![U.S. Marines in Syria to help anti-Daesh fighters with firepower. [Image via The Star/thestar.com]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/6/30/660x290/b_502x220x82/us-marines-in-syria-to-help-anti-daesh-fighters-with-firepower-thestarcom_1416993.jpg "U.S. Marines in Syria to help anti-Daesh fighters with firepower. [Image via The Star/thestar.com]")
US-aligned forces say that they have fully taken control over the Islamic State fighters in Raqqa, the capital city of Syria. syrian democratic forces are allied to the US forces, in the fight of capturing the City of Raqqa from the control of IS.
SDF have sealed all escape paths
The Syrian Democratic Forces (Sdf) encompasses the Kurdish and the Arab fighters. SDF claim that they have managed to close all the loopholes for escaping. According to BBC, Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for operation Inherent Resolve, said that the SDF are under the control of “all great speed ways of approach towards Raqqa from the South.” He added on that “Islamic State fighters are being forced by the SDF from numerous battle-axes around the City.”
After seizing a major stronghold in May, the SDF troops had been progressing from the eastern side of the City, and from the western and northern part Raqqa.
According to Aljazeera, hours after the advances, IS militants carried out a retaliatory assault on SDF and managed to recapture parts of al-sinaa and Mashalab.
According to BBC report, SDF claim that they have discovered a widespread linkage of channels used by the IS fighters in Raqqa. Bave Delil, an SDF fighter, said that IS militants are afraid of face to face fighting, instead they unleash suicide bombers or landmines to obstruct the progress of our troops.”
History of the IS and SDF fight
Raqqa was seized by IS at start of 2014 and they immediately established their headquarters there. The Caliphate was proclaimed by Islamic State in June 2014.
The US-allied SDF troops, with the assistance of coalition airstrikes, captured the strategic town of Tabqa in May.
SDF victory in Tabqa enabled them seize the nearby dams. On June 6, the battle of capturing Raqqa began in earnest.
The battle to reclaim the City has been characterized with fatalities on the part of the civilians. On Wednesday, the UN said that more than 173 people had lost their lives and the figure is likely to be higher.
The UN added on that: “Civilians must not be sacrificed for the sake of quick military triumphs.”
Thursday advances come after Iraq forces seized the ruins of the Grand al-Nuri mosque in the Old City of Mosul. Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdad appeared in public for the first time, after declaring the caliphate, at the al-Nuri Mosque. Mosul City was captured almost three years from the time of it was declared as “the caliphate.”
