Final Assault On The Islamic State In Raqqa To Start Sunday Night

Al Jazeera: US-backed SDF to launch offensive to retake Raqqa

US-backed rebels tell Al Jazeera they will launch their campaign on Sunday to capture northern Syrian city from ISIL.

The final phase in a battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) armed group in the Syrian city of Raqqa will begin on Sunday night, a rebel spokesman has told Al Jazeera.

"We do not know how long it will take, but we don't think that it will be a long battle," Talal Silo, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

"What will take time is clearing the city from the booby traps and landmines placed by ISIL fighters," said Silo, estimating that some 400-500 ISIL (also known as ISIS) fighters remained in the city, formerly the de facto capital of the group for three years.

He added that "about 90 percent of the city has already been liberated".

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WNU Editor: The above video was posted by the BBC last week. It shows the final stages of the battle for the Syrian city of Raqqa .

More News On Reports That The Final Assault On The Islamic State In Raqqa Is To Start On Sunday

Final assault on Islamic State in Raqqa to start on Sunday -commander -- Reuters
Anti-IS force says near 'final' week of Raqa fight -- Yahoo7 News
Final Assault on Raqqa, ISIS's De Facto Capital, Begins Sunday -- Haaretz
Anti-ISIL force nears 'final' week of Raqqa fight -- The National
Final assault on Raqqa to begin, says US commander -- Middle East Eye
Final assault on Daesh in Raqqa to 'start Sunday' -- Middle East Monitor
Debris and Dust: Raqqa 'Sacrificed' to Defeat ISIS -- The Epoch Times
The fall of Raqqa: hunting the last jihadists in Isis's capital of cruelty -- The Guardian