The completion of Al-Rashid Bridge marks a significant achievement in efforts, led by the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES), to rebuild Raqqa, a northern Syrian city largely destroyed by ISIS militants.
The opening of the bridge, which has been out of service for over seven years, was announced by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the local Kurdish-led security forces.
The major infrastructure rebuild was delayed due to the ongoing economic embargo on the region which made materials difficult to source, the SDF said. The project, launched in October 2022, had been scheduled for completion within a year.
Reconstruction efforts and the final completion of the bridge were celebrated on 7 June in an inauguration ceremony, beginning with a minute’s silence in honour of fighters who fell during the liberation of Raqqa from ISIS in 2017.
Afterwards, the team of local and international engineers who rebuilt the bridge, originally constructed in the 1960s, were applauded, while thousands of citizens from Raqqa celebrated the success with Kurdish and Arabic music and dancing.
The city of Raqqa was liberated on 17 October 2017 in a joint operation by Kurdish and international forces. Seizing the ISIS stronghold was considered a crucial turning point in the territorial defeat of ISIS.
The SDF noted that Raqqa is “experiencing significant growth in commercial and agricultural activity due to its strategic location between the al-Jazeera district and the Syrian interior,” which has led to increased traffic in the region. The reconstruction of the bridge is “expected to significantly alleviate pressure on the city.”
