Syrian government forces crack down on extremist Russian air strikes to help out.

　　[Global Times comprehensive report] "The Syrian army entered Raqqa province for the first time after two years" — — After the Iraqi army concentrated heavily on attacking Fallujah, an important stronghold controlled by the extremist organization "Islamic State" (IS), the battlefield against IS in Syria also received good news. According to Agence France-Presse reported on the 5th, Syrian Human Rights Watch, a British-based organization, said that under the cover of air strikes by Russian troops, Syrian government forces had invaded the eastern province of Raqqa dominated by IS on the 4th, and the front line was 80km away from the city of Raqqa, the capital of IS. In addition, the Syrian opposition and the Iraqi army supported by the United States also launched offensives against IS in different regions.

　　Agence France-Presse said on the 5th that this is the first time that the Syrian army has entered Raqqa province since its fall in 2014. In June 2014, the "Islamic State" announced the establishment of a "country with a combination of politics and religion", won Raqqa from the Syrian opposition and "established its capital" to implement Islamic law. Since then, IS has almost completely occupied Raqqa province. At the end of May this year, the Syrian opposition "Syrian Democratic Forces Alliance" supported by the United States launched a military operation in the northern part of Raqqa province, and IS militants retreated to Raqqa. On June 1, the Syrian government forces also began to launch a recovery operation in Raqqa province. According to the Syrian Human Rights Watch, at least 26 IS elements were killed, and 9 people were killed in the Syrian government.

　　Russian satellite news network said on the 5th that the Syrian army successfully crossed the border of Raqqa province from the southwest with the support of the Russian Air Force. The BritISh Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said that in the north of Raqqa, the "Syrian Democratic Forces Alliance" is believed to have deployed 30,000 troops to expel IS armed forces. US officials estimate that there are about 3,000 to 5,000 IS militants in Raqqa. According to reports, Russia has promised to cooperate with the Syrian opposition and the United States to attack. On the 4th, "Alliance" continued to approach Mambiji, another important stronghold of IS, and has captured more than 30 surrounding villages and towns. Mambiji, located in Aleppo province in northern Syria, is an important link connecting Raqqa province and the Syrian-Turkish border.

　　Qatar Al Jazeera said on the 5 th that at present, the eastern, northern and western parts of Raqqa province have been surrounded, but the south IS still connected with other important strongholds occupied by IS. Entering Raqqa province is an important progress, but it takes time to attack the city of Laqqa. Raqqa has a vast territory, so whoever holds Raqqa must be heavily guarded.

　　At present, there is no indication that there is cooperation between Syrian government forces and the opposition. Russia’s "Viewpoint" reported on the 4th that it would be of great military and symbolic significance if the city of Raqqa, known as the capital and base camp of IS, could be captured. Sabet Mohammed, a former Syrian military general, said that the occupation of Raqqa would divide the territory controlled by the Islamic State into several parts and cut off the supply of IS militants who surrounded Deir ez-Zor. He said that before the start of government operations, Russian bombers carried out large-scale bombing of IS positions. However, no matter how the situation develops in the future, in addition to the flag of the Syrian government, government forces will never allow the flag of any organization to be raised in Raqqa, including the "Syrian Democratic Forces Alliance".

　　As of the evening of the 5 th, neither the Syrian government nor the Russian official made a statement on the attack on Raqqa. The Global Times reporter saw in Syria that the local media was also very quiet. Therefore, some analysts believe that the low-key of all parties shows that either this news has yet to be confirmed, or the advantage of government forces is very weak. On the 5th, Syrian government forces supported by Russia launched a fierce battle with anti-government rebels in Aleppo. Western media claimed that 16 civilians were killed when government forces launched air strikes against Aleppo, while Russia claimed that terrorist organizations dispatched armored vehicles to shell civilian areas.

　　“‘ Islamic State ’ In the face of four-front operations, the Associated Press issued a document on this issue on the 5 th, saying that IS is facing attacks from four aspects: the Syrian government forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces Alliance, the Syrian rebels and the Iraqi army. Reuters said on the 5th that IS occupied the cities of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq two years ago, calling themselves the capitals of Syria and Iraq, and declared that it would rule all Muslims in these areas. Recently, the Iraqi army has attacked Fallujah and Mosul, two major strongholds occupied by IS, and the Syrian army has advanced into Raqqa province in Syria, and IS is suffering a major blow. On the 4th, the Iraqi army announced the control of Sagravia in the north of Fallujah. However, the battle to recover Fallujah has progressed slowly, IS militants have fought back fiercely, and there are still tens of thousands of people trapped in the local area, which hinders the Iraqi army from continuing to advance.

　　The United Arab Emirates newspaper El Pais said on the 5th that the Iraqi armed forces advancing towards Fallujah will encounter strong resistance from IS, but it is widely believed that it is a matter of time before Fallujah is recovered. Fallujah has been the breeding ground of rebellion since the United States overthrew Saddam Hussein’s regime, and the United States and the Iraqi government have never really controlled the city. "Even if Fallujah IS recovered, the time and difficulty of taming the city is no less than defeating IS."

　　On the 4th, Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted Yuri Jining, an expert from Moscow Institute of International Relations, as saying that at present, all factions in Syria face a common enemy. Therefore, moderate opposition Kurds can cooperate with government forces to fight IS. Without the support of government forces, Kurds would be surrounded by the enemy. In order to jointly attack this enemy, the Syrian government has also made some concessions in consideration of the interests of the Kurds.

　　At the just-concluded shangri-la dialogue meeting, the Russian side also raised concerns about the Syrian situation. According to a report by RIA Novosti on the 5th, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Antonov asked the United States to respond to Russia’s proposal on cooperation in Syria at the "Xianghui". Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Kerry on the 4th that he was worried about the attempt to delay the resumption of negotiations between the Syrian factions. It is necessary to draw a clear line between Syria’s moderate opposition and the "National Front" terrorists as soon as possible. The complex situation in Syria requires Russia and the United States to jointly fight terrorist organizations.

　　[Global Times correspondent in Syria Yu Xiang Liu Yupeng Ren Zhong]