Published:
June 4, 2016 at 1:28 p.m. by by Rana Moussaoui
the Syrian army supported by Russian ally came Saturday for the first After two years in the province of Raqa, where the Islamic State group (EI) may be squeezed with the advancing forces backed by Washington.
the organization jihadist most feared in world is now facing three attacks in Syria: two major operations to Raqa and another in the neighboring province of Aleppo, where Kurdish forces advanced towards the city of Minbej held by the group
it is. also down in Iraq, where government forces continue to advance in the Fallujah area.
These various offensives seem to illustrate the determination of the Russians and Americans, sponsors of various actors of the Syrian conflict, focus their efforts on the fight against EI, responsible for terrible atrocities in Syria and Iraq as well as deadly attacks across the world.
in the northern province of Raqa, troops of the regime are “backed by Russian aircraft strikes and Syrian auxiliaries trained by Moscow” in their offensive on Thursday to take mainly the city of Tabqa, told AFP Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory of human rights’ man (OSDH).
They “came Saturday morning for the first time in the province of Raqa since August 2014,” when they had been driven by the ultraradical group, he said.
– Russian-American coordination? –
The first objective of the military is to capture Tabqa on the Euphrates, near which are controlled by the EI jail and a military airport
L. army and its allies entered the province of Raqa from the southwest and were Saturday less than 40 km from Tabqa, captured by EI in 2014. That year, the IU had executed 160 soldiers after taking his military airport.
At least 26 jihadists and nine prorégime fighters have died since Thursday.
the offensive comes ten days after the launch of the Arab coalition Kurdish Syrian democratic Forces (SDS) for an offensive in the province of Raqa. They also advance towards Tabqa but from the north.
“It seems there is an undeclared coordination between Washington and Moscow,” says Abdel Rahman.
almost all of the province of Raqa is in the hands of the IU, except the towns of Tell Abyad and Ain Issa where jihadist organization was driven by the SDS.
in the neighboring province of Aleppo, the SDS trying to seize the city of Minbej, main supply route between Raqa, de facto capital of the jihadists, and Turkey.
In the city of Aleppo, new air strikes on rebel districts still nine people dead, according to OSDH, the day after heavy bombing that killed dozens of people.
According to official media, seven civilians were killed in rocket attacks by insurgents.
Castello The road, the only open route between the rebels and sectors outside is de facto cut for all vehicle movement is referred to it, said the OSDH. This means that the rebel areas, home to some 200,000 people, “are now totally under siege.”
Aleppo, the ancient economic capital located in the north of Syria, is divided between rebel neighborhoods east and neighborhoods controlled by the regime in the west.
– Help ‘limited’ –
All attempts to permanently observe the truce between rebels and regime have failed in recent months, as well as efforts for a political settlement of conflict which left more than 280,000 dead and forced the flight of millions of people.
on Friday, the UN announced it received approval to deliver this month help by land 12 areas under siege in Syria.
But the regime has only accepted delivery of aid “limited” in three areas under siege, including Daraya and Douma, while refusing access to the district Al- Waer in Homs (center) and to the town of Zabadani (southwest).
Diplomats reported that the UN would seek agreement on Sunday to Damascus in order to also deliver aid by air drops. But previous authorizations granted by the regime have never materialized on the ground.
In Iraq, government forces have resumed Saturday at the IU a town west of the city of Fallujah that they are also trying to take back the jihadists, according to military sources.
The soldiers and police backed by paramilitary forces dominated by Shiite militias entered the center of Saqlawiya, located about 10 kilometers northwest of the jihadist stronghold of Fallujah, in the vast western province Al-Anbar.
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