The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Hundreds of meters separate between besieging the “Islamic state” in its main stronghold or forcing it to withdraw out of it

Violent clashes are taking place between Manbij Military Council and Syria Democratic Forces against the “Islamic State” organization in the south of al-Raqqah city at the southern banks of the Euphrates River, and cross sources told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that Manbij Military Council and the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces managed to achieve strategic progress and control al-Kasrat area at the southern banks of the Euphrates River, and reach the east of Kasrat al-Faraj and these forces managed to reach the entrance of the New Bridge and advance in the area between the New Bridge and the Old bridge of al-Raqqah, which both of them were targeted and destroyed by the International Coalition’s warplanes on the 3rd of February 2017.

Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that areas in the vicinity of the advance of these Forces were controlled by fire. With this advancement, the Manbij Military Council and the Syria Democratic Forces have achieved strategic progress, leaving only a few hundred meters separating between besieging the “Islamic state” organization completely in al-Raqqah city or forcing it to withdraw from the city before the encirclement.