The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced that ISIS has regained control over the strategic Al-Sinaa district in eastern Raqqah following fierce clashes with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to AFP, ISIS used suicide bombers, armed drones and tunnels during the attack.
ISIS hasn’t yet confirmed these reports, but claimed that 30 SDF fighters were killed or wounded during the clashes in Al-Sinaa, Al-Mashbab districts and at the Al-Barazi Roundabout. ISIS also claimed that its snipers killed 9 SDF fighters in Al-Jazra and Al-Romaniah in western Raqqah.
With the support of the US-led Coalition, the SDF managed to advance in Al-Diriyah district in western Raqqa, where it managed to seize a number of buildings. Moreover, the US-led Coalition announced that its warplanes carried out more than 13 airstrikes against ISIS targets in the city.
According to opposition sources, three civilians, including a child, lost their life on Friday as a result of the bombing by the US-led Coalition on civilian areas in Raqqa. Opposition sources had published a list of 652 civilians, including children and women killed between March 15, 2017 and June 7, 2017 by the US-led Coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces in Raqqa Province.
The longer this cosmetic battle takes, the better it is for SAA. The have time before SDF moves south or opens the Al-Shadadi front.
It’s like Qabasin, B’zah and Al Bab hill…capture and recapture 2 months , but in real none was there. Trading points for Oil and Weapons-
You do realise that was the fake yoyo war between IS and Turkey+FSA?
In the end there was real fighting over Al Bab. FSA lost hundreds. TSK 60 or so and 30 to 50 tanks etc. IS got paid to leave in the final end.
It’s a fake war between all , only SAA is against all . All of them have connection to US/CIA or other Agency that have US/GCC sponsor. It depend who become more weapon and money. Who get more is the Master and fight the others, and for a good show in US Fake news TV , sometimes US pay more that brother fight Brother. This fight was in US for fisrt time /South vs Nord) and US like it. To bad there are stupid mercenary that use to play in this games.
I agree, ISIS has no chance of defending the City for years, or even 6 months. But for every week ISIS can hold back the expanding Kurd/Mi6 expansion, the better this is for the Resistance, SAA and there allies.
SDF is having a tough time in Raqqa, positions are changing hands multiple times, it appears SDF and US handlers does not have the manpower nor strategic insight to control the gained real estate. It will eventually come to raw attrition, ISIS fighters know the city and their defensive networks, they can give up some terrain instead of a pitched battle, only to counterattack and catch the SDF by surprise and inflict heavy casualties.
Maybe Kurd strength in particular is being redirected to face Turks?
It is possible, their northern position is thinly manned, maybe they occupied more territory they can properly defend.
Fighting in Raqqa (city) is well outside Kurd territory. It would be interesting what the SDF and American would think of the Kurds turning Raqqa back to Assad?
They are talking about deploying US forces in tabqa, south of the city, thus i do not think that is in the cards.
The Kurds will do what the Americans tell them to do, unless the Kurds have the fortitude to tell US to get lost, and US would be out of proxies. US wants to establish a base at Tabqa, supposedly the Kurds gave them a 10 year lease.
The Kurds are really just turds.. no real will to execute USA stupid plans
I feel that whole little battle up there is just a show put on by US/Israel/saudis who are just controlling both sides
I know, it is like two gladiators fighting each other to please their masters that are watching it from the stands.
Lmao yes
I suppose they’re going to need some more humanitarian air support? It could be somebody is going to have to destroy Raqqa, so they can save Raqqa. Are the Kurds sitting this fighting out?
In my opinion the Kurds are over their head fighting in Raqqa, both Kurds and ISIS are US proxies fighting each other.
It will not be a draw, ISIS is surrounded and there fighters are dying everywhere. Meantime Kurd’s pop out babies at alarming rates. No one on earth seems to be able to hold the Kurdish invasion back. ISIS only has months to live as far as being an army goes. Eventually they will be a rag tag of al qaeda type terrorist within 11 months.
I did not imply it will be a draw, the Kurd advance is due not to some great military execution or great strategy, ISIS positions collapsed and they advanced. The Kurdish advance will stop when a resolute enemy blocks their path. Kurds are spread thin, they lack heavy weaponry and firepower, they are similar to a paramilitary horde.
All I see is “spray and pray” done by 3 militia men, not actual and professional military action. Thats why a Russian soldier worths 20 of them (or more)…
To imagine one can only have wins is stupid.
Te smart thing, if this report is correct, is to learn, take the quater back, and to contuniu destroying IS.
The SDF reports the counterattack of IS failed and given the tenacity of SDF defending liberated areas, I tend to believe them.
It will become clear tomorrow I think.
Within a week or so I think SDF will reach the western side of the city center. Once they are more or less at all sides of the city center, the assault of the center can begin.
It will remain a bloody fight wich will take at least the next month. One can only hope losses of civillians and fighters will be limited.
The SDF Fighters are mostly mercenaries and not likely to expend themselves for this type of warfare . They are covering way too much territory with too little troops and gun barreled conscripts don’t fight well . Stop giving them too much they are not tenacious nor good fighters. The civilian casualty list will be very high as it already is for this region .
Facts in Kobane, Hassakah, Manbij and Taqbah prove you wrong. The campaigns of the last four years prove you wrong.
Your own “facts”prove you wrong, out of ignorance I think. The SDF has no conscripts. All are volonteers. The conscript army of the North Syria Federal Region, the HXP, is not involved in the fighting. They are used to garrison cities and the like and only a small cadre of some 500 HXP are involved in the campaign as a guard in a few of the liberated Raqqah areas. They are not part of the assault on Raqqah.
Yes,” join or die ” conscripts do really well in fighting , there are no conscripts in the Kurdish forces those are Turk,Iraqi,Aghani Iran, etc. get my point you know anyone there in the Syrian-Kurds . They all fight for US dollars what volunteers .
Turkey needs to attack the Kurds to keep them in check and let the Syrian Army advance
The Syrian Kurds aren’t a problem for Assad or the Syrian Army. The US/coalition forces and SDF are. – along with ISIS.
The Kurd’s and the US are one in the same. They use to be loyal to Stalin, then after he died and the USSA became Communist version 4.0, then the Kurd’s became loyal to the CIA and Mossad and Mi6.
These guys are the worst soldiers ever , they stand around or go kill civilians , shoot pray and spray style absolute danger to themselves. Why don’t they show the Coalition/Specfor doing all the work that area was secured already . Time for these guys to stop making movies and do some actual soldiering , Kurds just acting for the movies .
‘Shoot, pray and spray’ is a US Military Doctrine well practised in the villages and cities of nations who do not wish to adopt ‘American Democratic Values ‘ everywhere.
The Turks have hired the same kind of idiots – to justify ‘liberating’ northern Syria. The US is talking anout ‘liberating’ Southern Syria with the same ‘tools’ – waiting for an excuse, or trying to decide to just ‘jump in’..
Syrian civil war map on twitter reports that the quarter is again fully in the hands of SDF. The parts retaken by IS have already been lost by them.
As I said earlier, counterattacks by IS are inevitable and they can always have some initial successes.