossing with Turkey. Key position CNN goes inside liberated ISIS stronghold CNN goes inside liberated ISIS stronghold 02:32 PLAY VIDEO The combination of coalition power in the air and a committed force on the ground was so effective that ISIS fighters rapidly retreated. ISIS blew up a bridge, and put up a fierce, but brief, fight -- and then drew back. The Kurdish force had estimated it would take them weeks to defeat ISIS in Tal Abyad. In the end, it happened in two days. YPG leaders on the ground tell us that the effectiveness of the assault was thanks to direct coordination between the coalition and their upper command. "When the coalition against ISIS was formed, we were the only force that was committed in the fight against ISIS," said Bilal Rojava, the YPG commander overseeing the Tal Abyad front. "The coalition forces saw this and coordinated with us." That coordination began during the battle for Kobani last fall, and has developed since. Now, the drive to Tal Abyad is scattered with the carcasses of ISIS armored vehicles and the remains of its defensive positions. Buildings once occupied by ISIS, the walls still etched with crude renditions of its feared flag and Quranic inscriptions, lie abandoned. Cross-hair targets spray-painted on the walls of a former ISIS base are peppered with bullet holes. Huge dirt berms that blocked the road have been cleared to allow vehicles to pass. Poster Comment: This is Good and Bad News for Assad. Al Nusra has backed out of their alliance with ISIS and sided with the Kurds. The Kurds depend upon Iranians to help them against ISIS in Iraq. ISIS of Syria and Iraq have become separate entities since the death of Abu Bakr AL Baghdadi in an Israeli hospital. The Assad offensive could seriously weaken ISIS in Syria. The Turks do not like the Kurdish advance and might not provide so much assistance to the anti-Assad forces. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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