Kurdish forces launch offensive to expel Islamic State from west Raqqa

PanARMENIAN.Net - The US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after having successfully chased Islamic State militants out of the central districts of Raqqa, are now in the process of an offensive operation to take full control over all of the city’s western districts, Al-Masdar News reports.

On Wednesday, August 23, Kurdish forces secured all of Old City area from the Islamic State group. In doing so they de facto reduced the control IS has over Raqqa to the western and northern neighborhoods of the main metropolitan area.

Beginning around the same time that the Old City area was brought under SDF control, US-backed fighters began storming key IS-held suburbs in western Raqqa including al-Maroor, al-Nahdah and al-Bitani.