US-Led Coalition Intends to Block Foreign Daesh Militants Inside Raqqa

CAIRO (Sputnik) — The US-led international coalition against the terrorists will not allow foreign Daesh militants to leave the Syrian city of Raqqa, the spokesman for the US-led international coalition, Colonel Ryan Dillon said on Sunday.

"The only option for such militants is to surrender," Dillon told the Sky News Arabiya channel.

The spokesperson added that a total of 275 Daesh terrorists were allowed to leave the city by agreement with local authorities controlling several areas of Raqqa.

Earlier, the US-led coalition announced that an agreement has been reached to evacuate civilians from Raqqa. After a convoy with evacuees left the former "capital" of Daesh terrorist group, the final battle with remaining terrorists began. Reuters reported citing a militia spokesman that 275 Daesh fighters from Syria left Raqqa, according to the agreement, while 200-300 militants mostly of foreign origin remained in the city.

A source in the Syrian Democratic Forces that are conducting the Raqqa operation on the ground with the coalition's support, told Sputnik on Friday that the city is set to be liberated from militants within 2-3 days. The source added that the strength of the terrorists is running out; their defeats in Raqqa have undermined their morale and prevent them from fighting back.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is currently in talks with the Daesh in order to negotiate the safe evacuation of civilians, as the terrorists demand to be provided with a corridor to leave Raqqa.

Raqqa was declared the Daesh capital in 2014 and has been controlled by the terrorists ever since. In December, the SDF, backed by the coalition, announced an operation to liberate the city from the Daesh.