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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 18 July 2017

US-backed forces battling IS

in the heart of Syria’s Raqqa

BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-backed ern Iraqi city of Mosul, the
Syrian fighters fought Is- largest the extremists have
lamic State militants in the held. The loss of Raqqa
heart of Raqqa, the ex- would deal a major blow to
tremists’ self-styled capital, IS, but the group still holds
on Monday, as scores of ci- wide areas of the eastern
vilians fled areas controlled province of Deir el-Zour,
by the group. bordering Iraq.
The Kurdish-led group has That province figures to
been one of the most ef- be the backdrop to the
fective forces fighting IS in next phase of the war on
Syria, but has also clashed IS, with government forces
with Turkish-backed Syr- backed by Russia and Iran
ian forces elsewhere in the approaching from the west
country. As it battled IS in and south. Pro-government
Raqqa, the SDF also fought forces reached the edges A U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighter takes cover behind a wall on a street where they
fight against Islamic State militants, on the front line on the western side of Raqqa, northeast Syria,
Turkish-allied Syrian forces of the Bashari mountain Monday, July 17, 2017. U.S.-backed Syrian fighters fought Islamic State militants in the heart of
in Ein Daqna, in the neigh- range on Monday, after Raqqa, the extremists’ self-styled capital, as scores of civilians fled areas controlled by the group.
boring Aleppo province, seizing the Zamla natural (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
according to Syrian activ- gas field one day earlier,
ists and Turkish media. the Observatory and Syr-
The Syrian Democratic ian military media report-
Forces, aided by the U.S.- ed. The advance secures
led coalition, launched further natural resources
their offensive to capture revenues for the govern-
Raqqa on June 6, and ment and puts govern-
have since taken several ment forces in a position to
areas. The Britain-based penetrate the Deir el-Zour
Syrian Observatory for Hu- countryside.
man Rights said Monday’s The SDF is dominated by a
fighting is concentrated Kurdish militia known as the
in Raqqa’s southwestern YPG, which Turkey views as
neighborhood of Yarmouk an extension of the Kurdish
as well as a central area insurgency raging in its own
close to the Old City. territory. Turkish troops and
The SDF says intense fight- allied Syrian forces rolled
ing is underway in central into Syria last year in order
Raqqa, adding that its to battle IS and halt the ad-
fighters have taken posi- vance of the SDF. The U.S.-
tions near a centuries-old led coalition has sought to
mosque known as the Old stop the fighting between
Mosque. The Kurdish-run Turkey and the SDF, both of
Hawar news agency says which are allies against IS.
some 180 civilians were The website of Turkey’s pro-
able to flee areas con- government A Haber tele-
trolled by IS, while the Ob- vision said Turkish-backed
servatory put the number in Syrian opposition fighters
the hundreds. launched a “large” opera-
The SDF said 11 IS fight- tion against the SDF in Ein
ers have been killed in Daqna, close to the Turkish
the clashes since Sunday. border. The website quotes
The IS-linked Aamaq news unnamed local sources as
agency said 14 SDF fighters saying that intense clashes
were killed in the fighting in are ongoing.
Raqqa on Sunday alone. The Observatory said Mon-
The intensification of fight- day’s fighting killed two
ing comes a week after Turkey-backed fighters
Iraqi forces declared vic- and left several SDF fighters
tory against IS in the north- wounded. q