Civilians flee Raqqa as U.S.-backed forces slowly advance

Record ID: 905691

  • Title: Civilians flee Raqqa as U.S.-backed forces slowly advance
  • Date: 8th August 2017
  • Summary: HARQALA, WEST OF RAQQA, SYRIA (AUGUST 8, 2017) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF ASSYRIAN MILITARY COUNCIL, PART OF SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES (SDF), HELPING AN OLD MAN WALKING MEMBERS OF ASSYRIAN MILITARY COUNCIL STANDING BY PICK-UP TRUCK VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF ASSYRIAN MILITARY COUNCIL SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMANDER IN ASSYRIAN MILITARY COUNCIL, MATAY HANNA, SAYING: "We have many problems. We have like mines, tunnels, you know, snipers and the main thing they are using the civilians here against us, they are using the civilians against us so we are moving slowly and very carefully to led civilians in safe (sic) to don't (sic) kill any civilians." SDF FIGHTERS GETTING INSIDE PICK-UP TRUCK SDF FIGHTERS AND CIVILIANS SEATED INSIDE SDF'S FIELD HEADQUARTERS WOMAN TAKING BREAD OUT OF PLASTIC BAG CIVILIANS EATING FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF DISPLACED ARMENIAN FAMILY FROM RAQQA, GARBIS GOMACHIAN, SAYING: "We left yesterday at 2:30. We spent the night with a group of people. We left as a group at between 2:30 and 3:00 walking towards Syrian Democratic Forces. We got tired as we have bags and other items and my brother was sick and we had to make him walk. We reached to the men who gave us a good reception and later they took us to the centre and things got better and then they took us here." WOMEN EATING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF DISPLACED ARMENIAN FAMILY FROM RAQQA, GARBIS GOMACHIAN, SAYING: "Living conditions were not bad but recently there was no water, no food, no meat, no vegetables. There was nothing." CIVILIANS EATING FOOD MEN TALKING PAN FROM WOMEN SEATED TO MEN SEATED AND TALKING
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2017 18:17
  • Keywords: U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Islamic State-held Raqqa de facto capital in Syria SDF fighters advancing displaced people U.S.-led coalition
  • Location: HARQALA, WEST OF RAQQA, SYRIA
  • City: HARQALA, WEST OF RAQQA, SYRIA
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016TAS30N
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING
    The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are making slow progress in their campaign to retake Raqqa as Islamic State militants use civilians as human shields, a commander of Assyrian Military Council, part of the SDF, told Reuters on Tuesday (August 8).
    The SDF launched its U.S.-backed campaign to seize Raqqa in early June. The assault on Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria overlapped with the campaign to drive IS from the Iraqi city of Mosul, where IS was defeated last month.
    Islamic State is also fighting the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias.
    About 2,000 Islamic State fighters are estimated to remain in the Syrian city of Raqqa, fighting for their survival in the face of an offensive launched by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in June, a senior U.S. official said on Friday (August 4).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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