The Syrian Democratic Forces supported by the US-led coalition have announced victory in Raqqa, the so-called former ISIL “capital.”
According to AFP news agency, the SDF are currently conducting an operation to clear the city of the remaining militants.
Earlier media reports cited eyewitnesses as saying that the US-backed fighters had raised a flag inside the Raqqa stadium.
The Raqqa victory comes days after the final assault on the city was announced after an evacuation of civilians and ISIL terrorists, who agreed to leave the Syrian city, had been carried out. The evacuation of civilians and 275 ISIL terrorists of Syrian origin was part of an agreement reached by the US-led coalition. After a convoy with evacuees left the former “capital” of ISIL terrorist group, the final battle with remaining 200-300 terrorists mostly from foreign states began.
Raqqa has been under ISIL’s control since 2013. On November 6, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, also consisting of Arab, Assyrian and Turkmen fighters, among others, announced the start of the military operation to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from ISIL terrorist group with the assistance of the US-led coalition’s airstrikes. Raqqa’s Old City was freed from ISIL last month.
Source: Sputnik
