After three long years, the Syrian city of Raqqa is finally liberated from the Islamic State, but the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters, who led the operation, and civilians alike will have to deal with yet another “enemy” – the mines ISIS left behind.
“We must clear the remnants of all the explosives that have been left in Raqqa throughout this battle. One of the SDF commanders earlier in the campaign, maybe a month ago, said that the fight in Raqqa is more about a fight against IEDs and explosives than it is against ISIS, because that’s what the nature of the fight normally was,” Coalition spokesperson Colonel Ryan Dillon told reporters on Tuesday.
According to Save the Children, one of the non-governmental organizations working in northern Syria, substantial investment will be required to reconstruct Raqqa’s destroyed homes, health facilities and schools, and to remove unexploded ordnance before people can safely go home.
Read full report on the situation in Raqqa on our sister site, The Defense Post
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The greatest threat to people returning to war-ravaged Raqqa: ISIS mines
