((The Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah reaches the end)) after withdrawing of ISIS to the city center … the SDF impose their control over more than 90% of the areas of the city

425 children and citizen women of about 1100 citizens of who have been killed by the International Coalition strikes in Al-Raqqah city since the Grand Battle started

 

Al-Raqqah Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the Syria Democratic Forces imposed their control over about 90% of the areas of Al-Raqqah city, which was used to be the main stronghold of the “Islamic State” organization and its capital in Syria, where the SDF imposed their control on the grain warehouse and the neighborhoods of al-Rawda, al-Rumaila, Huriyah, Teshreen and Tawassoiya, they also took the control of  Bareed and al-Nahda neighborhoods, in the north, the north-east and west of the city, amid withdrawing ISIS to the center of Al-Raqqah city

This extend of the scope of control came after ISIS withdrew greatly, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the remaining members of ISIS withdrew to the neighborhood of al-Amin, the city center, the Government Complex and other building in the middle of the city, after the continuous shelling, the violent clashes and the lack of the military supplies, ammunition, weapons, food and water, of what the remaining members of ISIS in the city have, thus, ISIS loses most of Al-Raqqah city, and the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah reaches its end, after it started in the 6th of June 2017, after it witnessed fierce clashes, violent shelling by the International Coalition and tens of explosions by explosive belts and booby trapped cars, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published that the “Islamic State” organization, and after the deaths of hundreds of members in the past few weeks, where the organization could no longer withstand in Al-Raqqah city because its stockpile of military equipment and weapons started running out as well as its stored food items, where sources of the Observatory confirmed that the organization sometimes carries out infiltrations into sites of the Syria Democratic Forces in order to get water or food, also the sources informed the Syrian Observatory that what is delaying the control of “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces of Al-Raqqah city is the density of the mines planted by the “Islamic State” organization, and because the decision of International Coalition to take control of the city was delayed, in addition to that there are thousands of civilians who are being used as human shields by the organization, and if the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition take the decision of controlling Al-Raqqah city, then, the Grand Raqqah Operation may be completed in the coming days and weeks.

While the sources said that the members of the organization blow themselves up even before the arrival of the SDF and the US Special Forces to the areas close to them, and the people attributed this to the psychological conditions and the pressure they suffer due to the tightening up on them and because there is no way out of this city.

Also the numbers of casualties in A;-Raqqah city has increased because of the continuous shelling and clashes, in which the  Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented more civilian casualties in Al-Raqqah city, as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 1064 citizens including an activist in the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 248 children and 177 citizen women, they were killed in Al-Raqqah city and its countryside since the 5th of June 2017 until the 20th of September 2017, and the casualties are 1048 citizens including 245 children at least under the age of eighteen and 173 citizen women over the age of eighteen, they were killed in Al-Raqqah city, in addition to 16 citizens including 3 children and 4 citizen women were killed by raids on Zor Shammar village and another area on the southern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah, the air strikes also resulted in the injury of hundreds of citizens with varying degrees of severity, some of them have amputated limbs and permanent disabilities, while some of the injuries are still in serious cases, which may lead to the increase of the number of casualties, while dozens of houses and service facilities were destroyed in the city, as a result of this intensive bombing, which targeted Al-Raqqah city and its vicinity and outskirts.

The SOHR also documented that the international coalition air strikes and the heavy bombardment on al-Raqqa city and its outskirts along with the military offensives in the city that included shelling, bombings and clashes with the “Euphrates Wrath” Operations Forces, which is composed of the Syria Democratic Forces, the Syrian Elite Forces, and the US Special Forces backed by the International Coalition’s warplanes caused – since the launching of the battle until today the 6th of September 2017 until today the 20th of September 2017– the death of at least 1206 members of the “Islamic State” organization including two local  figures and commanders of groups, amid confirmed information about death of other members, in addition to injuring tens of them with varying degrees of severity.

Also, the SOHR documented in the same period the death of 563 fighters of the “Euphrates Wrath” including 2 fighters from the Syrian Elites Forces, a Syriac Security Force fighter, 5 fighters of American, Georgian, British and Turkish nationalities, while the rest of them are from the Syria Democratic Forces, whose main pillar is the YPG, and fighters of Manbij Military Council, who were killed during clashes against the “Islamic State” organization and due to bombings in al-Raqqa city and the southern banks of Euphrates River.

Also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of at least 136 civilians including 31 child and 7 citizen women in mine explosions while they were trying to get out of areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in Al-Raqqah city, to areas controlled by the SDF since the 5th of June 2017 until today the 20th of September 2017, in addition to the injury of tens of other civilians with varying degrees of severity and permanent disability.