Haunting images have emerged of war-torn Raqqa after the expulsion of ISIS.
In scenes eerily reminiscent of Berlin after the Allied Invasion of Germany in 1945, skeletal buildings and burnt-out cars line deserted streets.
One shot shows a Syrian youth on the back of a scooter filming the devastation around him on his mobile phone. In another, shocked people emerge from cars to inspect what remains of their city.
Devastated: A photo from a drone video shows damaged buildings in Raqqa, Syria, two days after Syrian Democratic Forces said the military operations to oust the Islamic State group have ended and their fighters have taken full control of the city
Haunting: The scenes are eerily reminiscent of the wrecked streets of Berlin after the Allied Invasion of Germany in 1945
The only trace of the group is a lone ISIS flag fluttering in the wind on top of a burnt out building.
The photos were taken just days after the Syrian city was liberated from the terrorist group by Kurdish-led forces.
For three years, Raqqa saw some of ISIS’s worst abuses and grew into one of its main governance hubs, a centre for both its potent propaganda machine and its unprecedented experiment in jihadist statehood.
On Friday Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) formally announced the city’s liberation from Islamic State after four months of battles and said it would be part of a decentralized federal Syria.
A haunting photo shows a bombed-out vehicle on a street in Raqqa after the city was liberated from ISIS
Defeated: The only trace of ISIS’s presence is a lone flag fluttering in the wind on top of a burnt out building (top right)
Eeerie: A Syrian youth on the back of a scooter films the devastation around him on his mobile phone
Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) formally announced the city’s liberation from Islamic State after four months of battles and said it would be part of a decentralized federal Syria. Pictured: Heavily damaged buildings in Raqqa
For three years, Raqa saw some of ISIS’s worst abuses and grew into one of its main governance hubs, a centre for both its propaganda machine and its unprecedented experiment in jihadist statehood. Pictured: A bombed street in the city
‘Together, our forces have liberated the entire city from ISIS control,’ Trump said in a statement.
‘The defeat of ISIS in Raqqa represents a critical breakthrough in our worldwide campaign to defeat ISIS and its wicked ideology. With the liberation of ISIS’s capital and the vast majority of its territory, the end of the ISIS caliphate is in sight.’
Trump said the U.S. campaign against Islamic State, which was launched by his predecessor Barack Obama, would soon enter a new phase, in which the United States would ‘support local security forces, de-escalate violence across Syria, and advance the conditions for lasting peace, so that the terrorists cannot return to threaten our collective security again.’
‘Together, with our allies and partners, we will support diplomatic negotiations that end the violence, allow refugees to return safely home, and yield a political transition that honors the will of the Syrian people,’ he said.
Trump’s statement made no mention of the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He also did not spell out how the United States would support local security forces.
A White House spokesman said U.S. policy towards Assad ‘remains the same.’
Ghost-town: Trump said the U.S. campaign against Islamic State, which was launched by his predecessor Barack Obama, would soon enter a new phase, in which the United States would ‘support local security forces, de-escalate violence across Syria, and advance the conditions for lasting peace
The fight against Islamic State has taken place amid a wider, multi-sided civil war between Assad’s government, which is backed by Iran and Russia, and an array of rebel groups supported by other powers, including the United States
U.S. officials have said Assad has no future governing Syria and U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said last month a stable Syria was not possible while he remained in place.
The fight against Islamic State has taken place amid a wider, multi-sided civil war between Assad’s government, which is backed by Iran and Russia, and an array of rebel groups supported by other powers, including the United States.
Experts believe the defeat of ISIS at Raqqa may only be the start of a wider struggle by the United States to contain any insurgency launched by the militant group and to stabilize the region, as Washington grapples with defining a comprehensive strategy in Syria.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France’s military would continue its fight against Islamic State in Syria, but that the fall of the militant group’s bastion in Raqqa needed to lead to an inclusive political system to restore stability.
Experts believe the defeat of ISIS at Raqqa may only be the start of a wider struggle by the United States to contain any insurgency launched by the militant group and to stabilize the region, as Washington grapples with defining a comprehensive strategy in Syria
French President Emmanuel Macron said France’s military would continue its fight against Islamic State in Syria, but that the fall of the militant group’s bastion in Raqqa needed to lead to an inclusive political system to restore stability
Nothing left: A street lined with skeletal buildings and rubble lies completely deserted in the city
In shock: Shocked people emerge from their vehicles to inspect what remains of their city after the bombing
A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by US special forces, holds up their flag at the iconic Al-Naim square in Raqqa
Fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) walk down a street in Raqqa past destroyed vehicles and heavily damaged buildings on Friday