Clashes between Islamic State militants and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue in eastern Syria, where the Islamist terrorists try to keep control over an oil-rich area between the provinces of Al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor, Syrian news outlet Zaman Al Wasl reports , quoting activists. The SDF, which consists of Kurdish and Arab militias, seized 16 villages from ISIS in the area in two weeks—backed by international air strikes—including villages near the town of Markada, the last stronghold of the Islamic State in the Al-Hasakah province, according to Zaman Al Wasl. The war in the eastern part of Syria is now over the oil-rich areas in the region, not only to push ISIS out of it, according to activists who say that the Islamist militants still control a few of the oil fields there. Despite a major offensive by Kurdish forces since June, five towns east of the Euphrates […]