Kinan Sultan, Baladi News
The "Civil Forum" in al-Raqqa, which is a gathering of activists from the province of al-Raqqa, said that the militias of the Syrian Democratic Forces are trying to achieve a media victory that goes with the barbaric campaign of killing and destruction it follows during its campaign against the city of al-Raqqa under the pretext of liberating it from ISIS.
The forum, which is based in the Turkish city of Urfa, said in a statement published today that "what is happening in al-Raqqa before the eyes of the world is not a war against ISIS, nor a fight against terrorists; but rather it is a war against unarmed helpless civilians, especially that (SDF) has opened corridors for ISIS militants to escape or helped them to move to other places".
The statement added that the city of al-Raqqa has been witnessing artillery, missile, and aerial bombardment by SDF and the international coalition warplanes for two weeks and the number of casualties is on the rise. The statement also stressed on that what the incoming forces want after all this bombardment is a mere media victory that accompanies their campaign of destruction and killing.
The forum called upon protecting the civilians by opening secure corridors for those wishing to leave the areas of clashes and stopping the indiscriminate bombardment as it will lead to more casualties. The forum also called on providing food and medical needs for the stranded civilians and establishing camps to contain the fugitives coming from the areas of confrontation as well as facilitating the entry of relief and medical organizations.
It's worth mentioning that "SDF" militias backed by the international coalition have declared today in a press conference launching the battle of controlling the city of al-Raqqa.