You're reading: Al Jazeera: Evacuation ends as ISIL defeat in Syria’s Raqqa nears

Al Jazeera: Evacuation ends as ISIL defeat in Syria’s Raqqa nears

Published Oct. 15, 2017 at 10:58 am

Displaced Syrians sit in the shade of a car at a camp housing people who fled the fighting in Deir Ezzor, Mayadeen and Albu Kamal, on Oct. 14, in the town of Arisha in the neighbouring province of Hasakeh. Syrian troops and allied forces captured the city of Mayadeen from the Islamic State group, state media said, in the latest blow to the jihadist group.

Photo by AFP

A group of ISIL fighters has evacuated the Syrian city of Raqqa overnight, taking civilians with them as human shields, a militia spokesperson said, as the battle continued with fighters who stayed behind.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, said foreign fighters were not included under the withdrawal deal.