Daesh Fighters Try to Blend in With Civilian Population While Fleeing Syria

According to Col. Steven Warren, Daesh fighters are shaving their beards and trying to hide among the civilian population while trying to flee Raqqa.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Daesh militants are losing territory in Syria and trying to flee the country while pretending to be civilians, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Col. Steven Warren told reporters on Wednesday.

"We are seeing reports of ISIL [Daesh] fighters shaving their beards and trying to hide among the civilian population, as they continue to lose ground in Syria and run back to Raqqa, Manbij or Jarablus," Warren stated.

Syria has been torn by a civil war since 2011, as government forces have been clashing with opposition factions and extremist groups operating in the country.

The US-led coalition of some 60 nations has been carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia, in Syria since September 2014, but without the approval of the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.

Moscow has been carrying out a separate campaign against the terrorist group, which is outlawed in Russia and a number of other countries, since September 30, at the request of the Syrian President Bashar Assad.