RT
October 18, 2017
US-backed fighters in Syria have reported the final liberation of Raqqa from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). However, there seems to be no further plan in Washington of how to bring life back to the almost completely destroyed city.
Opposition forces in Syria, including Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG) announced a ground victory over the terrorist group in its former self-proclaimed capital in Syria. The American-backed SDF claimed on Tuesday that Raqqa is under their control.
While “major military operations” in the city are finished, the militia fighters “are now clearing the city of sleeper cells, if they exist, and mines,” SDF spokesperson Talal Salo said in a statement.
“We are now in Raqqa city… Raqqa is liberated from ISIS mercenaries, some foreign members of them remained,” a local militia fighter told RT’s Ruptly agency. “Raqqa is going to be entirely liberated within a few hours,” he added.
A spokesperson for the US-led anti-terrorist operation in the region, Ryan Dillon, of the Combined Joint Task Force, said the US military officials were “aware of the reports that ISIS has been defeated in Raqqa.” The city has been 90 percent cleared of IS, the US military officials suggest, saying that they still expect some resistance.
“Clearance operations continue and we expect our SDF partners to hit pockets of resistance as final parts of the city [are] cleared,” Dillon said.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Meanwhile, Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters on Tuesday that the UN has “received reports that much of the city has been damaged or destroyed due to the fighting.”
Videos filmed on the ground by Ruptly video news agency show a city that has been turned to a deserted wasteland of burned-out cars and twisted metal.
Once inhabited by…