Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 30 May 2017
In Syria, more airstrikes hit IS de facto capital of Raqqa

By BASSEM MROUE Raqqa and many fear that
Associated Press residents will be used as hu-
BEIRUT (AP) — More air- man shields when SDF, the
strikes and artillery shelling most effective force fight-
on Monday hit the north- ing the extremists in Syria,
ern Syrian city of Raqqa, begin marching in the city
the de facto capital of the that has been held by IS
Islamic State group, as U.S.- since January 2014.
backed fighters pushed In the capital, Damascus,
closer to the extremists’ the governor said the evac-
stronghold, activists said. uation of the last group of
The developments come opposition fighters and their
ahead of what is expect- families from the northeast-
ed to be a major battle ern neighborhood of Bar-
for Raqqa in the coming zeh was completed, after a
weeks. batch of over 1,000 persons
Airstrikes have intensi- left. The Observatory said
fied over the past days as the ones leaving Monday
U.S.-backed fighters have have rejected an amnesty
pushed on toward the city, This undated frame grab from video posted online Monday, May 29, 2017, by the Aamaq News from the government.
getting closer to it from all Agency, a media arm of the Islamic State group, shows people inspecting damage from airstrikes The evacuation of Barzeh
sides. The Kurdish-led Syria and artillery shelling in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the IS. Airstrikes leaves only one neigh-
Democratic Forces cap- have intensified over the past days as U.S.-backed fighters have marched toward the city, getting borhood on the edge of
tured dozens of towns and closer to besieging it from all sides. Damascus, Jobar, in the
villages under the cover (Aamaq News Agency via AP) hands of opposition fight-
of airstrikes by the U.S.-led tes River south of Raqqa. Raqqa is Being Slaughtered structions of how to leave ers. A series of evacuation
coalition since November, The Britain-based Syr- Silently said that since Sun- Raqqa, calling on people deals in the area in recent
when the group began an ian Observatory for Human day, the U.S.-led coalition to keep their plans secret months leaves the govern-
operation entitled Euphra- Rights said the city was carried out more than 30 from IS and to leave with- ment of President Bashar
tes Wrath, aiming to even- pounded by warplanes airstrikes on the city, killing out any weapons and Assad firmly in control of
tually surround and cap- and artillery since early 35 people and destroying waiving a white banner. the capital, once encircled
ture Raqqa. morning. The activist group a school on Raqqa’s north- “This is your last chance. by rebels.
SDF fighters have surround- had no immediate word on ern outskirts. Failing to leave could lead The government-controlled
ed Raqqa from the north, casualties from the new air- On Sunday, opposition to death. Raqqa will fall. Syrian Military Media quot-
west and east. The extrem- strikes, adding that about activists said the U.S.-led Don’t be there when it ed governor Beshr al-Sab-
ists still have an exit from 38 people have been killed coalition dropped leaflets happens,” read one of the ban as saying that 1,012
the south, even though the in Raqqa and its suburbs in Arabic on Raqqa, urg- leaflets. people, including 455 gun-
U.S.-led coalition destroyed over the past three days. ing residents to leave the IS has been prevent- men, were the last to leave
two bridges on the Euphra- The activist-operated city. Some leaflets gave in- ing people from leaving Barzeh.q

In shadow of Mosul fight, Iran establishes Nineveh foothold

By SUSANNAH GEORGE the liberation of the entire The Nineveh foothold
QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA border,” he said. would give the paramilitary
Associated Press The PMF began Monday’s forces considerable lever-
BAGHDAD (AP) — While operation by pushing IS mil- age politically and militarily
Iraq’s conventional mili- itants out of the center of in Iraq after the fight against
tary has been slowly clear- the town of Baaj, some 40 IS is concluded, accord-
ing the Islamic State group kilometers (25 miles) from ing to Maria Fantappie,
from inside Mosul’s com- the Syrian border. Once the senior Iraq researcher
plex urban terrain, Iraq’s the town was retaken a for the International Crisis
Iran-backed Shiite para- unit was dispatched to se- Group, a non-governmen-
military forces have been cure the village of Um Jrais tal research firm. “The Ira-
working their way through along the border. nians have been prioritizing
less glamorous territory: “This victory will also be an something that the U.S. has
vast deserts west and south important incentive for the overlooked: control over
of the city that run along Syrian Arab Army to secure strategic roads, rather than
and across Iraq’s border the entire border from the control of the Sunni com-
with Syria. Smoke rises during heavy fighting between Islamic State mili- Syrian side,” al-Asadi said, munities,” Fantappie said
The territory, dotted with tants and Iraqi special forces in the industrial area of west Mosul, referring the Assad’s gov- explaining that the U.S.-led
Iraq. While Iraq’s conventional military has been slowly clear-
small villages and dusty ing the Islamic State group from inside Mosul’s complex urban ernment forces. coalition’s fight against IS
roads, is home to key sup- terrain, Iraq’s Iran-backed Shiite paramilitary forces have been As the PMF secure more has largely focused on re-
ply lines into neighboring working their way through less glamorous territory. of the border region, they taking cities while the PMF
Syria and connecting Iraq’s (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) plan to “erect a dirt bar- have instead focused on
north to the capital Bagh- government of Syrian Presi- border with Syria on Mon- ricade and dig a trench,” transit and supply lines.
dad. Control of the Iraqi- dent Bashar Assad. day after securing a string said Sheikh Sami al- Control of roads and bor-
Syrian border would be a One division of the Iraqi of small villages west of Mo- Masoudi, a paramilitary ders also allows the para-
key strategic prize for the government-sanctioned sul and south of Sinjar, ac- group leader. Iraq’s border military forces to divide
mostly Shiite paramilitary paramilitary group known cording to Ahmed al-Asa- with Syria has long been a Iraq’s Sunni community
forces and their backer as the Popular Mobilization di, the group’s spokesman. haven for smugglers and geographically and politi-
Iran, who also supports the Forces first reached Iraq’s “This will be the first step to insurgent activity. cally, Fantappie said.q