d ish ▁f igh ters ▁reported ly ▁burn ed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁houses ▁that ▁belonged ▁to ▁I SI L ▁milit ants ▁or ▁I SI L - al lied ▁f igh ters ▁in ▁two ▁dozen ▁Arab ▁villages ▁around ▁Tal ▁Ham is ▁that ▁they ▁re capt ured ▁from ▁I SI L . ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁February , ▁I SI L ▁executed ▁ 1 5 ▁Ass y rian ▁Christians , ▁ 1 4 ▁of ▁them ▁f igh ters . ▁Another ▁ 1 3 ▁Christian ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁being ▁held . ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 8 ▁February , ▁since ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁off ensive , ▁the ▁fighting ▁had ▁left ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 7 5 – 2 1 1 ▁I SI L ▁milit ants ▁and ▁ 7 5 ▁Kur d ish ▁and ▁al lied ▁f igh ters ▁dead . ▁In ▁the ▁period ▁during ▁the ▁off ensive , ▁between ▁ 2 1 ▁February ▁and ▁ 1 ▁March , ▁the ▁US - led ▁coal ition ▁conducted ▁ 2 4 ▁a irst rik es , ▁striking ▁ 1 8 ▁I SI L ▁tact ical ▁units ▁and ▁destroy ing ▁seven ▁I SI L ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁Kur d ish ▁forces ▁were ▁reported ly ▁planning ▁to ▁build ▁on ▁their ▁adv ances ▁and ▁capture ▁Tell ▁A by ad , ▁thus ▁connecting ▁the ▁Kob an î ▁C anton ▁to ▁the ▁J az ira ▁C anton . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁meant ime , ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁that ▁the ▁Kur ds ▁captured ▁Tal ▁Ham is , ▁Sy rian ▁government ▁forces ▁launched ▁their