The final blow: Jihadists from Raqqa fled with human shields

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is backed by the US-led coalition, said it had launched a final offensive today against members of the Islamic State.

Fighting will continue until the entire city is cleared of terrorists, including veteran fighters, the SDF said in a statement, Reuters reported.

A group of Islamic State fighters evacuated overnight from Raqqa using civilians as human shields, Syrian Democratic Forces spokesman Mustafa Bali said.

The SDF continues to fight the remaining Islamic State elements inside Raqqa, Bali said, adding that the foreign fighters did not leave as part of the withdrawal agreement.

"The operation is over and the fight continues. Last night the last fighters who agreed to leave the city left it," Bali told Reuters.

Both Syrian and foreign fighters of the Islamic State (IS) will be evacuated from their until recently stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, in accordance with the agreement, it was announced earlier.

Omar Alush, a prominent official of the Raqqa Civil Council, said that an agreement had been reached allowing IS fighters to leave the city, over which the Syrian Democratic Forces, with the support of the US, are on the verge of establishing control, reports AFP.

"Also foreign fighters are included in the agreement," he said.

The SDF entered Raqqa in June, after spending several months trying to encircle the city.

The Alliance made rapid progress in late September, when it controlled about 80 percent of the city.

As the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria draws to a close, the world fears the possibility of a new, major war in the Middle East. In Iraq, there has recently been a mass surrender of jihadists who now control only small areas along the Syrian border.