Series Of Mysterious Explosions Rocked Raqqa City

Raqqa. IMAGE: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters

Late on July 14, a series of four explosions rocked the city of Raqqa, which is controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the explosions were caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Three of the IEDs exploded inside an abandoned building in the al-Tub al-Hadith district in Raqqa’s city center. The fourth IED exploded in al-Jazzrah district in the western part of the city.

“No information on any human losses has been received, thus far,” the monitoring group said.

There was no immediate claims for the simultaneous IED attacks. The SDF’s security forces, Asayish, has not made any statement on the issue, thus far.

ISIS, whose cells are active in Raqqa, could be behind the attacks. Another suspects are government supporters, who are known for carrying such harmless attacks in the city from time to time as a form of protest.

The SDF, backed by the U.S.-led coalition, liberated Raqqa from ISIS in 2017 in a fierce battle that left most of the city in ruins. To this day, the city has not been fully secured or rebuilt.

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