The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are battling dozens of "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) fighters who are cornered in a northern part of al-Tabqa, AFP reported Sunday (May 7th).

The Arab-Kurd alliance has captured more than 90% of al-Tabqa, but has not been able to fully clear the group's fighters out of the city or the adjacent dam.

"The SDF has not been able to seize complete control of al-Tabqa because ISIS fighters are still present in the neighbourhoods of Wahdah and Hurriyah," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman.

The two districts are in the city's north near al-Tabqa dam.

Abdel Rahman said "dozens" of ISIS fighters were laying mines and engaging in small-scale skirmishes with the SDF, but had not deployed suicide bombers in recent days.

An SDF commander inside al-Tabqa on Sunday said his forces were locked in "violent clashes" in the northern part of the city.

"The operation is going slowly because of the presence of civilians being used as human shields by ISIS," the commander said, saying his forces were trying to advance "carefully and accurately".

"Soon we will be able to announce the city fully cleared of ISIS," he added.