Operation Featherweight: Month 38, Week 3, Day 3.

On November 6th 2016 (6/11/16) the US-led coalition Combined Joint Task Force: Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTFOIR) under the direction of former US President Barack Obama pressured the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launch an operation to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The SDF is a coalition of Syrian Kurdish, Christian, Turkmen and Arab forces. Its Arab elements which make up around 50% of the total force is a combination of fragments of the now defunct Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Arab tribal forces indigenous to northern Syria.

Raqqa is a city which sits on the Euphrates River. It is located around 200km (120 miles) west of Syria's border with Iraq and around 100km (60 miles) south of Syria's border with Turkey. It has functioned as ISIL's de facto capital in Syria.

At the time Obama forced the SDF to launch their Raqqa operation the SDF were actually located quite far away from Raqqa. As such the first stage of the operation was for the SDF to advance towards Raqqa. This occurred in three phases.

The first phase saw the SDF advance south towards Raqqa from their positions at the town of Ayn Issa. This is located around 70km (40 miles) north of Raqqa.

Launched on November 6th 2016 (6/11/16) this first phase was completed on November 26th 2016 (26/11/16) with the SDF taking up positions some 25km (15 miles) north of Raqqa.

The second phase saw the SDF advance along the Euphrates from the town of Sarrin. This is located around 35km (20 miles) south of Syria's border with Turkey and around 105km (60 miles) north-west of Raqqa.

Launched on December 10th 2016 (10/12/16) this second phase was completed on January 7th 2017 (7/1/17) with the SDF taking up positions close to the Tabqa Dam on Lake Assad. Formed out of the Euphrates River by the Tabqa Dam Lake Assad is located roughly 40km (25 miles) west of Raqqa.

The third phase saw the SDF advance east of Raqqa to cut it off from Deir-ez-Zour. This is the next largest city in the Euphrates River basin around 120km (70 miles) south-east of Raqqa.

Launched on February 4th 2017 (4/2/17) this was completed on March 19th (19/3/17) with the SDF taking up positions at al-Karamah. This is located roughly 30km (20 miles) south-east of Raqqa and around 90km (55 miles) north-west of Deir-ez-Zour.

On March 22nd (22/3/17) the SDF launched an operation to liberate both the town of Tabqa and the Tabqa Dam. This was completed on May 11th (11/5/17).
 
On June 6th (6/6/17) the operation to liberate Raqqa itself was begun.

This saw the SDF enter Raqqa in three directions; North, West and East. At the same time the SDF swept west-to-east from Tabqa along the southern bank of the Euphrates in order to isolate Raqqa from the main body of Syria.

The SDF's northern axis task was to liberate the former Syrian military - Division 17 - base to the north of the city. This task was completed on or around August 1st (1/8/17). Since then the northern axis has maintained a holding pattern.

The SDF's western axis entered the city via the Jazra suburb on June 6th (6/6/17).  By July 3rd (3/7/17) the western axis had succeeded in completely liberating the Sabahiya, Romaniyah, al-Qadisiyyah and al-Hattin districts and parts of the an-Nadah and al-Baryd districts. These all sit on the western outskirts of Raqqa.

The SDF's eastern axis began by entering the Mashlab district at the most south-easterly tip of Raqqa on June 6th (6/6/17). By June 17th (17/6/17) it had succeeded in liberating the Mashlab, al-Sinaa and Bitani districts. These all sit on the eastern outskirts of Raqqa.

On July 2nd (2/7/17) the eastern axis entered the Hisham Abdulmalik district at the very south of Raqqa on the banks of the Euphrates. Having liberated the Yarmouk district on July 17th (17/7/17) the western axis entered the Shahada district. This also sits at the very south of Raqqa directly adjacent to the Hisham Abdulmalik district.

On August 10th (10/8/17) the SDF were able to declare both the Hisham Abdulmalik and Shahada districts fully liberated. That limited ISIL to just 16 districts in the north and centre of the city.

Before entering the Hisham Abdulmalik district the SDF's eastern axis entered the al-Rawdah district on June 28th (28/6/17). This sits directly north-west of the Bitani district and directly north of the Old City district.

Alongside fighting in the Hisham Abdulmalik and al-Rawdah districts the eastern axis also entered the Old City district of Raqqa on July 6th (6/7/17). This sits directly west of the al-Sinaa and Bitani districts and directly north of the Hisham Abdulmalik district.

The Old City district is made up of four main neighbourhoods. Running clockwise from the north-east these are; Madi, Rafiqa, Rashid and Mansur.

On August 13th (13/8/17) the SDF liberated the Madi and Rafiqa neighbourhoods. This left just the westerly Rashid and Mansur neighbourhoods remaining under ISIL's control.

On August 22nd (22/8/17) the SDF's eastern axis succeeded in liberating the Rashid neighbourhood of the Old City district. This left just the north-westerly Mansur district under ISIL's control.

On Saturday, September 2nd (2/9/17) the SDF's axis liberated the Mansur neighbourhood.

This includes the Great Mosque of Raqqa which was built under the Abbasid Empire in the 8th Century. Unlike the Grand Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul it was liberated before ISIL could destroy it.

The liberation of the Mansur neighbourhood means that all of Raqqa's Old City has been liberated by the SDF.

The SDF's eastern axis also continues to make progress in al-Rawdah district.

In this type of urban warfare it is extremely difficult to be precise over how much progress has been made. In many no part of the city is fully liberated until they have all been liberated.

However the SDF seem to only need to liberate the most south-westerly quadrant of al-Rawdah district sitting directly north of the Mansur neighbourhood of the Old City district before they can declare al-Rawdah district liberated.

Directly to the west of the Old City district you have what is believed to be ISIL's main headquarters within Raqqa.

This stretches across several districts including al-Baytra, Hanah, Amin and what is known as the Security Box. It is perhaps better defined by landmarks such as Harun al-Rashid Gardens, April 7th Park, the National Hospital and the football stadium.

On June 28th (28/6/17) the SDF's western axis entered the an-Nadah district. This sits directly south of the al-Bayrd district and directly east of the Hattin district.

Alongside liberating the Shahada district they have continued to advance in the Nadah district. This includes liberating the Karim district directly to the south on August 6th (6/8/17).

Although not particularly wide the an-Nadah district is quite long. It stretches almost from the western outskirts of Raqqa down to the Hanah district and the National Hospital.

On August 28th (28/8/17) the SDF's western axis scored a significant strategic victory. Pushing north from the Shahada district they liberated the Children's Hospital complex. A location they first reached from the west on July 24th (24/7/17).

Located at the junction between the Shahada and al-Moroor districts and the Security Box the Children's Hospital complex was one of the key landmarks on the outskirts of what is believed to be ISIL's main headquarters within Raqqa. It had long been used by the group as a military base and command centre.

Having liberated the Children's Hospital complex the SDF have continued to advance north across the al-Moroor district to where it meets the al-Nadah district. They have then advanced along the road separating the al-Moroor and al-Nadah districts to the liberated Karim district.

This has allowed them to divide the al-Moroor and Darayeh districts from the Amin district which is at the centred of what is believed to be ISIL's main headquarters in Raqqa. It has also allowed them to divide the al-Moroor and Darayeh districts from the al-Nadah district.

This means that rather than fighting ISIL in one large area the SDF is now fighting ISIL in three smaller areas. Each of these ISIL controlled areas are largely cut off from each other preventing ISIL from moving reinforcements and supplies between them.

On June 29th (29/6/17) the SDF's west-to-east southern sweep reached the eastern outskirts of Raqqa. This meant that the city was completely cut-off from the main body of Syria.

On July 7th (7/7/17) this southern sweep liberated the village Ukayrishah some 5km (9 miles) south-east of Raqqa. As of July 24th (24/7/17) it had secured positions some 10km (6 miles) south-east of Ukayrishah and roughly 25km (15 miles) south-east of Raqqa.

It was here the operation hit a bit of a snag.

In response to the establishment of the so-called "Astana Zones" the Syrians have been redeploying forces to defeat ISIL within the main body of the country.

This saw them advance first some 280km (170 miles) east from Damascus to al-Tanf on Syria's border with Iraq. Having reached al-Tanf on June 9th (9/6/17) they then advanced 180km (110 miles) north-west to the city of Palmyra. Sitting almost at the exact centre of Syria Palmyra was liberated from ISIL by the Syrians in March 2017.

At the same time the Syrians have been advancing some 80km (50 miles) west from Aleppo City to the Euphrates River. On June 4th (4/6/17) the Syrians liberated the town of Maskanah which sits on the banks of Lake Assad around 90km (50 miles) west of Raqqa.

Having liberated Maskanah - the last ISIL held town in Aleppo Province - the Syrians skirted around the SDF's operations in Tabqa and Raqqa. On July 30th (30/7/17) they liberated the town of Dalhah which sits around 25km (15 miles) south-east of Raqqa. 

This prevented the SDF's southern sweep advancing any further east without the SDF being forced into a second battle against the Syrians themselves.

Having reached Dalhah and Palmyra the Syrian forces have converged on the town of as-Suknah on August 6th (6/8/17). As-Suknah sits around 130km (75 miles) south of Raqqa, 65km (40 miles) north-east of Palmyra and was the last ISIL held town in Homs Province.

Having converged their forces at as-Suknah the Syrians objective now is to advance on the city of Deir-ez-Zour. This sits around 120km (70 miles) south-east of Raqqa and around 120km (70 miles) north-east of as-Suknah. Syrian forces have been besieged by ISIL within Deir-ez-Zour since April 2014.

Over the course of the past three to four days the Syrians have been conducting an operation in the Bishri Mountains. These sit between as-Suknah and Deir-ez-Zour.

Today (4/9/17) the Syrians claim to have liberated the roughly 30km (20 mile) mountains putting them within just 4km (2.5 miles) of their 137th Brigade base.

The 137th Brigade base marks the western boundary of the territory the Syrians continue to control in Deir-ez-Zour. This stretches across the entire south-western section of the city all the way to where the Cemetery meets the H4 Highway.

The Syrians also control a second area to the south-east of the city. This includes Deir-ez-Zour Airport up to the al-Rasafah district.

The entire area of the city north of the Euphrates along with the Old Airport, Hamidiyeh and Jbela districts north of the H4 Highway are under ISIL's control.

On August 26th (26/8/17) the US got the SDF to announce that it intends to conduct an operation against ISIL in Deir-ez-Zour.

This was always going to be complicated. It would require a combined operation with the Syrians already located in the city. Alternatively it would require an operation against both ISIL and the Syrians. Legally and morally that would be extremely hard to justify.

With the Syrians being just 4km (2.5 miles) of open ground away from liberating around 40% of Deir-ez-Zour I think it is now safe to assume that the SDF won't be liberating the city.

While the Syrians were conducting their advance on Deir-ez-Zour they were also conducting a joint operation with the Lebanese military to remove ISIL from a Syria/Lebanon border region known as the Arsal Barrens.

Seeking a swift end to a complex operation on August 28th (28/8/17) the Syrians and Lebanese brokered a deal with ISIL. In return for ISIL handing over the bodies of Lebanese soldiers around 350 ISIL fighters and their families were granted passage from the Arsal Barrens to Deir-ez-Zour.

The US viewed this as an attempt to use those ISIL fighters to block the SDF's advance on Deir-ez-Zour. So they crated the roads between as-Suknah and Deir-ez-Zour blocking the buses carrying ISIL fighters from crossing from Syrian controlled territory to ISIL controlled territory. Those buses remain in place.

This was the US attempting to use those ISIL fighters to block the Syrians advance on Deir-ez-Zour. In order to justify their actions and disguise their intent the US has continued to make up all sorts of scare stories about those fighters travelling to Iraq.

It does not seem to have worked.

16:50 on 4/9/17 (UK date).