Syrian army prepares to take Raqqa – Moscow sources

The Syrian army is getting set for a general offensive to capture Raqqa, ISIS’ main stronghold in the country, according to military sources in Moscow. Bashar Assad is in a race for his troops to get there before the Turkish military, which has occupied part of northern Syria, jumps in first. Those sources stress that its conquest of Raqqa would give Turkey control of large parts of northern and eastern Syria, virtually partitioning the country into segments.