The ISIS gangs believe that they will go to Paradise "if they die during the Eid", so they attack ferociously, said one of the fighters. But the SDF fighters are aware of the situation and have taken precautions, removing the possibility of an attacking gang member to return again!



As a group of journalists following the operation here, we have to pass through Al Sabahiya and Romaniya neighborhoods to get to the Al Barid neighborhood. The roads to this neighborhood pass through some open lands. Open lands are very dangerous here. Anything could happen. There could be mines, or attacks, or mortar shells can hit. But we will pass through. We have to.

There are no houses where we pass. ISIS assassins could be hiding in the front, or to the left or the right. Fighters trying to cross us through safely continuously warn us that there could be snipers around. We don't fully know how we should act. As we ride on amidst all the warnings and concerns, we somehow make it to the end of the Al Romaniya neighborhood.

We are now in the neighborhood where the war is at its fiercest. Through the night, ISIS gangs attacked this position with bomb-laden vehicles in groups. Many of the gangs in these attacks were killed, but a group of ISIS members were still in the neighborhood when we arrived. The Coalition jets were raining bombs on them. SDF fighters told us that an ammunition warehouse was destroyed in the area with intense explosions. A group was to be formed and sent to the front line, but there was a bit of chaos as all the fighters wanted to go. We could hear the ISIS gangs asking for help from each other. A group of foreign journalists were also with us.



When the clashes intensified, the female Commander named Zilan contacted an Akrep type armored vehicle on the radio and ordered them to “take us back”.



After the Commanders ordered us to be taken to a safe zone, they started giving orders for operations against the gang members stranded in the vicinity. We headed towards the “safe zones” and they headed into battle.



This is Raqqa, there is a great battle here and nobody knows what will happen next. Thousands of men and women have put their lives on the line to gift humanity with a victory. The last words of the fighters who dropped us off at the safe zone were: “Greetings to our people, as we promised, we will prevail.”