US Coalition recalls Raqqa liberation from ISIS
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS recalled the fifth anniversary of the liberation of Raqqa, northern Syria.
On October 17, 2017, the city of Raqqa was liberated from ISIS, which announced its alleged capital, by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Global Coalition.
“Today marks the 5th anniv of the liberation of Raqqa from ISIS’s brutal rule,” the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said in a tweet.
The CJTF-OIR greeted struggling shown by the people of northeast Syria, saying, “We honor the resilience demonstrated by the people of NE Syria.”
The tweet noted to the brevity of the SDF during the battles against ISIS and the sacrifices they made.
“We pay tribute to the brave #SDF who made the ultimate sacrifice in the anti-ISIS fight & continue to do so.”
The CJTF-OIR expressed their pride for the sacrifices of the SDF, “We’re proud to partner w/ them.”
In 2014, ISIS captured Raqqa and its countryside declaring an “Islamic Caliphate” in large swaths in several Syrian and Iraqi areas, and it announced Syria’s Raqqa as the capital of its “Caliphate”.
In 2016, with the participation of the Coalition, the SDF announced a military campaign to drive ISIS out from Raqqa and its other strongholds.
In 2017, after intense battles between ISIS and SDF, the latter finally announced the complete liberation of Raqqa and its countryside.