Syrian commander meets with tribal leaders to discuss ISIL fight in al-Hasakah

A Syrian military commander has met with local tribal leaders in northeastern Syria to discuss cooperation in the battle against foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists, Press TV reports.

The meeting was held in the city of al-Hasakah, the capital of a province with the same name.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the prospects of recruiting more troops to fight the Takfiri ISIL militants.

Last week, the terrorists executed dozens of civilians in the province. Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ISIL terrorists overran the villages of Tal Maghas as well as Um Raqabah on January 22, and fatally shot dozens of people. The Takfiris later destroyed the victims’ houses, according to Syria’s official news agency, SANA.

ISIL Takfiris executed eleven civilians and mutilated their bodies in Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor on January 15.

The ISIL controls parts of Syria and Iraq, and has been carrying out horrific acts of violence such as public decapitations and crucifixions against all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

Over 200,000 people have been killed in the crisis in Syria since 2011, when the foreign-backed militancy began in the Arab country. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year alone.