GETTY Russia has suggested teaming up with the US to drive ISIS out of Raqqa

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Jihadis declared Raqqa was their defacto capital when they rolled into the city in 2013. Since then, the terror group has shocked the world with its public executions and brutal punishments carried out in the once thriving city. The terror group has filmed many of its atrocities which range from people being beheaded to others being pushed off high buildings before sharing the images on social media.

Now a large-scale offensive is underway to clear the city of the ISIS scourge and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said a co-ordinated approach between the US and Russia would be more effective. Mr Lavrov called for the two superpowers to team and co-ordinate air bombardments and boots on the ground for maximum impact.

He said: “The Liberation of] Raqqa is undoubtedly one of the goals of the anti-terror coalition, as well as the Iraqi city of Mosul. “Right now there is a chance that such coordination will take place.

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“We believe that the Russian air-space forces and those of the US-led coalition should work in a synchronised and coordinated manner and help those on the ground actually confronting terrorist squads.” The US-backed Kurdish-led forces have already begun recapturing the area north of Raqqa from IS terrorists.

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Colonel Steve Warren, Baghdad-based US military spokesman, said: “The Syrian Democratic Forces have begun operations to clear the northern countryside, so this is putting pressure on Raqqa. Col Warren said that between 3,000 and 5,000 ISIS fighters are currently in Raqqa and it was not clear when an assault on the city itself would be launched.

The fight against ISIS Fri, November 18, 2016 The battle against ISIS militants (also abbreviated as Daesh, ISIL, IS and Islamic State) continues in the Middle East. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 183 Forces battle against ISIS