More civilians expected to leave IS-held area in eastern Syria Deir al-Zour

More civilians, mainly women andchildren, are expected on Tuesday to leave the last pocket stillunder Islamic State control in eastern Syria, where a US-backedSyrian force is battling to end the radical group's presence there. "Trucks went into the Baghuz area and we are hoping more civilianswill come out today," Adnan Afrin, a commander in the US-alliedSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told dpa."On Monday the total number that came out reached 2,500, mainlywomen, children and elderly," the Kurdish official said.Afrin said he expects that the rest of the civilians will beevacuated in the coming two days."From our end we are facilitating the evacuation of the civilians,but Daesh is behind the delay," he added, using the Arabic acronymfor Islamic State.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said among thepeople who left Baghuz on Monday are some 120 members of IslamicState who turned themselves in to SDF.  Hundreds of civilians have been evacuated in the past few days fromthe village of Baghuz, the last area Islamic State holds in theoil-rich eastern Syria.The SDF command insists civilians, whom it says are being used ashuman shields by Islamic State, leave the area before a final battleagainst the militant group in the area resumes.  Earlier this month, the SDF forces, supported by a US-led alliance,started what it called the final battle aimed at capturing Bahguz.The SDF forces have played a key role in battling Islamic State innorthern and eastern Syria.