Viewed from above, Isil’s last stronghold looks like a cross between a scrapyard and a nightmarish parody of the Glastonbury festival.
From the Syrian Democratic Force’s (SDF) observation post on the cliff-top overlooking the town of Baghuz from the south, hundreds of vehicles can be seen jumbled together in a dense sea of tents, buildings, and jerry-rigged infrastructure.
We were not allowed to stay long: the position has been regularly targeted by Isil snipers and wire-guided missiles fired from the camp below.
But this commanding height is the best – maybe the only place – from which to understand this arduous and increasingly puzzling battle.
To the left, the broad meander of the Euphrates…
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