AhlulBayt News Agency - US has warned the residents of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the ISIS, to leave the city as a major offensive is imminent.
On Friday, US warplanes dropped leaflets over Raqqa in Syria, as they are now reportedly in negotiations with the Syrian forces and other partners to finally launch an offensive to liberate Raqqa from IS.
Pentagon officials have confirmed the report to The Daily Beast, saying “It’s a part of our mess-with-them campaign.”
“The time you have been waiting for has come, the time to leave Raqqa” reads one of the leaflets.
The leaflets come after IS declared a state of emergency last week as it is fearing the loss of its de facto capital.
According to Russian media, IS is now forbidding the civilians from leaving Raqqa and they are preparing to resist the major offensives.
Abu Mohammed, an activist, told The Telegraph that IS fighters were also increasingly using residents as human shields against the coalition airstrikes. “Their positions used to be clear but since the beginning of the air campaign against them, they've started to resort to hiding among civilians,” says the source.
Over the border, the, Iraqi air forces dropped leaflets over Gayara district near Mosul on Thursday to assure the residents about the liberation of their area soon.
The leaflets also urged civilians to flee or stay away from the IS headquarters and military positions as they are likely to come under the airstrikes.
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