Pentagon spokesman: 40 percent of Raqqa under SDF control

WASHINGTON - 25 July 2017: Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said about 40 percent of the Syrian city of Raqqa is now under control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and yesterday the SDF liberated about 2 square miles of terrain in and around Raqqa as they fought off stiff resistance along three axes, the US Defense Department reported.

On the city’s western axis, he added, the SDF gained ground along a corridor south of the main supply route despite heavy Daesh resistance with small arms, machine-gun fire and homemade bombs.

“On the eastern axis, the SDF made incremental gains and repelled Daesh counterattacks, and incorporated indirect fires and vehicle-borne [improvised explosive devices], Davis said. “On the southern axis south of the Euphrates River the SDF cleared about 1.5 square miles, despite Daesh counterattacks from area villages.”

He also said the east-west deconfliction line south of the Euphrates is holding, referring to the boundary established through the Russian channel to deconflict the advance of regime forces.

“Regime forces further to the south are moving ... in the direction of Dar Azar,” Davis said, “and this deconfliction mechanism has worked effectively to ensure that there are no skirmishes between SDF fighters and regime fighters as the regime moves further downriver.”