AL-HAWL CAMP, Syria — Amid the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) advance toward areas controlled by the Islamic State (IS), thousands of Syrian civilians have fled the cities of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in the east of the country, where IS proclaimed its caliphate in June 2014.

Abdul Sattar, who hails from the IS-controlled town of al-Bukamal, which lies southeast of Deir ez-Zor, told Al-Monitor how he was stuck for 18 days with his wife and three children in the desert surrounded by mines. They had to walk to Rajm al-Salibi, which is located in the countryside of Hasakah and under the control of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Abdul Sattar preferred not to disclose his full name to protect his family members who are still stranded in al-Bukamal. “When we decided to escape, we knew we would be facing death. We were dead there, and we could die any minute now,” he said.

He described his decision to escape as “bold,” saying, “We seldom heard the news there. I heard a month ago that the international coalition started the Raqqa battle. I got excited and decided to escape at the beginning of the month with my family."