After their capture of al-Raqa from the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepared Thursday (October 19th) to hand the Syrian city over to a civilian authority, AFP reported.
Inside the city, positions that had long been manned by fighters of the Kurdish-Arab alliance were abandoned, though some remained in the central al-Naim square, dancing and ululating as they celebrated their victory.
The SDF battled for more than four months, with coalition support, to capture al-Raqa. They announced the end of combat on Tuesday, though operations to clear explosives and seek out sleeper cells were ongoing.
"Some of the forces withdrew, others will remain in the city until we finish the minor combing operations, then the city will be handed over to the civil council," said SDF commander Rojda Felat.
