US-Supported Syrian Rebels Launch Raqqa Liberation Operation

Syrian Democratic Forces announced on Tuesday, June 6, that they have begun their offensive operations to retake the city of Raqqa, the center of the Islamic State group in Syria. This will significantly limit the areas controlled by this group, which were once considered its caliphate territory in Iraq and Syria. A spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces told Reuters that the operation began on Monday and will be a difficult battle as "ISIS fighters will fight to the death to defend their so-called capital." The operation to retake Raqqa coincides with the final stages of the Mosul liberation operation and is the final phase of the recent advances by the Syrian Democratic Forces from the northern, eastern, and western fronts towards this city. The Syrian Democratic Forces include Kurdish and Arab rebel groups. The Islamic State group captured Raqqa in 2014, which was under the control of Syrian rebels, and turned it into the center of its operations and attacks on the western fronts. According to the spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces, the offensive towards Raqqa, which connects to the Euphrates River in the south, has begun simultaneously from the north, east, and west. The commander of the Raqqa operation told Reuters that the Syrian Democratic Forces are now attacking the al-Mashlab neighborhood located in the southeastern outskirts of Raqqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had previously confirmed this report. This commander, from a point 10 kilometers north of Raqqa, which is the starting point of the offensive, said in a phone call to Reuters: "The international coalition forces play a significant role in the success of this operation. In addition to fighter jets and air support, the international coalition forces are working alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces." Witnesses interviewed by Reuters in the area reported hearing heavy shelling and airstrikes. According to the spokesperson for the Syrian elite forces, an Arab group that is a subset of the Syrian Democratic Forces and began its activities in February has entered the al-Mashlab neighborhood from the eastern front with the support of airstrikes from the international coalition. The US-led international coalition has stated that the battle for Raqqa will be "difficult and lengthy and will materially strike a heavy blow to the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State group." The commander of the US coalition forces stated: "As the Islamic State loses both of its centers in Iraq and Syria, recruiting new members for the group will be very difficult." He also warned that "even after the liberation of Mosul and Raqqa, fierce battles will continue for the complete defeat of ISIS." Security officials in Western countries have warned that as the Islamic State group faces defeats and retreats in Iraq and Syria, the number of their attacks in Western countries will increase, such as the recent bombing in Manchester or the attack on Saturday night in London. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for both of these attacks.