- Title: SDF advances in Raqqa's old city as battle against IS continues
- Date: 9th August 2017
- Summary: RAQQA, SYRIA (AUGUST 9, 2017) (REUTERS) DAMAGED BUILDINGS IN RAQQA'S OLD CITY VARIOUS OF DAMAGE SEEN THROUGH WINDOW OF DRIVING VEHICLE (AUDIO OF EXPLOSION) SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES (SDF) ARMOURED VEHICLE DRIVING IN OLD CITY BURNT-OUT CARS AND DAMAGE IN OLD CITY SEEN THROUGH WINDOW OF DRIVING VEHICLE MORE OF THE OLD CITY AS SEEN FROM VEHICLE / AUDIO OF GUNFIRE CAN BE HEARD VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING AFTER AN AIR STRIKE VARIOUS OF SDF MEMBERS ADVANCING TOWARD ISLAMIC STATE POSITIONS IN SEIF AL DAWLA DISTRICT OF RAQQA VARIOUS OF SDF MEMBERS HOLDING AMMUNITION AND WALKING THROUGH RUBBLE VARIOUS OF SDF MEMBERS STANDING AS THEY PREPARE TO ADVANCE TOWARD IS POSITIONS (AUDIO OF GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS) VARIOUS SDF MEMBER STANDING WITH HIS WEAPON (AUDIO OF EXPLOSION) SDF MEMBER WALKING DOWN STREET SDF MEMBER STANDING IN FRONT OF BUILDING / DAMAGED BUILDINGS (AUDIO OF GUN FIRE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN MEMBER OF THE SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES, AZAD NAYROUJ, SAYING: "Because the nature of the war here, the fact that a lot of the fighting is done by snipers and by things like car bombs, the front is very misleading. Snipers can be on our side of the territory, pop up, for example they have been popping up a lot on this side of the Old City, the wall over there which is a couple of hundred metres from us, the wall to the Old City they can pop up on both sides because there are tunnels everywhere. They can move very well at night." SDF MEMBERS RESTING AT ADVANCE POST IN OLD CITY SDF MEMBERS WALKING PAST WALL WITH GRAFFITI WHERE WEAPONS ARE PLACED SDF MEMBER LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS VARIOUS OF OLD CITY SEEN THROUGH OPEN WINDOW TABLET SHOWING AERIAL MAP OF RAQQA VARIOUS OF SDF OFFICER SITTING AT ADVANCE POST CHECKING MAP ON TABLET AND TALKING THROUGH WALKIE-TALKIE WITH FIGHTERS ON GROUND VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUILDINGS IN OLD CITY STREETS IN OLD CITY WITH DAMAGED CARS SDF ARMED VEHICLE DRIVING PAST
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2017 18:03
- Keywords: Raqqa offensive Syrian Democratic Forces in Raqqa Islamic State in Raqqa
- Location: RAQQA, SYRIA
- City: RAQQA, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TFRPDZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of U.S.-led coalition-back groups, continued on Wednesday (August 9) its assault on Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria, that began in June after a months-long campaign to isolate the city.
SDF is making slow progress in their campaign to retake Raqqa as Islamic State militants use civilians as human shields and travel across frontlines through a network of underground tunnels.
Azad Nayrouj, American SDF member from Florida who joined the forces in June, said the nature of the war in the Old City of Raqqa is very misleading with snipers and car bombs popping up on any side.
The U.S.-led coalition has helped the SDF with airstrikes and some artillery support from special forces, as well as by arming the Kurdish-led alliance.
Islamic State has retreated over the past 18 months from much of its Syrian territory under attack from three rival forces: the SDF, the Syrian army, and Turkey-backed rebels. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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