Last ISIS stronghold captured

Syrian Democratic Forces declared the "total liberation" of the Syrian city of Raqqa, which for more than three years was the de facto capital of ISIS.

Speaking at a ceremony held to celebrate the capture of Raqqa, Syrian Defense Forces spokesman Talal Silo claimed a "historic victory" over ISIS and said the extremist group had suffered a "brutal" defeat.

On October 17, a coalition military spokesman,  Col. Ryan Dillon, said more than 90% of Raqqa has been cleared, and about 100 militants remain inside the city. 

The SDF launched its offensive on Raqqa on June 6. 

A military observer of the TASS news agency, retired Colonel Viktor Litovkin, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, explained that neither the liberation of Raqqa, nor even the complete expulsion of terrorists from the territory of the country does not mean the end of the Syrian crisis.

"First, many terrorist groups will dissolve among civilians and commit new terrorist attacks. And until they are completely cleared, the fight against terrorism will not end," he warned.

Second, the expert said, there are too many players in Syria pursuing different interests, accordingly, the establishment of a peaceful life depends on too many factors, for example, on the agreement between the opposition and the government, between the Turks, Kurds, the United States and etc.

The military observer of the TASS news agency expressed the opinion that many players in the Syrian conflict will continue to struggle against the legitimate government of Bashar Assad. "And it is very difficult to predict the result now," the expert assured.

He specified that the Russian troops will not leave Syria in the next 49 years, as Moscow has concluded a corresponding agreement with Damascus. "There are two military bases on the territory of Syria, we need them not only to fight terrorists, but also to ensure that we are present in the region of the Mediterranean and the Middle East and could resist the destructive US policy in this region," he said.

Answering the question about where terrorists can remain in Syria and Iraq, the expert explained that there are enough such places, since there is no continuous front line. "There is Afghanistan, Libya, where the war is still going, and they can go there," Viktor Litovkin concluded.