The Islamic State group's former Syrian stronghold Raqa has been captured, but it lies ruined, littered with explosives, and lacking electricity or running water for residents desperate to return.
Aid groups and the United Nations say clearing and rebuilding what was once the jihadist group's de facto Syrian capital will be a massive, expensive effort, and it could be monthsRead more
The US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance waging the more than four-month-old battle to wrest the Syrian city of Raqa from jihadists was engaged Monday in its toughest fighting yet, a spokeswoman said.
"The Syrian Democratic Forces are currently waging their toughest battles yet," said Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the operation launched in early June to retake the Islamic State group's one-timeRead more