The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have fully encircled Raqqa, which serves as the de-facto capital of the Islamic State group in Syria, cutting off the jihadist group’s last route out of the city, according to a monitoring group.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Thursday that SDF forces captured two villages on the southern bank of the Euphrates River, effectively cutting off the last IS escape route.
"They thereby cut the last route IS used to withdraw from Raqqa towards territory it controls in the Syrian desert and in Deir Ezzor province," the Observatory said.
A spokesman for the U.S. mission to defeat IS said on Twitter the SDF had this week cleared nearly 20 square kilometers of territory once held by IS jihadists, and that the SDF "now control all high-speed avenues of approach" into Raqqa.
"[IS] fighters, abandoned by their leadership, are being pressured by the [SDF] from multiple axes around the city," he wrote.
The SDF, backed by U.S. airstrikes, has been battling the Islamic State fighters along the outskirts of Raqqa for several months. It first entered the city in early June and has since captured districts throughout the city.
IS jihadists took control of Raqqa in 2014, claiming it as the capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq. The city became notorious as the site of some of the extremist group's most heinous atrocities, including public beheadings, and also is believed to have been a hub for planning international attacks.
United Nations estimates say that up to 100,000 civilians are still trapped in the city. Islamic State uses civilians as human shields, and kills those trying to escape.
Read More Report: Raqqa Completely Encircled by US-Backed Forces : http://ift.tt/2tqo7hx
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