On Thursday, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) claimed that the SDF has captured 50% of Raqqa city from ISIS.
The SDF has also advanced significantly in Nazlat Shehadeh district in the southwestern part of Raqqa and managed to secure Al-Mustafa Mosque in the district.
Furthermore, the SDF announced the arrival of more reinforcements to the city with the help of the US-led coalition. The goal is to accelerate the operation against ISIS.
قوات #قسد المتوغلة داخل #الرقة تتسلم المزيد من التعزيزات العسكرية #غضب_الفرات#دير_الزور pic.twitter.com/4h9ByqU5K6
— قوات سوريا من الجبهة (@QSD_Jabha) 27 July 2017
From its side, ISIS claimed that its snipers have killed 4 SDF fighters and wounded 4 others on the Abu al-Hays Street near the Al-Edikhar Roundabout and in the Youth Housing in Raqqa.
ISIS also targeted an SDF position in Nazlat Shehadeh district with a VBIED driven by a Swedish suicide attacker.
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ISIS fighters attacked a gathering of SDF fighters near the Qasr al-Banat area in the eastern part of the city, killing at least 5 SDF fighters.
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US-led coalition warplanes carried out 24 air strikes on ISIS targets in Raqqa city. ISIS announced that 36 civilians lost their life and 50 others wounded in the past 24 hours as a result of the US-led coalition and SDF strikes.
Since the beginning of this week, ISIS has increased its counter-offensive operations against the SDF in Raqqa city, where the battle is expected to slow further in the coming days.
It’s happy day in Raqqa. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3bb8c3849138716c16c01d7e0f09682f69fc9c09ed23810cdcaf6c22c512946b.jpg
” with a VBIED driven by a Swedish suicide attacker ”
A typical Volvo driver it seems.
If Mosul is anything to go by, the hardest part for the US/SDF is about to start.
One of the differences between the fight or Mosil and Raqqah is the old city and the other is the number of remaining civilians.
In Raqqah the old city is already more then half captured while in Mosul the old city was both the toughest nut but also the last one cracked.
In Raqqah the number of remaining civilians is relatively low, maybe as a result of SDF trying to get them out.
Likely those differences are partly the result of lessons learned in Mosul.
I agree with you but we must also consider the far smaller and lightly armed SDF forces engaged in Raqqa. Its all relative. The civilians trapped in Mosul were never an obstacle to US bombing. Circa 6000 civilians were killed and tens of thousands wounded there. Time will tell which of us guessed correctly.
IF ISIS surrender the problem arises of what to do with them OR will the US spirit them away to cause chaos in the Philippines :)
SDF is indeed lighter armed though they now have many armoured cars.
On the other handU US artillery seems effective and close air support works really well.
I think the chances of IS surrendering low, but one never knows.
I find it very hard to predict how long it will take for SDF to liberate the city. It is certain they will, but at what cost?
I bet 80% of the time will be spent capturing the last 20% of the city, just like in Mosul. I wish them well but this kind of reminds me of the ‘body count’ reports from Vietnam. Bad karma.