Sputnik News- The Kurdish-led SDF have been conducting the military campaign to liberate Raqqa from terrorists since November 2016.
"Clashes inRaqqa continue. Claims that the city is completely liberated fromDaesh are false," the media representative ofthe Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) rebels, Mustafa Balli, has told Sputnik Turkey.
The statement comes amidAFPs earlier report, citing the SDF, that the US-backed rebels had established control overRaqqa, the so-called former Daesh "capital," while an operation toclear the city ofthe remaining militants continued.
Earlier media reports cited eyewitnesses assaying that the US-backed rebels had raised a flag insidethe Raqqa stadium.
Bel Trew?@BeltrewBreaking: SDF spokesman just told me Islamic State are defeated in#Raqqa- clean up operation to remove sleeper cells has begun.#Isis
1:53 PM - Oct 17, 2017
The Raqqa victory comes days afterthefinal assault onthe citywas announced afteran evacuation ofcivilians and Daesh terrorists, who agreed toleave the Syrian city, had been carried out. The evacuation ofcivilians and 275 Daesh terrorists ofSyrian origin was part ofan agreement reached bythe US-led coalition. After a convoy withevacuees left the former "capital" ofDaesh terrorist group, the final battle withremaining 200-300 terrorists mostly fromforeign states began.
Conflict News@ConflictsBREAKING: ISIS has been fully cleared from Raqqa by SDF forces -@syriahr
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Conflict News@ConflictsPHOTO: SDF troops take down last remaining ISIS flag in Raqqa. -@DefenseUnitspic.twitter.com/bn8E29aQau
1:43 PM - Oct 17, 2017
Raqqa has been underDaesh's controlsince 2013. On November 6, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, also consisting ofArab, Assyrian and Turkmen fighters, amongothers,announced the start ofthe military operationtoliberate the Syrian city ofRaqqa fromDaesh terrorist group withthe assistance ofthe US-led coalition's airstrikes. Raqqas Old City was freed fromDaesh last month.
