A spokesman for Syrian militias said Saturday that Islamic State fighters were expected to evacuate the city of Raqqa in an agreement with the U.S.-backed Syrian militias surrounding them.
The spokesman said the jihadists were expected to let go of the city overnight, from Saturday into Sunday. Any Islamic State fighters left behind, he said, would be forced to “surrender or die.”
On Friday, scores of civilians fled Raqqa ahead of an anticipated final push into the city by U.S.-backed fighters aiming to retake it from IS militants.
Hundreds of civilians streamed out of Raqqa in recent days from the remaining IS-held neighborhoods. They took advantage of a slowdown in the fighting by coalition troops meant to help civilians safely evacuate from the IS fighters’ de facto capital.
Residents said local IS fighters had been surrendering in recent weeks, but that the militants still held a few areas of the city, including the stadium and national hospital.
Many of the residents who escaped the city were malnourished after having been trapped by the fighting for several months.
“Those who manage to escape speak of deteriorating conditions inside the city,” U.N. refugee spokesman Andrej Mahecic said. “Food, water, medicine and electricity are scarce.”
U.S.-backed fighters of the opposition Syrian Democratic Forces have been on the offensive in Raqqa since June 5 and have so far captured more than 80 percent of the city.
Coalition officials said IS militants were still holding some civilians captive to use as human shields.
Activists say more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in Raqqa since the battle to retake the city began in June. Nearly 270,000 people have fled Raqqa since April. | via Voice of America
