Baladi News – (Kinan Sultan)
Assad's regime forces have captured significant areas in al-Raqqa southern and southeastern country sides over the past two months.
However, the advance achieved was accompanied by a lot of violations, including looting, blocking the roads for escapees, and stealing cattle and camel herds.
In this regard, Ahmad Adel, a media worker at the local Euphrates Post foundation, said, "With the approach of battles to ISIS-held al-Raqqa city, shelling in al-Raqqa countryside intensified, and particularly in al-Sabkha, Zor, Shummar, and Ma'dan areas, where massacres were perpetrated against civilians."
"Some residents tried to escape towards the regime-held areas, but were stopped at a checkpoint of the so-called Clans' Army, led by Turki al- Bu Hamad, where they were stripped of their valuables, motorcycles, vehicles, and 500 camels that they had been able to protect from the shelling," the speaker said.
A private source emphasized to Baladi News that the soldiers at the checkpoint raped four women who had escaped along with their children after holding them in al-Raqqa southern countryside.
The source added that two of the women parted with life after the assault amid concerns that such violations could be repeated at a larger scale after controlling the area.
Assad's regime forces declared the capture of Ghanem al-Ali village in the eastern countryside of al-Raqqa on Saturday, which would allow them to advance eastwards in order to reach Deir ez – Zour province.