From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
US says coalition preparing to retake Raqqa from IS
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleDefense Secretary Ash Carter says the US-led coalition is laying groundwork for the start of the operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State militants. Carter insists there is no delay in the operation.
Carter is speaking alongside French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian after a meeting with 11 other defense chiefs to discuss the progress of the campaign to defeat the Islamic State group.
European leaders, including the French, have expressed worries that the battle to retake Raqqa hasn’t begun yet. There are fears that IS leaders will continue to plot and inspire attacks, like the ones that rocked France and Brussels.in the past year.
Raqqa, in northern Syria, is an Islamic State stronghold, along with the Iraqi city of Mosul.
— AP
The Times of Israel Community.