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US-backed Syrian militias seize Great Mosque of Raqqah from Daesh
[Iran Press TV] The US-led coalition purportedly fighting the ISIS Takfiri...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed... terrorist group says the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have taken the historic old city of Raqqah and its ancient mosque as they press ahead with their offensive to fully recapture the city. Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, a front man for the US-led coalition, said in a statement on Monday that the US-backed forces had cleared the Great Mosque of Raqqah, the oldest mosque of the city. The statement also described the advance as "a milestone" in the Raqqah battle. "The SDF have made consistent incremental gains in the urban terrain of the city, fighting block by block," noted Dillon. The SDF said last week said it had captured the final districts in Raqqah’s old city from the ISIS terrorist group. The walled old city lies in the heart of Raqqah, but ISIS gunnies still control districts in the west of the city. The SDF says it holds 65 percent of Raqqa in total. 1,200 ISIS fighters neutralized in Raqqa, 65% of city seized by Kurdish forces [AlMasdar] On Sunday, the YPG (People’s Protection Units) released a full statement covering the battle for Raqqa where heavy clashes continue day and night. According to the YPG (main military branch of the Syrian Democratic Forces) press statement, some 65% of Raqqa’s provincial capital has been ‘liberated’ while 2,000 hostages were freed from ISIS captivity over the past month. On the battlefield, a total of nine districts were wrestled from Islamic State combattants in the month of August alone. In the southern suburbs, the Nazlat Shehade, Hisham Bin Abdulmelik and Old Raqqa neighborhoods have been captured. To the west, the SDF has imposed full control over the Al-Karim and Al-Diriyah districts. The largest advance was nevertheless secured on the eastern axis where the Mehdi, Al-Rafqa, Mansur and Reshid districts have been brought under Kurdish control. Overnight today, the SDF also captured the Moroor district. Effectively, Kurdish forces are now in control of 14 of out the city’s 23 suburbs. A pincer offensive along the Euphrates River has notably had YPG assault units meet up on the southern flank, thereby pushing ISIS towards rearguard areas in the densely populated city centre. Since the battle begin, a total of 1,244 Islamic State members have been killed if one is to believe the YPG. Just three prisoners-of-war were taken by Kurdish troops while 28 ISIS suicide bombers were neutralized in the month of August. In comparison, the YPG admitted to only 101 deaths in its own ranks due to phase five of the Euphrates Wrath offensive. Not long ago, ISIS indicated it had killed over 1,000 YPG/SDF/PKK fighters in the three-month battle. 14 civilians killed in US airstrikes on Raqqah in Syria [Iran Press TV] The US-led coalition allegedly battling terrorism in Syria has killed at least 14 civilians in According to Syria's official news agency, SANA, US warplanes carried out raids on the city’s al-Naim region on Monday, claiming that they were targeting members of the ISIS terrorist group. The raids also resulted in severe damage to civilians and the city’s infrastructure. Last month, Earlier in the month, the US-led coalition acknowledged that it had killed almost 700 civilians since it commenced its aerial bombardment campaign three years ago. Posted by: Fred 2017-09-05 |
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