War Against EI Organization: A New Front Opens In Raqqa In Syria

On Sunday morning we learned the kickoff of "Operation Wrath of the Euphrates" launched by the Arab-Kurdish forces with the support of the international coalition against the city of Raqqa, a stronghold of the organization Islamic State Syria, while the offensive against the city of Mosul, "capital" of the same organization in Iraq continues and faces strong resistance jihadists.

After Mosul in Iraq on which the offensive was launched in mid-October, a statement from the SDS, the Democratic Forces for Syria, an Arab-Kurdish alliance, announced on Sunday that a military operation was launched on major Raqqa, in the hands of the organization Islamic state since June 2014, when it proclaimed its Daech "caliphate".

Isolate Raqqa

The offensive mobilized some 30,000 men according to the SDS, the majority of Kurds. The Arab-Kurdish force has also announced this Sunday have reached agreement with the United States so that there is " no Turkish role and rebels allied to them in the offensive " in Raqqa . The city will be freed "thanks to his son and its Arab factions, Kurdish and Turkmen, the hero fighting under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDS), with the active participation of the Kurds Protection Units (YPG) (... ) in coordination with the international coalition , "says the statement of SDS.

The military offensive is initially isolating Raqqa " in preparation for an assault to free the city " jihadist explained Sunday at a US official told Agence France-Presse.

Guests this morning the Grand Rendez-vous Europe-1-iTELE Les Echos, the French defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said: " We first through Mosul Raqqa but the battle is to take place," adding "it will be automatically local forces that will free Raqqa, even if the French forces, American forces, coalition contribute by strikes that we can dismantle the Daech device ."

And on the Iraqi front

Iraq was struck Sunday morning by two suicide bombings that killed 18 and wounded 30. The attacks in the cities of Tikrit and Samarra have not yet been claimed. But the Islamic State group regularly conducts attacks within Iraq especially since he is under pressure in its last stronghold of Mosul. On Saturday, Iraqi government forces again intervened in the east and south of the second city of Iraq.

And to support the Iraqi Prime Minister visited them for the battle of Mosul is not only a military confrontation. She also plays on the psychological field, in the heads of two enemy camps. And it is probably this second battlefield qu'Haïdar al-Abadi tried to score on Saturday. Visiting the front in eastern Mosul, Iraqi Prime Minister warned at fighters from Islamic State group: " If you want to live, drop your weapons now ."

In recent days, government forces have faced fierce resistance jihadists who erected barricades in almost all the main streets of Mosul and placed snipers on roofs of buildings. Strength that surprised the Iraqi elite troops forced to retreat Friday. For the government it was important to send a strong message. " The Iraqi army will not withdraw and will not be defeated ," insisted al-Abadi Prime Minister. Before adding to the address of the population: " We will soon set you free ."