Syrian IS fighters 'to leave Raqqa' following evacuation deal

Earlier reports by the Syrian Obsevatory for Human Rights stated that the Syrian fighters had already left Raqqa.

Evacuation

Dozens of buses arrived in the city overnight from Raqqa's outskirts, as some Syiran fighters surrendered to the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, another Raqqa official.

"Those that surrendered are local, not foreigners - the foreigners have not handed themselves in yet," the official said according to AFP.

"They sent a message to the Raqqa Civil Council and to the tribal mediators."

The Raqqa council has been working with tribal leaders throughout the week to try to secure safe passage for civilians. 

Around 150 foreign fighters remain in the city and they are expected to leave shortly.

"The foreign fighters are asking to leave in one group towards areas under IS control in Deir az-Zour province," in eastern Syria, he said. 

The Kurdish-dominated People's Protection Units (YPG) which is leading the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) assault on IS-held Raqqa said there were no discusions for the surrender of the city.

"We completely deny any negotiations or deal for the exit of Daesh [IS]. Until this very moment, we are fighting Daesh," YPG spokesperson Nouri Mahmoud told AFP.

The SDF's Arab and Kurdish fighters have recaptured around 90 percent of Raqa from IS.

End of control

Earlier, the Syrian Democratic Forces expected the battle for the Syrian city of Raqqa to be over in a day or two.

By Saturday morning, Raqqa had been almost completely captured by the US-backed SDF forces - led by the Kurdish-dominated People's Protection Forces (YPG) - with just a few areas of the city still held by IS.

Kurdish fighters expected to take control of the last neighbourhoods of the north-eastern Syrian city over the weekend, a YPG spokesperson told Reuters.

"The battles are continuing in Raqqa city. Daesh (IS) is on the verge of being finished. Today or tomorrow the city may be liberated," Nouri Mahmoud told the agency.

The statement coincided with the arrival of dozens of buses to Raqqa, with speculation mounting that a deal had been reached to evacuate the remaining civilians and IS fighters out of the city.

Activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said the convoy had arrived from the northern Raqqa countryside.

UK-based monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that some IS fighters and their families had already been evacuated and the remaining remnants are set to leave.

The US-led coalition which is backing the Kurdish force with air strikes confirmed earlier this week that negotiations are underway to allow civilians - used as human shields by the militants - to leave the war zone.

Spokesperson Ryan Dillon said on Thursday that a "unconditional surrender" of IS forces could be agreed, but that the US would not allow for any form of settlement with the IS fighters.

"We are seeing some good progress of civilians that are being able to safely exit Raqqa... [a negotiated withdrawal] is absolutely something that we as a coalition would not be a part of or agree with," he said, according to AP.

Human shields

There are an estimated 300 to 400 militants left in Raqqa, while a small group of fighters surrended to the SDF this week.

The remaining fighters are believed to be still heavily armed and have taken up positions in the city's hospital and sports stadium with civilians used as human shields to slow the advance of the Kurdish party.

IS captured Raqqa in 2014 and has since served as the group's de-facto "capital", home to much of its leadership.

A battle for the city was launched by Kurdish forces in June with the SDF having won towns and countryside surrounding Raqqa over the past year.

IS have lost most of their territories in Syria and Iraq but the fall of the group's self-declared capital should serve as a huge moral and strategic blow for the jihadis.