SDF Captures District West of Raqqa

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Monday that it had captured a district on the western outskirts of Raqqa city, Al Jazeera reported.

In a statement carried by Al Jazeera, the SDF said it had wrested control of the al-Romaniya neighborhood, in the western outskirts of the so-called Islamic State stronghold, as part of an offensive launched last week to push ISIS militants out of the city.

Al-Romaniya is the third district to fall under SDF control after the group seized the al-Mishlab district east of Raqqa and most of the al-Sabahia district in the west last week.

On the eastern front, the Kurdish-led force is currently battling for control of the al- Sinaa industrial zone and has reached the walls of the Old City, a neighborhood east of central Raqqa, Reuters reported.

The SDF also advanced north of the city on Monday, taking a sugar factory complex northeast of Raqqa, according to Reuters.

The SDF has been working to encircle Raqqa since November in an offensive backed by the U.S.-led coalition.

Pro-Government Forces Advance Along Iraq Border

Syrian pro-government forces advanced to a second location along the border with Iraq on Monday, three days after first reaching the frontier, the Associated Press reported.

The state-affiliated al-Ikhbariya TV station hailed the Syrian government’s advance as a triumphant step, according to the Associated Press. The channel’s correspondent Rabih Dibi promised that “the brotherly forces of Iraq” would link up with them soon.

Syrian army units and Iranian-backed militias from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan are hoping to join with Tehran-sponsored militias across the border in Iraq, who are also advancing along the frontier – a move that could give President Bashar al-Assad unprecedented leverage in future campaigns against the so-called Islamic State.

The government-run Syrian Central Military Media (SCMM) posted a video on social media networks on Monday purporting to show pro-government forces stationed along the border.

The SCMM also published photos reportedly showing General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, on the Syrian side of the frontier.

Fierce Fighting Breaks Out in Daraa

Rebel groups and Syrian pro-government forces were locked in fierce fighting in the southern city of Daraa on Monday, the Associated Press reported, citing opposition activists.

The fighting centered around the city’s Palestinian refugee camp, a built-up residential area.

Local resident and media activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh told the Associated Press that it was the third time in eight days that pro-government forces had tried to advance with tanks under the cover of airstrikes. “Today’s campaign was the most vicious yet,” al-Masalmeh said.

A Syrian general, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, blamed the fighting in Daraa on the rebels. The army “will not stop its operations until it wipes out the last terrorist in Syria,” the general said.

Syrian rebels fear that the government is preparing for a large offensive to gain full control of Daraa after a wave of reinforcements for the Syrian army and allied militias were rushed to the city in recent days.

Recommended Reads

• Human Rights Watch: Syria: Key Concerns for Raqqa Battle
• The Washington Times: Last Stand for Islamic State Likely to Be Miles Away From Raqqa
• War on the Rocks: The Trouble With Tanf: Tactics Driving Strategy in Syria
• The National Interest: America’s Political Gamble in Syria May Not Pay Off
• Agence France-Presse: Surfing on a Wave of Hope for Syria