Syrian jets target Daesh positions in Raqqah city

Syrian government’s warplanes have targeted Daesh positions in the northern province of Raqqah as part of their major offensive to recapture the Takfiri group’s main stronghold in Syria.

“The air force destroyed positions and armored vehicle” in the western Raqqa countryside, about 70 km from the city, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.

The Syrian forces crossed into the province of Raqqah on Tuesday and retook two villages of Kharbah Mohsen and Beir al-Saba on their way toward Raqqah city.

The gains are the latest to come as Syrian forces sweep through towns and cities that were once under the control of militants.

Backed by Hezbollah and other volunteer fighters on the ground and under Russia’s air cover, Syria has been making back-to-back gains against militants over the past weeks.

In addition to the Syrian army’s advance on Tuesday, the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed alliance of mostly Kurdish and Arab militants, said it had launched an operation aimed at pushing Daesh out of Raqqah.

Talal Sillo, an SDF spokesman, said the operation had begun the “great leap” towards Raqqah in coordination with the US-led coalition purportedly fighting Daesh in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

SS