Red: the area controlled by ISIS, according to the SDF
On Sunday, Jihan Sheikh, spokesperson of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said that 85% of Raqqa city is under the control of the SDF now.
Sheikh added that the SDF will announce the full liberation of Raqqa city in few days after capturing the few areas left under ISIS control inside the city.
Moreover, a field commander of the SDF nicknamed “Ardal Raqqa” told Reuters news agency that the final assault on ISIS last positions in Raqqa city should begin on Sunday night. According to Ardal, the final assault will be focused on the stadium in the center of the city.
“Daesh is massing there because this is the last stage. They will resist, or they will surrender or die … This their last stand to the death,” Adral told Reuters.
Meanwhile, the SDF announced that its fighters destroyed several armored vehicles, and killed 5 fighters of ISIS in al-Huriyah district in the center of Raqqa city. SDF fighters also evacuated 70 civilians from al-Barid district in the western part of the city during their advance.
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In a related development, the SDF captured al-Sawa town in the northwestern Deir Ezzor countryside according to Kurdish sources. Furthermore, the SDF announced that it captured 17 farms around Markada town in the southern al-Hasakah countryside. The SDF also said that its fighters advance south of al-Suwar town in the northern Deir Ezzor countryside.
If the SDF captures Raqqa city soon, it will likely redeploy most of it units to Deir Ezzor governorate. The SDF will likely try to capture the strategic al-Omar oild fields and the rest of oil and gas infrastructure on the eastern bank of the Euphrates.
