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Northern Raqqa offensive

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Northern Raqqa offensive (May 2016–present)
Part of the Syrian Civil War, the Syrian Kurdish-Islamist conflict (2013-present), and the American-led intervention in Syria
Date21 May 2016 – present (8 years, 2 months, 1 week and 4 days)
Location
Ar-Raqqah Governorate, Syria
Status

Ongoing

  • SDF captures 23 villages and farms[1]
Belligerents

Syrian Democratic Forces

CJTF–OIR		  Islamic State
Commanders and leaders

Rojda Felat (YPJ commander)[2]

Assyrian people Kino Gabriel (MFS commander)[3]		 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Leader of ISIL)
Units involved

Syrian Democratic Forces

United States special operations forces[7]		 Islamic State Military of ISIL
Strength
30,000 fighters[2] Islamic State 5,000–8,000 fighters (inside ar-Raqqah city)[2]
Casualties and losses
28 killed (ISIL claim)[8] 79 killed[9]
300,000 civilians displaced[10]

The Northern Raqqa offensive is a military offensive launched by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the northern countryside of the city of ar-Raqqah, in order to prepare for a future attack on the city itself. The offensive was launched in coordination with airstrikes by the US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.[11]

Background

On 1 April 2016, PYD leader Salih Muslim stated that SDF forces are preparing with the US-led Coalition to launch an offensive on al-Raqqa.[12]

There have been a visit in north Syria by U.S. Central Command Commander General Joseph L. Votel, the highest-ranking U.S. military official to visit Syria since the war erupted in 2011.[13]

Kurdish forces have established a stronghold about 37 kilometers (23 miles) north of Raqqa.[14] ISIL is reportedly using the residents of al-Raqqa as human shields, preventing them from leaving the city.[15]

According to Joshua Walker of the German Marshall Fund, Raqqa could be "the beginning of the end" for ISIL and the most important offensive since Kobani last year.[16]

Preparations

On 20 May the US-led coalition dropped leaflets on the city, encouraging the residents to leave.[17]

SDF is led and dominated by YPG forces, whuch is generally consisted of Kurds. To avoid ethnic tensions with Raqqa's majority Arab population, US special forces trained more than 200 fighters from the Syrian Arab Coalition to take part in the offensive.

The announcement for the offensive was made on 24 May,[18] when the 30,000-strong[15] SDF announced the offensive, "with participation from all SDF units",[19] mobilising thousands of fighters in the countryside north of Raqqa, with the aim of expelling ISIL fighters from north of al-Raqqa. Fighting was reportedly ongoing near Ain Issa, situated 55 km from al-Raqqa.[16]

The US-led Coalition has stated that it will provide air support for the offensive.[16] Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced that his country was ready to coordinate with U.S. and Kurdish forces in the offensive,[16] but the U.S., distrustful of the Russian establishment, turned down the offer.[20]

The offensive

On 21 May 2016 the SDF, led by the YPG, captured the village of al-Hishah, near the town of Ayn Issa in the northern countryside from ISIL, killing 8 fighters.[21] In the following days additional SDF fighters were mobilized from Tel Abyad to Ayn Issa.[11] IS fighters in Raqqa responded by creating defensive lines and tunnels in the city.[2] 7 Coalition airstrikes on IS positions were confirmed on 23 May.[22] On 25 May the SDF took control of the Namrodia and Matmashraja villages near Ayn Issa.[23]

On 26 May, the SDF reported new gains. SDF forces took the villages of Qartaja, al-Fastah, Indebin and Matmasraja. They had advanced some 6 km into IS-held lands north of Raqqah,[24] and killed at least 31 IS fighters.[25] By 30 May, ISIL had redeployed 2,000 to 3,000 militants to ar-Raqqah, from Mosul and other areas controlled by ISIL.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ قوات سوريا الديمقراطية تتقدم نحو الطبقة وتسيطر على 12 قرية ومزرعة وترفع عدد قتلى تنظيم “الدولة الإسلامية” إلى نحو 80
  2. ^ a b c d "Syria conflict: Kurds launch campaign north of IS-held Raqqa". BBC. 25 May 2016.
  3. ^ "The new coalition to destroy the Islamic State". The Washington Post. 22 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Who Are US Allies in Fight Against Islamic State?". Voice of America. 24 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b "What has happened during the Operation Liberate North Raqqa?". ANF News. 26 May 2016.
  6. ^ @SyriacMFS (24 May 2016). "PRESS RELEASE 24.05.2016: Northern Raqqa liberation campaign" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "IN PHOTOS: U.S. Special Forces operating against ISIS in Syria's Raqqa". Haaretz. 26 May 2016.
  8. ^ ISIS suicide attack in northern Raqqa - 28 SDF fighters reportedly killed
  9. ^ ISIL loses ground to Kurd-led fighters in Syria
  10. ^ "As US, YPG-dominated SDF hit Raqqa, 300,000 Syrians flee". DailySabah. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  11. ^ a b "U.S.-backed Syrian alliance launches new attack near Islamic State capital". Reuters. 24 May 2016.
  12. ^ Chris Tomson (1 April 2016). "Kurdish fighters gather for offensive to capture Raqqa city – PYD leader". Al-Masdar News.
  13. ^ "U.S.-backed Syrian alliance launches new attack near Islamic State capital".
  14. ^ "Ahead of Kurdish Offensive, ISIS Bans Residents for Leaving Raqqa City".
  15. ^ a b "Isis using 'civilians as human shields' in Raqqa as US-backed Kurdish offensive launched". International Business Times UK.
  16. ^ a b c d "Kurdish-led SDF launches offensive on Syria's Raqqa".
  17. ^ "Coalition drops leaflets over Raqqa telling residents to flee ahead of offensive". The Telegraph. 20 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Retaking Raqqa From the Islamic State". STRATFOR. 24 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Kurd-Arab alliance launches offensive to 'liberate' IS-held Raqqa". Middle East Eye.
  20. ^ "US refuses to cooperate with Russia in Raqqa campaign, says its forces only work with SDF in anti-ISIS operations". ARA News. 26 May 2016.
  21. ^ "US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces expel ISIS from village near Raqqa". ARA News. 21 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Syrian Democratic Forces launch operation for Raqqa countryside". ARA News. 25 May 2016.
  23. ^ "Syria: Kurdish-led forces advance in Raqqa offensive". Al-Jazeera. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Western-backed SDF troops report new gains in anti-ISIS campaign north Raqqa - ARA News". ARA News. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  25. ^ "al-Raqqa province: Military operations... - Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - Facebook". Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  26. ^ Fake Caliphate: Loss of Raqqa Will ‘End Sponsors From Foreign Nations’
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