Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi calls for “Heading towards al-Raqqa” after days of calls by Imams of the “Islamic state” organization to “maintain the faith” when losing
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was informed by several reliable sources that al-Raqqa city which -is considered the main stronghold of the “Islamic State” organization in Syria- is witnessing a state of alert by security members of the “Islamic State” organization, who received the duties of “al-Hisba” about a week ago, and they have confiscated about 20 boats so far which are used by citizens to transport between the northern and the southern banks of Euphrates River, and also used by smugglers to smuggle the civilians who want to flee from the city, and the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that confiscating the boats came under the pretext of “violating the law”, also the “Islamic State” organization stopped tens of families from displacing from al-Raqqa city to Hazima area, which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces and, the Syrian Elite Forces which consist of Arabs of the area and supported by the International Coalition, where the sources said that the “Islamic State” organization set up an ambush for the displaced civilians and brought them back to al-Raqqa city.
Also reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the “Islamic State” organization fortified its positions in the Division 17 north of al-Raqqa city, and members of the “Islamic State” organization also brought electricity wires to the Division 17, and the sources suggested that the organization is using these wires for military purposes.
These preparations came in conjunctions with consecutive Khutbahs in mosques in the areas which are controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in al-Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, which follow “the States of al-Raqqa, al-Khair, and Euphrates” and these Khutbahs aim to “motivate Muslims and incite them to fight” and several local sources confirmed to the Syrian observatory that Friday Khutbahs focused on reading “the book of Istinfar* by Amir al-Mu’minin Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi”, and the sources said to the Syrian Observatory that the book which was attributed to the chief of the “Islamic State” organization Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi includes “incitement for Muslims living in the territories of the Islamic Caliphate to alert and head towards al-Raqqa to repel the attack of atheist Kurds, the Crusader Coalition and agents of the Cross on it”
* Istinfar means the state of alert and being ready to fight.