Clashes continue in Al-Raqqah city with International Coalition warplanes’ renewed strikes on the city’s neighborhoods

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of at least 6 fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces who were killed as a result of an attack by members of the “Islamic State” organization on sites of the Syria Democratic Forces in the northwestern countryside of Al-Raqqah, near the area of Abu Khashab, while the clashes continue between the Syria Democratic Forces against members of the “Islamic State” organization in areas in Al-Raqqah city, which was considered the stronghold of the “Islamic State” organization and its capital in Syria, where the clashes are concentrated between both parties in areas in neighborhoods of Nazlat Shhada and Hisham bin Abdul Malik , in an attempt by the forces in both neighborhoods located in the southern part of Al-Raqqah city at the northern banks of the Euphrates River; to approach and reach each other, and if they do they would take control of the entire southern part of the city, and tighten the noose more on the “Islamic State” organization within the city, while the clashes are accompanied by shelling by “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces and the flight of Apache helicopters and warplanes of the International Coalition in the skies of Al-Raqqah city, and occasionally  targeting sites of members of the organization and its controlled areas, while clashes are taking place between both parties in areas in the Old City, which is witnessing a slow advancement by the Syria Democratic Forces as a result of the intensive deployment of snipers of the organization to, and the massive planting of mines in the area, and strikes of the International Coalition have caused more casualties in the city.

The Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the International coalition continues its intensive and renewed bombardment on the neighborhoods of al-Raqqa city, which is still controlled by the “Islamic State” organization. This escalation comes as the Grand Battle of al-Raqqa is still ongoing, in which the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the US Special Forces and the International Coalition’s warplanes, aimed at expelling the “Islamic State” organization out of the city, which is the main stronghold and the capital of the organization in Syria, and the shelling caused more causalities, rising to at least 413, including an activist in the Syrian Observatory, the number of Syrian civilians who were killed and documented by the Syrian Observatory in the city of Al-Raqqa and its countryside since the 5th of June 2017 until the 29th of July. The martyrs are 397 civilians, including at least 76 children below the age of 18, and 53 women over the age of 18, who were killed in the city of al-Raqqa, in addition to 16 civilians, including 3 children and 4 women, who were killed in raids on the village of Zor al-Shamar and another area at the southern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of al-Raqqa. The airstrikes also injured hundreds of civilians with different severity, and some of them had their limps amputated and permanent disabilities, while some others are in serious conditions, which may increase the death toll, and the intensive shelling, which targeted the city of al-Raqqa, its vicinity and its outskirts, and they also destroyed tens of houses and service utilities in the city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also monitored that the airstrikes of the international coalition’s warplanes and the intensive shelling on the city of Al-Raqqa and its outskirts, and the military operations in the city which included shelling, bombardment, and clashes with the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces, which  are composed of the Syria Democratic forces and Syrian Elite Forces and the US Special Forces backed by the Coalition’s warplanes, since the beginning of the grand battle of al-Raqqa until today the 24th of 2017 July 24, have killed at least 536 members of the “Islamic State” organization, including local leaders and group leaders, and there is confirmed information  about other members got killed and tens of them were also injured.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in the same period documented the death of 241 fighters of “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces, including 2 fighters of the Syrian Elite and 4 fighters of American, Georgian and British nationalities, while the rest are fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces, whose the YPG is its main pillar, and fighters of Manbij Military Council, who were killed in bombardments and bombings and during clashes with the “Islamic State” organization in the city of al-Raqqa and the southern banks of the Euphrates River.