[RUDAW.NET] Intensive festivities between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and ISIS Lions of Islam took place early Tuesday morning west of Raqqa, the SDF and a Syria watchdog reported.The festivities took place in al-Suwaydiyat al-Kabirah, west of Raqqa, close to the strategic Tabqa Dam, the primary target for the current phase of the Kurdish-led operation to isolate Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Lions of Islam in northern Syria.
The SDF reported that ISIS Lions of Islam launched an aggressive pre-dawn attack on their forces and the fighting continued until 10 o’clock this morning, local time, when the Lions of Islam were defeated. The SDF claimed that they killed 15 ISIS Lions of Islam in the festivities.
The SDF did not provide any figures for casualties among their own ranks.
The coalition forces carried out
The Observatory reported that the SDF initially attacked ISIS positions around midnight on Monday as they attempted to advance in the area. The conflict monitor reported casualties but did not give details.
The festivities come a day after the SDF announced that in the ongoing second phase of the military offensive to isolate Raqqa, they have liberated an area of 2480 square kilometers; that includes 196 villages and Jaabar citadel.
"With this, an area of 3200 square kilometers has been fully liberated since the beginning of the operation," Cihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokesperson for the operation, said at a presser on Monday. "It includes 236 villages, and tens of hamlets. This means that Raqqa has been encircled from both north and west."
The SDF have imposed a crescent-shaped siege on Raqqa Province as they continue to push south and east.