31 July 2017—  Al-Raqqah city, which used to be considered the capital and main stronghold of ISIS in Syria, is witnessing continued violent clashes between the Syria Democratic Forces backed by the US Special Forces and the International Coalition warplanes on one hand and ISIS on the other. The SOHR learned that the fighting is concentrated in Nazlat Shhada neighborhood located in the southern part of Al-Raqqah city, at the northern banks of the Euphrates. Reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the SDF managed to make a new advancement into the neighborhood that they now control most of it. Thus, they are getting closer to their fighters in Hisham Ben Abdel Malik neighborhood. In case, both groups, the one coming from Nazlat Shhada neighborhood and the other from Hisham Ben Abdel Malik neighborhood, managed to unite, they would take full control of the southern part of Al-Raqqah city, clamping down on ISIS, who has already lost more than half of the city since the launch of the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah on the 6th of June 2017.

Clashes were accompanied by shelling by the International Coalition warplanes and the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces on positions of and areas under the control of ISIS in areas of clashes and their surroundings, causing more casualties at both sides. The SOHR also documented yesterday that the airstrikes of the International Coalition warplanes, the intensive shelling on the city of Al-Raqqah and its outskirts, and the military operations taking place in the city, including bombardments, bombings and clashes with the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces, which  are formed of the Syria Democratic Forces, the Syrian Elite Forces and the US Special Forces backed by the Coalition’s warplanes, since the beginning of the Grand Battle of Al-Raqqah until the 29th  of 2017, have killed at least 536 members of the “Islamic State” organization, including local commanders and group commanders. Information about more casualties among ISIS and the injury of tens of others was confirmed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented over the same period of time the death of 241 fighters of the “Euphrates Wrath” Operation Forces, including 2 fighters of the Syrian Elite Forces and 4 fighters of American, Georgian and British nationalities. The rest are fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces, who are mainly formed of the YPG, and fighters of Manbij Military Council, who were killed in bombardments and bombings and during clashes with the “Islamic State” organization in the city of Al-Raqqah and the southern banks of the Euphrates.