Northeastern Syria: Kurdish-Led SDF Drive ISIL out of 65 Percent of Raqqa City

The predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have pushed back ISIL from 65 percent of Raqqa city’s neighborhoods, Jeihan Sheikh Ahmad, the official spokesman for the Euphrates Rage Operation Room said on Monday. Ahmad said that the Kurdish forces have seized control over the neighborhoods of old Raqqa and al-Dar’eiyeh that were the most important strongholds of ISIL in the city.In the meantime, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) released a full statement covering the battle for Raqqa where heavy clashes continue day and night. According to the YPG (main military branch of the SDF) press statement, some 65 percent of Raqqa’s provincial capital has been ‘liberated’ while 2,000 hostages were freed from ISIL captivity over the past month. Effectively, Kurdish forces are now in control of 14 of out the city’s 23 neighborhoods, the YPG statement added.