Originally published in the Greek newspaper “Paraskinio” issue 582, p. 20 on June 9, 2017

Last Tuesday, SDF militia, backed by the International Coalition against terrorism, announced the start of the final phase of the operation “Wrath of Euphrates” to control the city of Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State. According to the official announcement, several Kurdish militias, including the YPG and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), groups directly associated with the PKK included in the international terrorist lists, will participate in the operation alongside the SDF.

Raqqa is the communications, military and commercial center of the terrorist organization ISIS. It is located at the north of Syria on the eastern bank of the Euphrates river, 80 km from the Turkish-Syrian border. Since the end of 2011, peaceful demonstrations have been organized in the city against the Assad regime demanding freedom. In March 2013, the Syrian military opposition gained control of the entire city. By the end of the same year, after hard fighting in which at least 300 opposition fighters were killed, Raqqa was captured by ISIS. Since then, ISIS expansion to the province of Raqqa was made possible, and in the beginning of 2014 it has gained full control over it.

It is estimated that the population of the city before ISIS control was 220.000, all Sunni Arabs. However, their mistreatment by the terrorists led to the immigration of the city’s population to Turkey and the regions of the Syrian military opposition in the province of Halab*. Today’s population is estimated at around 80.000. The preparation of the organization for defending the city has begun about a year ago. Tunnels have been dug and roadblocks have been constructed. It will be a battle of life or death. Leakage from the inside of the city reports the existence of at least 8.000 ISIS fighters, twice as many as Mosul’s, in which battles are raging 9 months from their inception. This proves that Raqqa battle will be particularly difficult.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has confirmed at a press conference last week  information coming from Syria on negotiations between ISIS and the Kurdish PYD for its safe removal to Palmyra, something the Kurdish organization has not admitted. Also, information leaked from inside the city talks about the arrival of new ISIS aids and no withdrawal. It should be noted here that negotiations of the terrorist organization with the PYD and behind-the-scenes of the US forces have been repeated in the past in Al-Tabqa west of Raqqa, allowing ISIS to withdraw without fight.

Raqqa battle is considered to be the most important in fighting ISIS, but the fall of the city does not mean the end of the organization that continues to control large areas in Syria and Iraq and has an extensive presence in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, the Philippines and Somalia. The battle will lead to the loss of thousands of civilians as a result of conflicts, but mainly of air raids by the International Coalition. These victims will be used by ISIS to increase the rage of Muslim youth and hence the terrorist acts in the West. So we will find ourselves in front of the worst.

* I always use the original name of Aleppo, which is Halab. An ancient city like Halab should not be renamed according to western languages. Ancient Hellenes (Greeks) called it Halyvon which derives from the Hellenic word for steel (halyvas) and probably originates from the ancient Amorite word halab (also meaning steel). Even in modern Hellenic (Greek) language, it is called Halepi. Forging history is a common practice of the West, and we all experience it. As a Hellene, I do not intend to be part of it.