Summary
A U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance on Friday captured the town of al-Houl in Hassakeh province, which had been held by ISIS militants, a spokesman for the Kurdish fighters, part of the grouping, said.
It was the first significant advance against ISIS by the Democratic Forces of Syria, which was formed last month.
The advance came as Kurdish forces across the border in Iraq, backed by U.S. airstrikes, seized the town of Sinjar from ISIS fighters, in one of the most significant counter-attacks since the extremists swept through northern Iraq last year.
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