DAMASCUS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has succeeded in capturing vast areas of the town of Hajin, one of the last Islamic State (IS) strongholds in eastern Syria, a war monitor reported Thursday.
The IS militants have retreated to the eastern outskirts of the town as a result of the SDF assault with the backing of the U.S.-led coalition, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The London-based watchdog said the SDF has broken through the IS defense lines in Hajin over the past 48 hours, capturing a hospital and other areas in the town.
The progress of the SDF and allied Kurdish groups was made despite the feverish resistance from the IS, which detonated five car bombs on Wednesday to slow down the SDF, according to the Observatory.
The capture of Hajin could be achieved within hours, it noted.
The SDF had previously lost the town to the IS during the U.S.-backed dragging campaign on the eastern bank of Euphrates River, which started on Sept. 10.
Since then, the last IS-held pocket in the eastern Euphrates in eastern Deir al-Zour Province witnessed advances and retreats of both sides, killing at least 911 IS militants and 531 SDF fighters.
The recent advance of the Kurdish-led groups come as Turkey, a key opponent of the Kurdish influence in northern Syria, said there will soon be a military campaign against "terrorists" in the eastern Euphrates region.
"It is time to realize our decision to wipe out terror groups in the east of Euphrates," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
"We will start the operation to clear the east of the Euphrates of separatist terrorists in a few days," Erdogan added, referring to the territory held by the Kurdish militias.
There has been no immediate comment from Damascus, which deems Turkey a force of occupation along with the United States.
Earlier in the day, activists said the SDF brought reinforcements to the northern Syrian city of Ayn al-Arab near the border with Turkey as the Turkish reconnaissance planes were hovering over the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij.
Meanwhile, the U.S. forces have evacuated from their positions in the Kurdish-controlled city of Tal Abyyad in northern Syria as the Turkish forces were gathering on the Turkish side of the border.
The Kurdish self-administration in northern Syria issued a statement on Thursday, calling for mass mobilization in areas under its control and urging the Syrian government to respond to Erdogan's remarks.
