The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Command issued a statement on the fifth anniversary of the liberation of Raqqa from ISIS.

The statement said: "Today, 20 October, marks the fifth anniversary of announcing the liberation of Raqqa city, the alleged capital of the terrorist organization of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Our forces are proud to have provided significant and crucial potentials regarding countering terrorism and saving the world from its evils."

The statement continued: "Firstly, we recall on this occasion our great martyrs from all components and regions and our international martyrs who, without their sacrifices, this great victory over the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world would not have been achieved.

We salute all our fighters who bravely participated in all operations to achieve this victory, starting from the operations in Tal Hamis and Tal Barak, Jaz’a, Al-Hol, South and West Al-Hasakah, Manbij, Tabqa, Al-Shehba, Kobane and all the military campaigns that were bravely led by our heroes and led them to the campaign of liberating Raqqa. We also commend the loyalty of the Raqqa people, who have been and continue to be a strategic supporter of security, stability, and preventing the resurgence of terrorism. We also thank our partner in the International Coalition, who supported the liberation campaign to the end."

The statement added: "The Islamic State made the city of Raqqa a basis for its barbaric terrorist operations in Syria, Iraq, and the world. The gruesome images of beheadings and selling women as slaves in Raqqa markets cannot be forgotten by the region’s people who were subjected to torture and humiliation by the elements of the terrorist organization, let alone laying mines and bombing schools, residential buildings, and museums.

The campaign of liberating Raqqa was a great opportunity to focus efforts on eliminating ISIS, preventing its spread, and reducing its danger to the world after it was on the threshold of a dangerous stage of expanding its terrorist operations and its control to include other regions and countries in the world. Thus, posing a danger that would not have been eliminated without the swift and bold decision taken by our forces in 2017 to liberate Raqqa. Therefore, that decision was a decisive step that determined the fate of the region and its people and was a suitable ground for planning and implementation at the international level, paving the way for the enduring defeat of ISIS."

The statement underlined that "the material and social rebuilding of Raqqa city were, subsequently, one of the most important gains that contributed to restoring life to the region after years of ISIS darkness. Here, we must commend the patience of the Raqqa people and the people of the north and eastern Syria, who joined a heroic epic led by our forces to defeat the darkness and restore life. This epic was to dedicate the greatness of these people and their abilities to self-determination and national unity."

Today, five years after liberating the city, the SDF wants to "remind the international community, once again, of the seriousness of the inaction to engage seriously in the second phase of the campaign of the enduring defeat of ISIS. In addition, we warn against ignoring our calls to find a fundamental solution to the issue of camps that host ISIS families and ISIS detainee prisons, and we call once again on the international community to provide adequate support for rebuilding the region and rehabilitating what was destroyed during the war against terrorism."

The Syrian Democratic Forces "reaffirm our resolute commitment to protect the Raqqa region and all its towns and villages against all forces of terrorism and occupation, primarily ISIS and the Turkish occupation, and we also promise once again its people to protect their gains and prevent other parties that trying to tamper its security and stability. al-Raqqa, in all its areas, will remain an essential part of the Autonomous Administration of NE Syria, and it will remain insurmountable to all parties that do not want the best for the region and its people." 

On this basis, said the statement "we congratulate our fighters and people in NE Syria, particularly the residents of Raqqa, on the fifth anniversary of liberating the city, and we stress that the only guarantee to overcome all challenges is the unity of our people and their rejection of the ideas of partition, as well as promoting the values ​​and gains that have been achieved during the long years of struggle and resistance by our forces and the local administrations across NE Syria."