Al-Raqqa considerably prosperous, thousands of families return to it

NAJBIER OSMAN –AZAD SAFO/AL_RAQQA

Al-Raqqa city is located in the middle of Syria distinguished for its agriculture and geographical location, which links between all other provinces, and is considered one of the richest agricultural areas of its strategic location on the banks of the Euphrates. The Euphrates River divides the city into two parts: the first is called al-Jazeera and the second al-Shamiya, al-Raqqa fully supplies the Syrian north with vegetables and fruits by 60%, too.

During the Syrian crisis, al-Raqqa city was exposed to various types of violence and destruction. After the withdrawal of the regime from the city, it was taken over by the mercenary factions  of the so-called Free Army, which included 68 factions including the mercenaries of Jabhit a-Nusra which would fight each other over civilians' properties causing the death of a large number of innocent civilians. The mercenaries worked to include al-Raqqa city's youths to the ranks of fighting and sent to the frontlines of the fighting.

During Daesh domination on al-Raqqa city

After the mercenaries of the so-called (Free Army) and other factions affiliated with them completed their work of corruption and murder against al-Raqqa city's people, where these factions spread the ideology of jihadism and radical Islam to prepare for the entry of Daesh mercenaries to the city. Daesh began flowing across the Syrian-Iraqi border in Deir-ez-Zor countryside and in the eastern countryside of al-Raqqa, and their campaign on the city was initiated in late 2013. At that time, al-Raqqa city witnessed fierce fighting between factions of the so-called Free Army and Jabhit la-Nusra on the one hand and IS mercenaries on the second hand, where IS mercenaries were able to occupy al-Raqqa city within 5 days during which they managed to expel the mercenaries of the (Free Army) which in turn caused killing of dozens of civilians who were coercively involved with these groups. Immediately after the occupation, IS mercenaries killed hundreds of civilians.

During IS occupation to al-Raqqa city by gangs who used all kinds of brutal practices against civilians, al-Raqqa city was taken as a capital "The capital of the Caliphate in Iraq and Syria", IS mercenaries forced al-Raqqa city's people to submit to Sharia courses through use of holy sites to spread their extremist ideology in the mosques aiming to plant jihadism, extremism and obscurantism to attack other Syrian regions. Al-Raqqa was the center of their plans to launch attacks on foreign countries; considered the largest and most dangerous incubator for IS mercenaries. While IS mercenaries established their military institutions like large factories, including booby-trapped vehicles factories inside the city to prepare them for launching terrorist attacks on Syrian areas, as well as factories to manufacture mortars, improvised explosive devices and several other laboratories on which the terrorist organization was based.

SDF liberated the city fulfilling al-Raqqa people’s appeal

During domination of al-Raqqa city, the city witnessed all methods of killing, violence and destruction, and the people experienced difficult periods due to the mercenaries’ acts of inhumane brutality. Hundreds of young men were forced to flee their city to areas liberated by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for fear of falling into the hands of IS mercenaries. Many of the parents, especially the young people, were victims of mercenary crimes under false pretexts. With the initiation of Wrath of Euphrates campaign, hundreds of young men joined the ranks of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF's) fighters, including those who had fled IS brutal practices and some of them joined to take revenge against them  where embraced its youth to liberate al-Raqqa city entirely from IS mercenaries.

The liberation campaign began in June 2017 where the SDF’s Special Forces partook for the first time in civilians’ liberation from IS mercenaries after IS mercenaries took civilians as human shields. The special forces used to dismantle the mines to dismantle the deadly and laser ambushes planted by IS mercenaries in civilians’ homes. al-Raqqa city witnessed the most violent clashes between SDF's fighters and IS mercenaries, where IS mercenaries used all heavy weapons, and all means to obstacle the campaign, but after four months of clashes, the fighters of Syrian Democratic forces (SDF) liberated the city.

Post-liberation... formation of al-Raqqa Civil Council

After the liberation of al-Raqqa city's countryside, al-Raqqa Civil Council was established on 17 April 2017, in preparation for the entry of the people to the city and the provision of necessary services to them after their city was completely destroyed by IS mercenaries al-Raqqa Civil Council was able to rehabilitate all the service establishments. Al-Raqqa Civil Council carried out large-scale campaigns to clean the city from the rubble and destruction caused by IS mercenaries and even now al-Raqqa Civil Council works to rehabilitate the city and activate other institutions until the city returns as it was before.

Life gradually returns to the city

Life is returning to al-Raqqa city and is moving day by day for the better. The service organizations returned to work daily cleaning and transporting waste outside the city to the places allocated to it, and the children play in parks and amusement centers once again in an atmosphere of security and safety. The market is witnessing a great congestion after a long absence lasted more than four years. On the other hand, the machineries of al-Raqqa Civil Council continuing its works to clean and take out debris.

170,000 families have returned to the city since liberation

With the liberation of al-Raqqa city by virtue of the fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the city was almost empty of civilians due to the lack of any service center in the city. After al-Raqqa Civil Council provided all the basic necessities of the city and after the formation and activation of the committees of the Council and doing great work in the city, The latest statistics indicates that the percentage of return of the people of al-Raqqa to the city exceeded 66%.

(T/S)

ANHA