image

Fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stand guard in the village of Baghouz in Syria's northern Deir Ezzor province, on March 24, 2021, where two years ago, the Islamic State Group (IS) made their last stand before being defeated. - In March 2019, after Kurdish fighters and the US-led coalition declared the IS proto-state defeated, Baghouz looked like a churned up wasteland, its roads were dotted with destroyed homes..Now, residents have started to renovate battered buildings. Children have also returned to school and a handful of businesses have reopened..But twisted metal wreckage continues to litter the floor, several homes remain abandoned and IS insignia can still be spotted on walls across the village. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (KEYSTONE/AFP/DELIL SOULEIMAN)