BEIRUT: US-backed Syrian militias have captured a town south of the city of Raqqa where Daesh ran a major military base and training camp, a spokesman for the militias said on Tuesday.
An alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias fighting under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is trying to oust Daesh from its headquarters in Raqqa.
SDF media official Mustafa Bali said the militias had seized the town of Al-Ukeirshi, some 15 km (10 miles) downstream from Raqqa on the Euphrates river.
The SDF pushed into Raqqa last month after a long offensive, backed up by air strikes and special forces from the US-led coalition.
A series of recent advances along the southern bank of the Euphrates have allowed the SDF to completely besiege the militants inside Raqqa and to press on south of the city.
The SDF alliance, spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, has also been waging fierce battles inside the Old City of Raqqa since last week, after US-led coalition jets breached its historic walls.
In Al-Ukeirshi, Daesh killed scores of its own forces execution-style in 2015 for desertion or on accusations of treachery, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Daesh named the training camp it established in the town after Osama Bin Laden, the founder of the Al-Qaeda militant group killed by US forces in 2011.
US-backed forces seize town with Daesh military base near Raqqa — SDF official
US-backed forces seize town with Daesh military base near Raqqa — SDF official
50,000 perform Ramadan Taraweeh prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque
- Worshippers gather amid heightened tensions in occupied West Bank
- Hundreds of Jerusalemites ordered not to enter mosque during holy month
LONDON: About 50,000 Palestinian worshippers performed the Isha and Ramadan Taraweeh prayers on Sunday evening at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem.
The crowds gathered despite Israeli military checkpoints and strict identity checks at the mosque’s gates, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.
Palestinians are observing the Muslim holy month, which began on Wednesday, amid heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, including attacks by settlers and raids and arrests by the Israeli army.
More than 300 Jerusalemites recently received Israeli orders prohibiting their entry to Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, the Wafa news agency reported.
Israeli forces have increased their military presence in Jerusalem and restricted access to the mosque for children under 12, men over 55 and women over 50.
Since Wednesday, thousands of Palestinians have lined up to pass through military checkpoints, including at Qalandiya and Bethlehem, in the hope of attending prayers at Al-Aqsa.
