After 35 days of the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah …. A rebel faction withdraws from its positions in the Old City and east of Al-Raqqah following a dispute with Syria Democratic Forces
The SOHR received information from several reliable sources about the withdrawal of some of the rebel factions participating in the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation which is part of the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah. Specifically, the SOHR learned that one of the rebel factions participating in the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah withdrew from the ongoing battles in Al-Raqqah city as a result of a dispute between the faction and the SDF which are leading the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation with the support of the US Special Forces and the International Coalition. The faction withdrew from its positions in the neighborhoods of Al-Mashlab and Al-Sinaa, Bab Baghdad area and the Old City in Al-Raqqah city to Al-Hamrat area in the eastern countryside of the city. Several reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the SDF and that faction are still having negotiating about the faction’s return to the Battle and to its previous positions.
It is worth mentioning that the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah, which started on the 6th of June 2017, is led by the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are mainly formed of fighters of YPG, with the participation of the Syrian Elite Forces and the forces of Manbij Military Council and with the support of the US Special Forces and the International Coalition warplanes. The “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces have managed so far to take control of parts of Division 17 from the north, Al-Jazrah and Al-Herqliyyeh suburbs, Al-Romaniya and Al-Sabahiya neighborhoods, and parts of Al-Bareed, Hutteen and Al-Qadisiyah neighborhoods till the outskirts of Yarmouk neighborhood in the western part of the City. They were also able to take control of Al-Mashlab and Al-Sinaa and huge parts of Al-Batani neighborhoods. They also moved deeper over an area of 200 meters west of the Old City walls in the part opposite to Al-Sinaa neighborhood to Bab Baghdad in the eastern part of the City. In addition, they took control of huge parts of Al-Hal Market and reached the outskirts of Hisham Ben Abdel Malik neighborhood in the southern part of the City. Finally, they seized control over all of the villages located opposite to Al-Raqqah city at the southern banks of the Euphrates till Kasrat Mohammad Agha “Kasrat Srur village” near Al-‘Ekirshi area.
It should also be mentioned that the SOHR has documented so far the death of at least 117 fighters of the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces since the start of the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah on the 6th of June 2017, including two of the Syrian Elite Forces while the rest of fatalities were among the SDF, who are mainly formed of YPG, and the forces of Al-Manbij Military Council as a result of bombings, bombardments and clashes with ISIS in Al-Raqqah city and at the southern banks of the Euphrates.