Story highlights Marwan Hisham: When locals celebrate the end of ISIS' brutal rule, they should be assured that they can finally live in peace

Marwan Hisham is a Syrian journalist who reported from the city of Raqqa until January 2016. He now lives in Istanbul and writes for a number of international publications.

(CNN) Three weeks ago, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announced the beginning of the long-anticipated offensive to take over ISIS' de facto capital, Raqqa. Since then, the coalition of Kurdish and Arab militias -- spearheaded by the YPG Kurdish militant group -- has achieved a slow but steady advance, capturing villages as close as 19 miles from the city.

The people of Raqqa, who've been living under the brutal rule of ISIS for over two years now, know that they want the militants out of their city. But what the predominantly Sunni Arab population is not sure of is whether they want the Kurds and other militias anywhere close.

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When I was in Raqqa last January, people were gossiping about a possible offensive involving the Kurds. Ali al-Jasem (not his real name), a friend of mine and a former ISIS prison detainee -- guilty of using his cellphone to film the aftermath of an attack -- was thrilled at the possibility of the coalition taking over the city from ISIS. He believed ISIS' days were numbered. In July 2015, the Kurdish forces liberated his hometown, Serrin, a village near Tishreen dam. "They treated people just fine, believe me," he told me. "They only went after suspected Daesh members."

But as with most Syrians, the residents of Raqqa are polarized over many issues, including the Kurdish-led coalition. And as a proof of how dramatic the division could be, the very same coalition al-Jasem supports had killed his own cousin, who worked as a photographer on the front lines for the ISIS propaganda Amaq Agency. Al-Jasem felt no sorrow for his cousin's fate. He eventually snuck out of this crazy place at the first opportunity.

With both the Mosul and Raqqa offensives underway, and as ISIS begins to shrink, all eyes are focused on the post-ISIS era. Both cities, like the rest of ISIS territory, are inhabited by a Sunni Arab majority, which is under-represented in the coalition forces and is often blamed for the atrocities committed by the jihadist group, who dubs itself as a champion of the Sunni cause. The fact that ISIS fighters tend to hide among civilians and use them as human shields makes it harder to distinguish between a fighter and a civilian.

JUST WATCHED Plan to seize ISIS 'capital' Raqqa announced Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Plan to seize ISIS 'capital' Raqqa announced 02:07

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