US-backed Syria forces battle IS in Raqa Old City
US-backed fighters fought pitched battles Sunday with Islamic State group jihadists inside their Syria bastion Raqa, an AFP correspondent said. The Syrian Democratic Forces, the Arab-Kurd alliance, first entered Raqa two months ago and have since captured more than half of the northern city, but their progress has met fierce resistance from IS. On Sunday, the two sides battled inside Raqa's Old City, trading volleys of mortar rounds and heavy machinegun fire, said the correspondent who was on the outskirts of the historic centre.