The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said on July 19 that they had evacuated families from several areas in Raqqa city, Islamic State’s de facto capital in Syria.
Heavy fighting between SDF and IS was reported in the southwest of Raqqa and near the Hishan Bin Abdmalek neighborhood, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A prominent anti-IS activist group said late on July 19 that 54 civilians had been killed in a 24-hour period by a combination of coalition airstrikes, SDF shelling and Islamic State mines.
This video was shared by the Manbij Military Council, which is fighting as part of the SDF, and is described as showing civilians being evacuated from Raqqa city. The last man speaking in the video says that IS wanted to make them human shields and that they had cut off water and food. He adds that IS planted mines in front of the houses. Credit: Manbij Military Council via Storyful
