Preparations for the meeting of the Coalition in the stadium of Al-Raqqah city preceded by an explosion and overflights of US helicopters over the city

Al-Raqqah Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the city of Al-Raqqah and its vicinity are still witnessing a state of security chaos, as the members of the “Islamic State” organization who the city ingested, following the control of the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition’s Forces over the city, turned into sleeper cells that carry out the successive detonations and assassinations, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored during the last night, the sound of a violent explosion near Dar’eiyah checkpoint, at the western part of Al-Raqqah city, believed to be caused by the explosion of a motorcycle in the area, followed by mobilization of the SDF in the place of the explosion, and the close of the roads to it, amid the overflight of helicopters of the International Coalition over the area for about an hour, where the ambulances were heard rushing to the area, with out information about the amount of the human losses so far, while this detonation is coincided with preparations for what intersected sources suggested to the SOHR, a meeting of a high-ranking delegation of the Coalition’s forces today morning in the Municipal Stadium in the city, amid great security tightening by the SDF in the area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that, it learned from reliable sources, that clashes took place at midnight of yesterday, between an unknown armed person and members of the Syria Democratic Forces, in the vicinity of the Stadium Checkpoint north of al-Na’eim Roundabout on the outskirts of al-Raqqah city, where the gunman was pursued by members of the Syria Democratic Forces and arrested, as the Internet service was stopped in the area, also security tightening was observed in the area in addition to an alert situation at the checkpoints in the vicinity of the Stadium, sources told the Syrian Observatory that it is likely to be caused the visit of a Coalition Forces’ delegation to al-Raqqah city, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 10th of October 2018 that a violent explosion rocked Al-Raqqah city which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, today afternoon, Wednesday the 10th of October 2018, it turned out that the it was caused by the explosion of a vehicle carrying shells and mines in Al-Raqqah city, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; a vehicle carrying IEDs and mines that have been dismantled by the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish), exploded today afternoon as a result of a fault whose reason has not been known yet, near Al-Ma’arri school north of Al-Raqqah city, after that, the area was circled and the sound of ambulances were heard in the area, where the SOHR documented the death of 2 members of the Internal Security Forces who were killed in the vehicle explosion while others were injured, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday, that the security incidents continue in Al-Raqqah city which was the former capital and main stronghold of the “Islamic State” organization in Syria, along with the activity of its cells in the city and the surrounding countryside, even through direct assassinations, detonating IEDs or attacks under the cover of darkness, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored today, Tuesday the 9th of October 2018, the sound of a violent explosion in the area of Al-Qitar Street near a checkpoint of the Syria Democratic Forces in the city, caused by the explosion of a booby trapped motorcycle near a bread furnace in the area, without information about human losses, and the Syrian Observatory monitored last night the sound of gunfire caused by crossfire between unidentified gunmen and between the checkpoints around the sugar plant, at the northern outskirts of Al-Raqqah city, then the gunmen escaped, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 29th of September 2018, that it monitored intense gunfire in al-Raqqah city, the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that it was caused by clashes between a cell of the “Islamic State” Organization against members of the Interior Kurdish Security Forces “Asayish”, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the clashes broke out between the cell, which is about 10 members of the organization, while it was trying to raise the flag of the “Islamic State” organization opposite to the Asayish Center in al-Dar’eiyah area in al-Raqqah city, the process of raising the flag of the Organization came today, the 29th of September 2018, which is the 51st anniversary of the organization’s announcement of the “caliphate”, which took place on the 29th of June 2014. The reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the clashes kill at least 2 members of the cell while 4 other members were captured, in addition to the flee of several other members, while a state of alert prevails al-Raqqah city in search for the fleeing members, also these clashes come 22 days after the Kurdish internal security forces “Asayish”, and the anti-terrorist forces are conducting a security operation from the vicinity of al-Raqqah city and its countryside until al-Tabaqa area in al-Raqqah province, in search of ISIS cells after the escalation of assassinations within the eastern Euphrates areas, of explosions and gunfire that target members of the Syria Democratic Forces, and sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the last mentioned arrested several people and took them to their headquarters, while one person was killed by gunshot in Kasrat Srur area south of al-Raqqah city, and the people accused the Syria Democratic Forces of firing at the man while he was trying to flee the area, while the Syria Democratic Forces accused him of belonging to an ISIS cell and that he shot at their members while trying to flee the area, which prompted SDF members to shoot and kill him.

And the Syrian Observatory published on the 24th of June 2018, that about 5000 members of the security forces, the Syria Democratic Forces, and intelligence members arrived during the hours of last night to al-Raqqah, and surrounded the city and spread in its roads, public squares, and alleys, and then this morning they started to carry out raids, after which they have arrested more than 200 members of Thowwar al-Raqqah Brigade, after carrying out raids on headquarters and houses inside al-Raqqah city and on its outskirts, while the raids and clashes resulted in the death of 4 fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces, while 7 others were injured in these clashes, while the Syria Democratic Forces justified its alert and curfew they imposed; by saying that they received information that sleeper cells have entered al-Raqqah city to launch an attack and carry out retaliatory operations inside the city and spread chaos, while this alert came after the series of targeting by unknown gunmen for the Syria Democratic Forces; inside al-Raqqah city, its surroundings and its countryside, through bombings and shootings that targeted their members, which killed and injured several them, while the Syrian Observatory published yesterday morning, Sunday, that Thowwar al-Raqqah Brigade issued a statement and the Syrian Observatory received a copy of it, it says:

“Our headquarters in al-Raqqah city and its surroundings are under a treacherous operation by the militia of SDF, during which SDF militia have surrounded our headquarters with members and heavily armed vehicles, we calling upon the International Coalition Forces and especially the United States of America to intervene immediately to stop this treacherous aggression, and we hold them fully responsible for any consequences caused by this operation, and we call upon our people in al-Raqqah to take a real and serious stand with their brothers in Thowwar al-Raqqah Brigade to stand up against SDF and against their repressive and oppressive practices.”, while the Syrian Observatory published on the 27th of May 2018 that areas in Al-Raqqah city have been witnessing tension between the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition on one hand, and Liwaa Thowwar Al-Raqqah on the other, since today evening, Sunday the 27th of May 2018, amid mobilizations by each party in the area, accompanied by the sound of sporadic gunfire, amid a demonstration which went out in al-Rumaila neighborhood in the city, in an attempt to prevent the SDF from arresting a commander in Liwaa Thowwar Al-Raqqah, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the International Coalition’s forces have intervened to settle the ongoing dispute between the SDF and Liwaa Thowwar Al-Raqqah.