Bali said only Syrian Islamic State fighters had left in the convoy. Neither said how many fighters had evacuated or how many remained in the tiny, bomb-cratered patch of Raqqa still held by Islamic State. The SDF’s decision to hasten the battle’s end by allowing Islamic State fighters to leave Raqqa was at odds with the stated wishes of the US-led coalition that backs the militias with air strikes and special forces. But we have to respect their solutions.”Bali described the civilians who left with Islamic State fighters in the convoy as human shields. In previous evacuations, including by Islamic State, civilians who departed usually included family members of the fighters.

Source: bd News24 October 15, 2017 09:00 UTC