Jul 17, 2017

US-backed Syrian rebels are suffering heavy casualties as they attempt to retake the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Raqqa from fighters lodged in tunnels, trenches and other defensive positions, the Pentagon said today.

Despite stiff resistance from improvised explosive devices, car bombs and even drones, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have now entered the Old City of Raqqa, breaking through a seventh-century wall laden with explosives where IS has been holding out. The contingent of Arab and Kurdish soldiers number between 30,000 and 40,000.

Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said casualty numbers are “absolutely” rising in the ongoing battle, now in its sixth week. The Defense Department did not provide any figures behind the loss assessment.

Despite continued losses, Davis said that the Syrian effort to dislodge IS would be sustainable over the long haul. This effort is set to receive an infusion of weapons, vehicles and tactical military gear in the Senate’s new defense spending bill.

“We knew that Raqqa was going to be very hard,” Davis said. “It’s a stop-and-go effort by its very nature.”