The battle for Raqqa explained Unless there is an effective transition of power and a legitimate government in place, ISIL will continue to exist.

The battle for Raqqa explained

Unless there is an effective transition of power and a legitimate government in place, ISIL will continue to exist.



Gaziantep, Turkey -  It has been more than a year and a half since the operation to retake Raqqa from the ISIL group was launched, but the offensive on the city still has not begun. 
In fact, there seems to be a great deal of confusion internationally about whether the battle for Raqqa will be launched soon or not.
On Friday, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the operation to capture the city from ISIL will start within days. On Saturday, Russian defence ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said that the United States is unlikely to launch an offensive soon and called Le Drian's words "rosy slogans".
Earlier last week, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the United States' closest ally in Syria , announced that it will launch the battle for Raqqa within two weeks. On Sunday, the SDF said  that they captured the Tabqa airbase, 45km west of Raqqa. Media  reportshave also suggested that the US is likely to wait until after Turkey's referendum, scheduled for April 16, to launch the offensive.

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