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A soldier of the SDF searching through the debris of a destroyed building in Raqqa Morukc Umnaber

US-backed forces declare victory over the Islamic State's former 'capital'

Raqqa was the Islamic State’s main centre.

A US-BACKED Syrian force has declared victory over the Islamic State (IS) group in its former ‘capital’ of Raqqa today, declaring the northern Syrian city free of any extremist presence.

At a press conference held inside the city today, the Kurdish-led force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) formally handed over administration of the devastated northern city to a council made up of local officials and tribal leaders.

In a highly symbolic move, the press conference was held inside the city’s sports stadium which Islamic State militants had turned into an arms depot and a huge prison where they incarcerated and tortured their opponents.

“Our victory is one against terrorism, and the liberation of Raqqa marks the latest chapter in the fight against terrorists in Syria,” said Talal Sillo, a spokesman and senior SDF commander.

Standing before a backdrop of shattered buildings, Sillo urged the international community and aid organisations to assist with the city’s reconstruction.

Associated Press drone footage from Raqqa showed the extent of devastation caused by weeks of fighting between Kurdish-led forces and the Islamic State group and thousands of bombs dropped by the US-led coalition.

Associated Press / YouTube

The footage from yesterday shows the bombed-out shells of buildings and heaps of concrete slabs lay piled on streets littered with destroyed cars. Entire neighbourhoods are seen turned to rubble, with little sign of civilian life.

Uninhabitable city

The video showed entire blocks in the city as uninhabitable with knocked-out walls and blown-out windows and doors, while some buildings had several stories turned to piles of debris. The stadium that was used as an arms depot and prison by the extremists appears to have suffered less damage compared with surrounding buildings.

Sillo said 655 local and international fighters lost their lives during the four-month battle for Raqqa.

We call upon all countries and peace-loving forces and all humanitarian organisations to participate in rebuilding the city and villages around it and help in removing the scars of war that were inflicted by the IS group.

Long before the ground offensive by the Syrian Democratic Forces began in Raqqa in early June, warplanes pounded the city for months.

The US-backed Kurdish-led SDF announced on Tuesday they have driven IS militants out of the city after weeks of fighting.

The fall of Raqqa marks a major defeat for IS, which has seen its territories steadily shrink since last year. IS took over Raqqa, located on the Euphrates River, in January 2014, and transformed it into the epicentre of its brutal rule.

Read: US-backed forces have driven the Islamic State out of its former ‘capital’

More: Iraqi forces seize ground from Kurds amid soaring tensions between two US allies

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    Mute Chad Rockett
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:20 PM

    And to think the previous US administration was quite happy to watch and let ISIS grow in the hope they would force Assad to negotiate. Shameful.

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    Mute Malachi
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    Oct 20th 2017, 1:59 PM

    @methodical2020: I think you forgot to add in the evidence backing up your claims. No worries, you can just reply with it now if you like.

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    Mute Graham Gilligan
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    Oct 20th 2017, 1:14 PM

    Headline should read ‘US-backed forces declare victory over US-backed terrorists’

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    Mute Malachi
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    Oct 20th 2017, 1:58 PM

    @Graham Gilligan: Please elaborate, with evidence, on the idea that IS are backed by the US. Haven’t you been paying attention to the campaign of aerial bombardment on IS positions carried out by the USAF and the Russian/Syrian air forces over the past few years?

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    Mute Ray Muller
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    Oct 21st 2017, 5:08 PM

    @Graham Gilligan: Excellent comment. Hit the nail on the head. However lets not forget the massive contribution made by Israel, Saudi and Qutar in aiding ISIS.

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    Mute Ray Muller
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    Oct 21st 2017, 5:10 PM

    @Graham Gilligan:
    Excellent comment. Hit the nail on the head. However lets not forget the massive contribution made by Israel and Saudi in aiding the Israeli Secret Intelligence Services on their murderous campaign?

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    Mute Anthony Brennan
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:14 PM

    The shinners won’t like that

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    Mute Just Himself
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:39 PM

    @Anthony Brennan: Why exactly? There are many labels I’ve seen people throw at SF but ISIS sympathisers isn’t one.

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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:53 PM

    Good. That’s what happens when the USA adminstration changes and no longer clandestinely arm them….

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    Mute Chris Hammond
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    Oct 20th 2017, 1:00 PM

    @LITTLEONE: Except that ISIS has been pushed from all sides long before this administration came in. Idiot.

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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Oct 20th 2017, 1:22 PM

    Can anyone else remember the same statement ref the Taliban? That went well. No mention of the 10k+ US “advisers” involved in this Raqqa action. There’s also no mention of the State Dept admitting that Al-Nusra used chemical weapons in Syria either. So they have a pile of rubble and let the IS fighters out to join their main armoured force which still seems to exist. Nice story though.

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    Mute Barry O Neill
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:38 PM

    Now they will fragment, and head into europe especially the uk,
    This is going to get very bad, we will have to expect this violence now as a way of life.

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    Mute Andrew Mockler
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:49 PM

    @Barry O Neill: violence has always been a way of life, actually the world is more peaceful than it ever was.

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    iano
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    Mute iano
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    Oct 20th 2017, 3:16 PM

    You need a lunatic to run these countries they prefer being ruled with an iron fist dictatorship is best for these places ,

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Oct 20th 2017, 5:52 PM

    @iano: I think you are right

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    Mute Grumpy Bollovks
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    Oct 21st 2017, 12:39 AM

    Halliburton and Trumps cronies eyeing up the reconstruction

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    Mute Remy
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    Oct 20th 2017, 5:35 PM

    ..

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