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Syrian forces advance on IS capital Raqqa

Fighters from the SDF running during fighting with Islamic State group militant, in Raqqa's eastern countryside. Picture by Syria Democratic Forces, via Associated Press.
Fighters from the SDF running during fighting with Islamic State group militant, in Raqqa's eastern countryside. Picture by Syria Democratic Forces, via Associated Press. Fighters from the SDF running during fighting with Islamic State group militant, in Raqqa's eastern countryside. Picture by Syria Democratic Forces, via Associated Press.

A US-backed Syrian force has begun an offensive to capture the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of Islamic State, after months of clearing operations.

An American commander said the battle will be long and difficult, but success would deliver a "decisive blow" to the extremists.

By early afternoon on Tuesday, opposition activists said the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were trying to break into the city from the east, triggering intense clashes.

Raqqa was among the first cities captured by IS in January 2014, and has been the home of some of the group's most prominent leaders.

Talal Sillo, a spokesman for the SDF, confirmed operations had begun in coordination with the US-led coalition.

"We declare today the beginning of the great battle to liberate the city of Raqqa, the alleged capital of terrorism and terrorists," he said.

"Morale is high and military readiness to implement the military plan is complete."

SDF fighters began advancing towards Raqqa in November, capturing wide areas of northern Syria from the extremists. Last week, they reached the northern and eastern gates of the city after intense clashes under the cover of US-led air strikes.

Raqqa is currently surrounded from the east, north and west, and opposition activists have reported intense shelling and air strikes on the city since Monday night, which killed at least 12 people.

IS militants are not expected to give up easily. Iraqi forces launched an offensive to capture the northern city of Mosul, the largest in that country held by IS, in October and heavy fighting continues there.

Lt Gen Steve Townsend, the top US commander in Iraq, said the twin offensives against Mosul and Raqqa are harming Islamic State's prestige and ability to recruit new loyalists.

"It's hard to convince new recruits that IS is a winning cause when they just lost their twin 'capitals' in both Iraq and Syria," he said.

He added that US-led coalition forces will continue to support the SDF in Raqqa, providing equipment, training, intelligence and logistics as well as precision firepower.

"We all saw the heinous attack in Manchester, England," said Mr Townsend, referring to the bombing that killed 22 people last month and was claimed by IS.

"IS threatens all of our nations, not just Iraq and Syria, but in our own homelands as well. This cannot stand.

"The international coalition and our partner forces are steadily dismantling the physical caliphate of IS.

"Once IS is defeated in both Mosul and Raqqa, there will still be a lot of hard fighting ahead, but this coalition is strong and committed to the complete annihilation of IS in both Iraq and Syria."

Mr Townsend added that once Raqqa is retaken, the SDF have stated it will be turned over to a representative body of local civilians who will provide security and governance.

The US-SDF partnership has complicated relations with Turkey, which views the group's Kurdish component as an extension of a terror group operating inside its own borders.

Turkey has remained hostile to the Kurdish People's Protection Units, known by their Kurdish acronym the YPG, which form the backbone of the SDF.

The YPG are close to the Kurdish PKK insurgent group in Turkey, which is designated as a terror organisation by Nato and the US.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said his country will respond if an offensive by the SDF on Raqqa poses a security threat to Turkey. He criticised the United States for launching the Raqqa offensive with SDF.

IS stormed across large areas in Syria and Iraq in 2014, declaring a self-styled Islamic caliphate. But it has lost much of that territory over the past two years following gruelling campaigns by an array of Syrian and Iraqi forces. The fighting has devastated communities in both countries and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.

IS has been fortifying its positions in Raqqa for months, setting up barriers and hanging sheets of cloth over main streets to provide cover from war planes. A belt of land mines and militant checkpoints circle the city.

The International Rescue Committee said it is deeply concerned for the safety of civilians in the city, adding that the number of people escaping Raqqa has dropped. That may indicate that IS "intends to use the 200,000 people still trapped in the city as human shields", the group warned.