US-led coalition forces have increased their attacks on the north-eastern part of the city of Raqqa, which is the de-facto capital of the extreme Muslim group in Syria. Yet, in a surprise maneuver by the Syrian Army and its Iranian-backed allies, they have managed to break through the Islamic State lines in the desert area, west of Raqqa, as Assad’s forces seek to gain territory before US-backed forces secure the entire city.
Meanwhile, The Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, a group of militias backed by a US-led coalition, holds Tabqa, northeast of the advances the Syrian army was reported to have made. A week into its assault on Raqqa, the SDF on Monday were reported to have reached the walls of the Old City from the eastern suburbs. It is also pushing into Raqqa from the west and the north.