democratic forces known as the sdf push in on the last sliver of territory under the militants control. here are the fighters prepared to move into the village of shafa. flares turned the dark night into day. coalition aircraft circled overhead, providing crushing air power. by daylight they push further in. this is where isis ends, sdf commander shimko shakaki tells his men. moments later panic breaks out. isis has launched a counterattack. the sdf fire back, and shafa is quickly liberated. we travel down to the front line as they approach the next village. our escorts insist on taking an armored vehicle. even liberated territory is far
from secure. these roads are still dangerous. especially early in the morning. because there are isis sleeper cells in the area. they come out overnight and they plant roadside bombs. we stop at a house that the sdf took from isis just days earlier. mortars are fired off at militant positions. commander shakaki takes us up onto the roof to show us the front line. so the next village over, susa, is where the front line is now, and they re hoping that they ll be able to liberate that by tomorrow. american forces provide assistance from just a few hundred yards away. the commander warns the battle is not over. the pressure we had militarily is ending, he says. but the fundamental war is eradicating the ideology of