US-Backed Forces Breach Raqqa’s Old City Wall

Aims to Enter Old City Without Facing Booby Traps

Jason Ditz 

Posted onJuly 4, 2017CategoriesNewsTagsISIS, Pentagon, Syria

Central Command says that US forces and the Kurdish YPG have made small breaches in the internal wall surround Raqqa’s Old City, and are aiming to use these breaches to infiltrate the area while avoiding the large number of booby traps and snipers as much as possible.

ISIS continues to resist the advance into Raqqa heavily, and while this move to punch holes in the wall may get some forces into the Old City, the notion that they’ll actually be able to avoid the bulk of the snipers is unlikely, and at best they’re delaying the confrontation.

While officials had predicted that ISIS morale would plummet as the battles in Raqqa and Mosul turned against them, the US has repeatedly and publicly insisted their strategy is one of outright extermination, with no survivors.

This strategy is likely motivating ISIS forces to continue to resist to the last, since apparently the US is accepting no surrender and taking no prisoners, they clearly don’t see any option but to keep fighting.

http://news.antiwar.com/2017/07/04/us-backed-forces-breach-raqqas-old-city-wall/