Evacuations Continue As SDF Readies For Final Assault

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from Baghouz, the last ISIS-held town in Syria, reports Agence France-Presse. 

On Wednesday, at least 15 trucks brought civilians out of ISIS territory, said a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

The evacuation is expected to wrap up on Thursday, said the spokesman. 

The SDF and the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS have worked to remove civilians from the ISIS-held town to stop the terror group from using them as human shields.

About 300 fighters remain in the town, reported Fox News.  

Following the evacuation, the SDF transferred more than 150 captured ISIS fighters to Iraqi custody, reported Reuters. 

The handover was part of an agreement that covers 502 ISIS fighters, said two Iraqi military sources. 

The SDF holds thousands of suspected ISIS fighters. 

Most of the fighters covered under the deal are Iraqi, said the sources. Some of their families were transferred with them to the Jazeera and Badiya military headquarters in Iraq's western Anbar province. 

The SDF and U.S.-led coalition are preparing for a final assault to dislodge ISIS fighters from Baghouz, The militant group still holds territory in the Badia desert and is believed to retain numerous sleeper cells in the region.