Iraq News
Security

Curfew lifted in Syrian city of al-Raqa

By Waleed Abu al-Khair in Cairo

Children from the Syrian city of al-Raqa bathe in the Euphrates River to beat the heat. [Photo courtesy of Al-Raqa Photo Agency]

Children from the Syrian city of al-Raqa bathe in the Euphrates River to beat the heat. [Photo courtesy of Al-Raqa Photo Agency]

A three-day curfew imposed on the Syrian city of al-Raqa after the discovery of an "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) plot to carry out terrorist attacks inside the city has now been lifted, a local official confirmed.

During the curfew, the city's Internal Security Forces, backed by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), detained a large number of suspects.

The General Command of the Internal Security Forces in al-Raqa announced the lifting of the curfew in a statement.

During the curfew period, the statement said, the joint forces were able to carry out several operations in al-Raqa and the surrounding areas against terror cells "that targeted civilians and worked to undermine public security and stability".

Life in al-Raqa is almost back to normal after the three-day curfew that began Sunday (June 24th), SDF officer and al-Raqa resident Ghassan Ibrahim told Diyaruna.

Campaign is ongoing

Though the curfew has been lifted, Ibrahim said, the security campaign is ongoing, with patrols and checkpoints set up by Internal Security Forces to check identity documents.

The campaign netted a number of wanted individuals, he noted, some of whom were members of extremist groups or ISIS-affiliated sleeper cells.

"It also resulted in the seizure of a quantity of weapons, explosives and documents that confirm the involvement of some of the suspects," he added.

Ibrahim said al-Raqa residents have been co-operating fully with security forces by reporting any suspicious person or infiltrator.

Traffic movement has resumed on all streets, he said, except for one road near the grain silos area that is still closed for security reasons.

Normal activity can be observed in the city’s markets, he added, particularly in the evening when temperatures start to drop.

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