The United States-led coalition promised people in Raqqa, Syria, “Freedom will come” on numerous leaflets they dropped on the Islamic State’s (ISIS/ISIL) self-declared capital of their caliphate, which includes Iraq and Syria.
The papers show “dead extremists and their flag turned upside down” Another image includes four Kurdish fighters “with two words in Arabic below translated as ‘Freedom will come.’” Kurdish fighters are currently only 30 miles north of Raqqa.
ISIS did not release a statement about the leaflets as of publication.
The drop comes two days after General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, insisted the US does not need to send more troops to Iraq, since the mission to retake Ramadi “is gaining momentum.”
“I asked the senior leaders point-blank: ‘Are we at the point where, in order to make sure this mission succeeds, that we need to be here in greater numbers and go farther forward?’” he explained. “And the answer was ‘no’.”
The Iraqi military lost control of Ramadi in May. Now the military is attempting to retake the city, where as many as 300 ISIS terrorists live, by surrounding it. Brigadier General Yahea Resool, spokesman for the defense ministry, said the military secured “areas on Ramadi’s outskirts.” But the US-led coalition can only do so much, since they want to protect as many civilians as possible.
“We have very strict guidelines in terms of what we can and cannot do,” said British Brigadier James Learmont.
The coalition performed “eight air strikes around Hasakah,” Syria, over the weekend. The strike “Hit six fighting positions, three vehicles, two weapons caches and a bunker system.” Another strike occurred near Raqqa.
But ISIS hit back in Iraq’s eastern Diyala province. A suicide bombing “killed 115 people at a crowded market.” Two officials said the government fired the police chiefs and three police officers after the incident.
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