CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: PROF. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

World / Middle East

Syrians in Raqqa afraid, angry, frustrated as they rebuild

Published: 08 Apr 2018 - 03:16 pm | Last Updated: 16 Nov 2021 - 11:49 am
People cross the Euphrates River on a boat in Raqqa, Syria April 5, 2018.REUTERS/Aboud Hamam

People cross the Euphrates River on a boat in Raqqa, Syria April 5, 2018.REUTERS/Aboud Hamam

By SARAH EL DEEB | AP

RAQQA, Syria: Six months after the Islamic State group was driven out, residents of the Syrian city of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on.

They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people.

The Associated Press spoke to over a dozen residents on a recent visit, most of whom spoke of their woes on condition of anonymity because they feared for their safety.