White House: I SIS falling apart

The White House said the liberation of Raka, the last major raid by Islamic State militants in Syria, would open a new phase in the long-term conflict there.

spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Mosul's fall in Iraq and the liberation of Raka in the coming days make it clear that the extremist group's self-declared potassium is being destroyed.

The Syrian forces, backed by the US, have said Wednesday they have expelled the Islamic State from Raka and that they are now removing land mines and cleaning roads.

Mustafa Bali, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said preparations are under way for the official declaration of the city's liberation.

Sanders said the US will now focus on stopping violence in other parts of Syria.

She said American President Donald Trump is close to fulfilling the campaign's main promise: defeating the Islamic State.