State of ‘Emergency’: US Officials Say Daesh Readying for Assault in Raqqa
© AP Photo/ Raqqa Media Office
Daesh extremists are rushing to fortify positions in their de-facto capital city of Raqqa in Syria, likely bracing for an external attack, US military officials revealed, citing social media.
"We have seen this declaration of emergency in Raqqa, whatever that means," US Colonel Steve Warren of US-led anti-Daesh coalition told reporters on Friday.
© AFP 2016/ DELIL SOULEIMAN
Earlier this week, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance Tajir Kobani told Sputnik that they are readying for a three-pronged attack on Raqqa that would eventually free the city from extremists. The offensives are expected be conducted from the northeast and northwest of the war-torn country, he added.
"Raqqa's liberation," Kobani underscored, "will be a serious blow to Daesh positions in Syria. We intend to liberate the people of Raqqa from the jihadists."
Warren said Daesh is aware of maneuvers planned by the SDF along with the Syrian Arab Coalition “both to their east and to their west," that make the alliance “increasingly able to generate their own combat power in those areas."
By repositioning their personnel and military apparatus, Daesh is trying to respond to those activities, he asserted.
“I guess what they think may be coming next," Warren said. "And we've seen reports of them repositioning personnel… either within the city or even out of the city."
Warren added that the movement of extremists throughout Raqqa plays into the hands of the anti-Daesh coalition, as it provides surveillance aircraft with the opportunity to detect extremist positions.
The US military hasn’t confirmed whether Daesh head Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi is in the city. His death wouldn’t mean an immediate defeat for the group, as there are said to be other leaders that could replace him, US defense officials said.
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