One Year After ISIS 'Defeat', Syria's Raqqa Still in Fear

A member of Raqqa's Internal Security Forces mans a checkpoint at the entrance of the Syrian city that was ruled by ISIS until a year ago | AFP
A member of Raqqa's Internal Security Forces mans a checkpoint at the entrance of the Syrian city that was ruled by ISIS until a year ago | AFP
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One Year After ISIS 'Defeat', Syria's Raqqa Still in Fear

A member of Raqqa's Internal Security Forces mans a checkpoint at the entrance of the Syrian city that was ruled by ISIS until a year ago | AFP
A member of Raqqa's Internal Security Forces mans a checkpoint at the entrance of the Syrian city that was ruled by ISIS until a year ago | AFP

A year after a US-backed alliance of Syrian fighters drove the ISIS terrorist group from the northern city of Raqqa, traumatized civilians still live in fear of near-daily bombings.

"Every day we wake up to the sound of an explosion," said resident Khaled al-Darwish.

"We're scared to send our children to school... there's no security," he added.

The hardliners' brutal rule in Raqqa was brought to an end in October 2017 after a months-long ground offensive by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces supported by air strikes from a US-led coalition.

But despite manning roadblocks at every street corner, the SDF and the city's newly created Internal Security Forces are struggling to stem infiltration by ISIS sleeper cells.

At Raqqa's entrance, soldiers verify drivers' identity papers and carefully sift through lorry cargoes.

Inside the city, there are regular foot patrols and armored vehicles sit at strategic points.

Women wearing the niqab are asked to show their faces to female security members before entering public buildings.

"If there wasn't fear about a return of ISIS, there wouldn't be this increased military presence," said Darwish, a father of two, speaking near the infamous Paradise Square.

It was here that ISIS carried out decapitations and other brutal punishments, earning the intersection a new name -- "the roundabout of hell".

While the nightmare of extremist rule may be gone, most of the city still lies in ruins and there are near-daily attacks on checkpoints and military vehicles, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Although a series of stinging defeats have cut ISIS's so-called caliphate down to desert hideouts, militants still manage to hit beyond the patches of ground they overtly control.

Some Raqqa residents say the city's new security forces lack the expertise to cope.

"We are exhausted. Every day we don't know if we will die in a bomb explosion or if we will go home safe and sound," said Abu Younes, sitting in his supermarket near a roundabout not far from Paradise Square.

"There is no security -- (the new security forces) on the roadblocks are not qualified and there is a lot of negligence," he complained.

"There are faults that enable ISIS to infiltrate the city easily and carry out attacks."

But despite the continued attacks, a semblance of normal life has returned to the city.

Shops have reopened and traffic has returned to major roads -- albeit choked by the impromptu checkpoints.

In a public garden, children climb up a multi-colored slide and onto dilapidated swings as their mothers sit on nearby benches carefully keeping watch.

They are set amidst an apocalyptic backdrop of twisted metal and splayed balconies -- the remnants of buildings torn apart by US-led coalition air raids.

Nearby, Ahmed al-Mohammed pauses as he listens to music on his phone. Like others, he does not hide his disquiet.

"We're scared because of the presence of ISIS members in the city," the 28-year-old said.

"The security forces need to tighten their grip."

Ahmed Khalaf, who commands Raqqa's Internal Security Forces, defended the work of his men and claimed successes against the jihadists.

He said patrols are highly organized and that a "joint operation cell" had recently been established with coalition forces to monitor the city's security.

"Recently we arrested four (extremists) -- it was a cell that took part in attacks that terrorized the city," said Khalaf, sporting plain green fatigues.

"We are continuing our investigation to uncover the other cells," he added.

"Daesh's goal is to destroy the country and to not let anyone live in safety," he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.

Security and stability are what Najla al-Ahmed wants most for her children.

"The nightmare of ISIS follows us everywhere -- whenever we try to rest, explosions start up again," said the 36-year-old, as she shopped with her young ones.

"The war has worn us out. Us and our children. It has destroyed our future," she said.



Lacking Aid, Syrians Do What They Can to Rebuild Devastated Aleppo 

A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)
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Lacking Aid, Syrians Do What They Can to Rebuild Devastated Aleppo 

A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)

Moussa Hajj Khalil is among many Syrians rebuilding their homes from the rubble of the historic and economically important city of Aleppo, as Syria's new leaders struggle to kick-start large-scale reconstruction efforts.

Aleppo, Syria's second largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was deeply scarred by more than a decade of war between government and opposition forces, suffering battles, a siege, Russian air strikes and barrel bomb attacks.

Now, its people are trying to restore their lives with their own means, unwilling to wait and see if the efforts of Syria's new government to secure international funding come to fruition.

"Nobody is helping us, no states, no organizations," said Khalil, 65, who spent seven years in a displacement camp in al-Haramain on the Syrian-Turkish border.

Impoverished residents have "come and tried to restore a room to stay in with their children, which is better than life in camps," he said, as he observed workers repairing his destroyed home in Ratyan, a suburb in northwestern Aleppo.

Khalil returned alone a month ago to rebuild the house so he can bring his family back from the camp.

Aleppo was the first major city seized by the opposition when they launched an offensive to topple then-leader Bashar al-Assad in late November.

Assad was ousted less than two weeks later, ending a 14-year war that killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions and left much of Syria in ruins.

'DOING WHAT WE CAN'

While Syria lobbies for sanctions relief, the grassroots reconstruction drive is gaining momentum and providing work opportunities.

Contractors labor around the clock to meet the growing demand, salvaging materials like broken blocks and cement found between the rubble to repair homes.

"There is building activity now. We are working lots, thank God!" Syrian contractor Maher Rajoub said.

But the scale of the task is huge.

The United Nations Development Program is hoping to deliver $1.3 billion over three years to support Syria, including by rebuilding infrastructure, its assistant secretary-general told Reuters earlier this month.

Other financial institutions and Gulf countries have made pledges to help Syria, but are hampered by US sanctions.

The United States and other Western countries have set conditions for lifting sanctions, insisting that Syria's new rulers demonstrate a commitment to peaceful and inclusive rule.

A temporary suspension of some US sanctions to encourage aid has had limited effect, leaving Aleppo's residents largely fending for themselves.

"We lived in the camps under the sun and the heat," said Mustafa Marouch, a 50-year-old vegetable shop owner. "We returned and are doing what we can to fix our situation."