About 2,000 Islamic State fighters are estimated to remain in the Syrian city of Raqqa, fighting for their survival in the face of an offensive by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a senior U.S. official said on Friday.
Brett McGurk, U.S. special envoy for the coalition against the Islamic State, said the SDF had cleared about 45 percent of Raqqa since launching an attack in early June to seize the Islamic State's stronghold in northern Syria.
"Today in Raqqa, ISIS is fighting for every last block ... and fighting for their own survival" McGurk told reporters.