IS families in Syria praise militant group while surrendering

BAGHOUZ, Syria — Angry civilians evacuating from the last shred of territory held by Islamic State militants in Syria praised the extremist group Wednesday and chanted “Islamic State will remain,” underscoring the defiance of IS fighters and their supporters even as their defeat looms.

There were no signs of combat on Wednesday to allow for evacuations from the IS-held pocket in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. Associated Press journalists positioned across from the IS-held pocket saw lines of pickup trucks, motorcycles and people walking on foot, in what appeared to be a group evacuating.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the group spearheading the fight against IS in Syria, has been applying a combination of military force to put pressure on the militants who refuse to surrender, followed by pauses to allow for the evacuation of civilians.

Thousands of people have streamed out of Baghouz in the last few days under a stepped-up assault by the U.S.-led coalition and their ground partners. The latest wave of evacuations brings the final defeat of IS by the Kurdish-led SDF a step closer — a milestone in the devastating four-year campaign to defeat the group’s so-called “caliphate” that once covered a vast territory straddling both Syria and Iraq.

On Wednesday, a group of women seen at a reception area set up in the desert, where they were screened by SDF officials, were rowdy, aggressive and defiant, praising the Islamic State group and screaming angrily at journalists. Wearing black robes with a black face cover, they pointed their fingers at the group and screamed: “Islamic State will stay, God is great, God is great, Islamic State will stay!” A couple of women took off their shoes and raised them in the direction of journalists. “Take a picture of the shoe, the shoes are better than you,” one said. Children joined, raising their fingers in the air.

A 30-year-old Iraqi woman said her 1-month-old baby, who was sick, died overnight in the reception area from the cold.

“I didn’t want to leave except to treat her,” the woman who identified herself as Um Fatima said. She cursed the SDF and said: “The Islamic state will remain and expand, God willing,” and walked away. A group of men were seated on the ground, under the watchful eye of SDF fighters, many of them covering their faces with checkered scarves.