Kurdish-Led SDF Take Control Over Strategic Highway Between Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa

The units of the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance gained control of a highway leading from Raqqa, Daesh's de facto capital, to Deir ez-Zor, cutting off an escape route for terrorists, the SDF press service said Monday.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) – On Sunday, the Kurdish-led SDF liberated a Syrian town east of Raqqa from Daesh terrorist group as an operation to retake the Syrian city is underway.

"Our troops cut off the road between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in the ‘Wrath of Euphrates’ operation," the press service said on Twitter.

#BREAKING Syrian Democratic Forces #SDF cut off main routes between 2 main #ISIS stongholds in #Raqqa and Deir Ezor. Push on Raqqa continues

— Syrian Observer (@SyrianObserver5) 6 марта 2017 г.

The Operation Euphrates Rage aimed at liberating Raqqa from Daesh was launched by the SDF on November 5, 2016.

The SDF was formed in 2015 as the defense force of northern Syria's de facto autonomous Rojava federation and is supported by the US-led coalition. The group is among the forces fighting Daesh and brings together Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and Turkmen fighters, among others.

Daesh captured Raqqa in January 2014 and the city has served as its center of operations since.

The Syrian government-held city of Deir Ez-Zor has been under siege from Daesh since July 2014.