Islam Times - Syrian army hits ISIL hard in Raqqa

Islam Times - Syrian government forces struck ISIL positions in and around the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa, residents said on Monday, part of a growing campaign against militants who control a third of the country.

Raqqa is a major stronghold of ISIL, which took one of the Syrian army’s last outposts in the city this week to extend its gains across both Iraq and Syria.

Residents said there had been some 16 air raids on Monday on Raqqa and in nearby areas, including close to the al-Tabqa military base to the west of the city, a government-controlled airport that is surrounded by militants.

One attack destroyed the city’s water plant, locals said, cutting water supplies to homes and businesses.

More than 170,000 people have been killed in Syria’s three-year-old civil war, with ISIL fighters gaining momentum in recent weeks, boosted by equipment seized in a rapid offensive in neighbouring Iraq.

In response, the Syrian army has become more aggressive, using air strikes to attack their positions.

“The bombardment increases then falls off, but when they are not bombing al-Tabqa airport they are bombing the surrounding towns or bombing Raqqa. The sound of aircraft is constant,” a Raqqa resident said, asking to remain anonymous to protect his identity.

Locals in Raqqa say civilian casualties have been kept to a minimum because many residents have fled to nearby villages and rural areas, while those remaining spend their days in shelters.

ISIL’s Syria headquarters are situated in what used to be Raqqa’s municipality buildings in densely populated civilian areas. “It is these buildings that are now targeted in the air raids,” said an opposition activist living in the city, who opposes both the ISIL and the government.

He said that the air force was now using Russian-made Sukhoi bombers, which carry bigger munitions than MiG fighter jets.