ISIS’ Syrian stronghold of Raqqa falls to US-backed Kurdish-Arab force

The US-backed SDF Syrian Kurdish-Arab force said Tuesday that its fierce, four-month battle for the Islamic State’s Syrian capital of Raqqa was over. After three years of occupation, ISIS lost its last two positions: the municipal stadium and the national hospital. Left only for the victors to do are cleanup operations to weed out sleeper cells and landmines. The Kurdish YPG militia Tuesday raised its flag over the stadium and chanted victory slogans from vehicles driving through the streets.

DEBKAfile’s sources report: That as soon as word of the victory reached the White House, Brett McGurk, President Trump’s special envoy for the global coalition versus ISIS, set out from Washington to Raqqa