DAMASCUS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have taken control of 90 percent of the Syria's northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Wednesday.
Heavily backed by the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition, the SDF, an alliance of Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian fighters led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units, have been advancing against IS militants in Raqqa during the three-month offensive to drive out the terror group from the city.
Activists suggest the city could fall within a few days if the Kurdish-led group kept up the momentum.
The SDF announced the beginning of the battles to liberate Raqqa Province on Nov. 6, 2016, capturing areas in the countryside of the capital city to isolate IS.
But June 6 this year marked the intrusion part of the battles into the heartland of IS in the city of Raqqa, which was declared by IS as its de facto capital in 2014.
Since then, the SDF have captured key areas on the western and eastern flanks of the city, and recently laid full siege to all exits.
