IS fighters surrender as Raqa's fall nears

KOBANE: Dozens of Islamic State group fighters have surrendered in their former Syrian stronghold of Raqa, the US-led coalition said Saturday, as the fall of the one-time jihadist bastion nears, reports AFP.

A monitor said no Syrian members of the jihadist group remained in Raqa, and that negotiations on the fate of foreign fighters were ongoing.

But the US-led coalition backing the offensive insisted that foreign fighters would not be allowed to leave the city. Raqa was once the de facto Syrian capital of the jihadist group's self-proclaimed "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria.

The city's loss would be the latest in a string of heavy blows for IS, which has already been driven from its strongholds in Iraq including second city Mosul.

In June, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, broke into Raqa, and since then they have captured around 90 percent of the city.

 

IS fighters surrender as Raqas fall nears

KOBANE: Dozens of Islamic State group fighters have surrendered in their former Syrian stronghold of Raqa, the US-led coalition said Saturday, as the fall of the one-time jihadist bastion nears, reports AFP. A monitor said no Syrian members of the jihadist group remained in Raqa, and that negotiations on the fate of foreign fighters were ongoing. But the US-led coalition backing the offensive insisted that foreign fighters would not be allowed to leave the city. Raqa was once the de facto Syrian capital of the jihadist groups self-proclaimed caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria. The citys loss would be the latest in a string of heavy blows for IS, which has already been driven from its strongholds in Iraq including second city Mosul. In June, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, broke into Raqa, and since then they have captured around 90 percent of the city.