Islamic State driven out of Syrian ‘capital’

Last updated: October 18, 2017 at 8:29 am

Military operations have ended against Islamic State in its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa, say the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Clearing operations were continuing to flush out the remaining fighters and locate landmines and booby traps.

Dozens of fighters were making a last stand in the city's stadium - also being used as its weapons' store - and some may still be holed up in its warren of tunnels.

About 100 fighters are left in the city, the US military estimated.

Yesterday the SDF said they had killed 22 fighters as they captured the city hospital, being used by IS as its headquarters.

The US-backed SDF is made up mainly of Kurdish fighters, but also Arab and other militias.

In footsteps of Iraq victory

It has been battling since June to take the capital of Islamic State's self-proclaimed 'caliphate', where the terror group would command military operations and foreign terror plots, and carry out brutal public executions.

Coalition air strikes have bombed IS positions in recent weeks to help set up the final push.

A formal declaration that the city has been fully liberated is expected when the clearing operations are over.

Fighters celebrated and waved yellow SDF flags in Raqqa's al Naim square - which became known as "Hell Roundabout" after IS used it for numerous executions, often leaving severed heads and bodies on display for days.

More than 1,100 civilians died in the battle for Raqqa, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group.

IS first captured the city in 2014 and tens of thousands who fled are badly in need of aid, with charities saying "camps are bursting at the seams".

The end of the Raqqa battle comes after IS was driven out of its main Iraqi base of Mosul in July.

The victory in Raqqa is "hugely significant", he says, but IS is far from defeated in Syria.

It still has fighters in other areas, such as the eastern city of Deir al Zor, and many fighters from Raqqa will have fled there.