The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Monday (July 17th) they had seized a new neighbourhood from the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) in the Syrian city of al-Raqa, AFP reported.
"Al-Yarmuk district was liberated yesterday," said SDF al-Raqa operation spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed.
Al-Yarmuk is a large neighbourhood on the south-western outskirts of the city.
"The operation is continuing but there are many fierce clashes," Ahmed said, speaking in the town of Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres north of al-Raqa.
"We are taking steady and sound steps. What is important to us is not speed, but liberating civilians and eliminating ISIS," she added.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that hundreds of civilians had fled ISIS-held parts of the city towards areas now controlled by the SDF in the last 48 hours.
According to Observatory estimates, the SDF now holds around 35% of the city.
