The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Reinforcements enter Al-Raqqah city… hundreds of leaders and members of the “Islamic State” organization flee it with their families

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was informed by several reliable sources that tens of non-Syrian families in Al-Raqqah city have left it towards its southern countryside and from there to other areas in Syria, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: more than 300 families of leaders and the foreign members, in addition to several Syrian families have fled Al-Raqqah city, which is the stronghold of the “Islamic State” organization in Syria, and the activists of the observatory monitored these families escaped using water boats and ferries which transferred them from Al-Raqqah city to the southern bank of Euphrates River, and then these families headed for a two deferent ways, where some of them fled to Deir Ezzor Province, and the others went to the eastern countryside of Hama.

Sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the escape of these families was carried out during the past 36 hours, while in Al-Raqqah city the “Sharia men” and Imams of mosques addressed the citizens in the city that “anyone who does not carry a gun and defend his land and honor -then- he is a cuckold, because the Americans will rape his honor before they occupy his land”.

This mass flee of foreign families from Al-Raqqah city comes after the Syria Democratic Forces backed by warplanes of the International Coalition, were able to besiege the city and parts of the its countryside, through closing the road of Al-Raqqah – Deir Ezzor, and advancing towards Al-Raqqah city, where SDF controlled during the past 48 hours several villages at the administrative border between Deir Ezzor and Al-Raqqah, it also came after bringing in reinforcements of members of the organization from the eastern countryside of Hama and Deir Ezzor province, in addition to members of the organization who fled from the eastern countryside of Aleppo.
The number of arrivals to Al-Raqqah city reached more than 230 members and field commander.