A U.S.-backed Syrian force declared victory over ISIS in the terror group’s former de facto capital of Raqqa.
“We proudly announce today from the heart of the city of Raqqa the victory of our forces in the major battle to defeat the ISIS terror organization, which we defeated in the capital of its alleged caliphate,” the Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement in Arabic on Friday.
Raqqa, nestled on the northern bank of the Euphrates River in Syria, fell into the hands of ISIS militants in 2014 and became the heart of their self-declared Islamic caliphate.
Friday’s proclaimed victory comes after weeks of fighting between ISIS and the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias backed by the U.S., with entire neighborhoods of the backwater city now in ruin.
The destruction in Raqqa adds to the wider damage from the Syrian civil war that is now in its seventh year.
Half of Syria’s population is displaced either within the country’s borders or abroad. More than 5 million Syrians meanwhile lack access basic supplies and services, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
ABC News’ Lena Masri contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
