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Syrian Democratic Forces seize 90% of al-Raqa

By AFP

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter holds a position inside a damaged building in al-Raqa on September 4th. On September 20th, the Arab-Kurd opposition alliance announced it had driven ISIS from 90% of the city. [Delil Souleiman/AFP]

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter holds a position inside a damaged building in al-Raqa on September 4th. On September 20th, the Arab-Kurd opposition alliance announced it had driven ISIS from 90% of the city. [Delil Souleiman/AFP]

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 90% of al-Raqa from the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday (September 20th).

The Arab-Kurd opposition alliance announced it was in the "final stages" of capturing the group's Syrian stronghold.

Under siege in the northern city for three months, ISIS is struggling to defend its one-time bastion under a barrage of airstrikes by the international coalition.

"Because of the heavy coalition airstrikes, ISIS withdrew from at least five key neighbourhoods over the past 48 hours," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. "This allowed the SDF to control 90% of the city."

ISIS has pulled out of the north of the city and abandoned its grain silos and mills, Abdel Rahman said.

It is now confined to the city centre, in government administrative buildings, the stadium and tunnels.

The SDF said it had mounted a "surprise attack" on ISIS in the north of the city.

"We consider this the final stages of the Wrath of the Euphrates campaign, which is nearing its end," a statement said.

ISIS seized al-Raqa in early 2014, transforming the city into the Syrian capital of the "caliphate" it declared after taking control of large parts of Syria and Iraq.

It quickly became synonomous with the group's most gruesome atrocities, including public beheadings, and ISIS is thought to have used the city to plan attacks abroad.

Siege has worn down ISIS

The SDF spent months encircling the city before entering it in June and sealing off all access routes.

Abdel Rahman said the siege had worn down ISIS's defensive capabilities.

"After hundreds of its fighters were killed in recent weeks, the remaining ISIS fighters will not be able to resist much longer in al-Raqa, as their military equipment and basic necessities are dwindling," he said.

Without food or medical equipment, ISIS was unable to treat its own wounded and retreated to the city centre, which it considered "the most secure", he said.

But the battle for the 10% of the city still held by ISIS is likely to be tough, as the group has heavily mined the area, Abdel Rahman said.

ISIS has used mines, snipers, car bombs, and weaponised drones against the SDF offensive.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the fighting in recent months. Estimates of the number still inside the city range from fewer than 10,000 to as many as 25,000.

In its statement on Wednesday, the SDF said it had helped hundreds of civilians escape the city in recent days.

"We will continue the campaign until we achieve our aim," said Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, SDF spokeswoman for the al-Raqa offensive.

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