Erik De Castro/Reuters
The Syrian city of Raqqa, held as the de facto capital of ISIS since 2014, has been retaken by U.S.-backed militias, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and commanders on the ground. The fall of the city, where the so-called Islamic State reportedly planned international attacks and tormented its captive residents, represents the collapse of the terror group’s claims to having established a caliphate. Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said Tuesday: “We do still know there are still IEDs and booby traps in and amongst the areas that ISIS once held, so the SDF will continue to clear deliberately through areas.” Reuters reports militia fighters were celebrating the liberation in the streets, amid widespread rubble from the months-long fight to retake the stronghold.
