Time to liberate Raqqa from Daesh: paper
Date
6/26/2016 5:44:20 AM
(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 26th June, 2016 (WAM) -- The good point in the war against terrorism, is that Daesh is on the receiving end.
An editorial in today''s edition of the English language daily, Khaleej Times, says that Kurd and Arab fighters, with strategic input from the US forces, have successfully advanced into Manbij in northern Syria.
"This move," the paper says, "could be of immense importance in their attempt to retake Raqqa, a key route between the Turkish border and Daesh-controlled areas in Syria. This development has come close on the heels of successes in Fallujah by the Iraqi security forces, who have been able to liberate the city from Daesh''s clutches. With Iraqi troops marching ahead towards Mosul, the last fort of Daesh, and the Kurds battering the dreaded militia in northern Syria, the region could soon heave a sigh of relief from the terror nexus."
The paper continues, "The battle for Raqqa has been going on for quite some time but without any major success. The strategic city acts as a lifeline for Daesh. Through it, the terror group manages to operate deep inside Turkey and Iraq, which is why the Kurds'' inhabited territories had seen suicide attacks and door-to-door fighting from Daesh. This is where the US-led coalition of Western and Arab states should play a pivotal role in nailing down Daesh, and severing its supply routes. If that is done, then the terror group will also lose the channel through which fresh recruits reach it on the borders of Turkey and Syria.
The Kurds and other Arab fighters need to take extra precaution as reports say that the entire zone has been booby-trapped. What is needed is target-precision air support to push back the militia, and retake the entire area from Manbij to Raqqa."
The paper concludes by saying that in other words, "This will be the psychological extermination of Daesh and provide the local forces with an added impetus to act against its affiliate groups. Iraq, Syria and Turkey should share their intelligence notes and make a consolidated effort to annihilate the terror group."
WAM/Moran