Pentagon: ISIS Declares State Of Emergency In Raqqa

Pentagon officials are examining reports that ISIS has declared a state of emergency in Raqqa, Syria, the city that they named as their capital.

“We have seen this declaration of emergency in Raqqa, whatever that means,” Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, told reporters on May 13, according to CNN. “We know this enemy feels threatened, as they should.”

The radical Islamist group, which government officials commonly refer to as ISIL or the Islamic State, is reportedly moving its forces throughout the city and working to protect its capital from airstrikes and gunfire.

“They see the Syrian Democratic Forces, along with the Syrian Arab Coalition, maneuver both to their east and to their west,” Warren said. “Both of these areas [are] becoming increasingly secure, and the Syrian Democratic Forces [are] increasingly able to generate their own combat power in those areas.”

U.S. military officials have also credited the anti-ISIS movement’s advancement to fighters planted throughout Raqqa; these people have reportedly assisted with surveillance so that aircraft can identify and target ISIS members.

“We’ve had reports of ISIL repositioning both their combat capabilities, I guess what they think may be coming next,” Warren said. “And we’ve seen reports of them repositioning personnel … either within the city or even out of the city.”

Though officials have not announced the whereabouts of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, several of those connected with the effort reportedly believe he remains in or near Raqqa. However, the U.S. continues to monitor any potential reports that suggest he may have moved away from the area.

One defense official told CNN that “Baghdadi remains extremely careful” in regards to his security, while U.S. forces continue to search throughout the region for him.

However, like most other ISIS leaders who the U.S. has killed in 2016, eliminating Baghdadi would not significantly hinder ISIS operations; officials believe there are others prepared to assume his role.

The news comes as Tajir Kobani, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced earlier in May that SDF groups in Northern Syria have finalized plans to completely liberate Raqqa from ISIS, according to the Independent.

Sources: CNN, The Independent / Photo Credit: Bertramz/Wikimedia Commons