Convoy ready to take civilians, local fighters out of Raqqa in evacuation deal
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A deal has been reached to evacuate civilians and local ISIS fighters from Raqqa in a bid to reduce civilian casualties in the fight for the city. A convoy of vehicles is ready to leave the city on Saturday, the global anti-ISIS Coalition has announced.
“The arrangement is designed to minimize civilian casualties and purportedly excludes foreign Daesh [ISIS] terrorists,” the Coalition detailed in a statement published Saturday afternoon.
The deal was brokered by the Raqqa Civil Council and local Arab tribal leaders on Thursday, the Coalition stated, adding that it was not a party to the discussions but believes the move will save civilian lives and will allow Coalition and SDF forces to focus on the fight with ISIS “with less risk of civilian casualties.”
In a statement published by the SDF, the Arab tribal leaders confirmed they had requested the SDF to permit the evacuation “with our assurances,” in order to bring an end “to the tragedy of our people who are stranded inside the city,” preserve civilian lives, and prevent further destruction.
“We declare to the public that we, as elders of the al-Raqqa clans, will ensure the lives of those who will be removed,” the statement read.
Those being evacuated will be searched and screened by the SDF.
“Daesh terrorists have been hiding behind women and children for three years, and we are against any arrangement that lets them continue to do so,” said Coalition Director of Operations Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga.
A member of the civil council confirmed the deal to AP, adding that local fighters have been included in the evacuation. He did not provide details of the number of people being evacuated.
Earlier this week, Coalition spokesperson Col. Ryan Dillon estimated there were 4,000 civilians remaining in the city.
An SDF source told AFP that buses and trucks were ready to take the surrendered fighters east into Deir ez-Zor province, where ISIS still holds control of portions of the province.
ISIS has routinely used civilian populations as human shields, who have also suffered under heavy aerial bombardments during months of drawn out battles in urban centres.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, about 1,100 civilians have been killed by coalition airstrikes in Raqqa since the offensive began in early June.
Aid agencies are alarmed of reports of high numbers of civilian casualties across Syria in recent weeks.
As of Thursday, the Coalition estimated that 85 percent of the city was under SDF control. Large numbers of ISIS militants have surrendered to the Kurdish-led force, according to the Raqqa Civil Council. The SDF expects to have full control of the city within a matter of days.
“The arrangement is designed to minimize civilian casualties and purportedly excludes foreign Daesh [ISIS] terrorists,” the Coalition detailed in a statement published Saturday afternoon.
The deal was brokered by the Raqqa Civil Council and local Arab tribal leaders on Thursday, the Coalition stated, adding that it was not a party to the discussions but believes the move will save civilian lives and will allow Coalition and SDF forces to focus on the fight with ISIS “with less risk of civilian casualties.”
In a statement published by the SDF, the Arab tribal leaders confirmed they had requested the SDF to permit the evacuation “with our assurances,” in order to bring an end “to the tragedy of our people who are stranded inside the city,” preserve civilian lives, and prevent further destruction.
“We declare to the public that we, as elders of the al-Raqqa clans, will ensure the lives of those who will be removed,” the statement read.
Those being evacuated will be searched and screened by the SDF.
“Daesh terrorists have been hiding behind women and children for three years, and we are against any arrangement that lets them continue to do so,” said Coalition Director of Operations Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga.
A member of the civil council confirmed the deal to AP, adding that local fighters have been included in the evacuation. He did not provide details of the number of people being evacuated.
Earlier this week, Coalition spokesperson Col. Ryan Dillon estimated there were 4,000 civilians remaining in the city.
An SDF source told AFP that buses and trucks were ready to take the surrendered fighters east into Deir ez-Zor province, where ISIS still holds control of portions of the province.
ISIS has routinely used civilian populations as human shields, who have also suffered under heavy aerial bombardments during months of drawn out battles in urban centres.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, about 1,100 civilians have been killed by coalition airstrikes in Raqqa since the offensive began in early June.
Aid agencies are alarmed of reports of high numbers of civilian casualties across Syria in recent weeks.
As of Thursday, the Coalition estimated that 85 percent of the city was under SDF control. Large numbers of ISIS militants have surrendered to the Kurdish-led force, according to the Raqqa Civil Council. The SDF expects to have full control of the city within a matter of days.
Last updated at 10:24 pm