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Islamic State covers A-Raqqa city with surveillance cameras

The Islamic State installed surveillance cameras across its de facto […]


17 June 2015

The Islamic State installed surveillance cameras across its de facto capital of A-Raqqa city Tuesday in an apparent bid to keep an eye on the populace and its own fighters, a local citizen journalist told Syria Direct Wednesday.

“IS installed the cameras for a number of reasons: most importantly to control the work of media activists who are secretly reporting what’s happening in A-Raqqa, and also to monitor the movements of civilians and its own fighters…after some attempted to flee the city,” said Ward A-Raqawi, a media activist with the grassroots Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently campaign.

The camera installation is slated to cover all the streets of A-Raqqa, including Duwar a-Naeem, a main city square, reported pro-opposition Step News Agency on Tuesday.

“The Islamic State does not trust the residents of A-Raqqa in the first place, and especially after the appearance of sleeper cells belonging to [anti-IS militia] Liwa Thuwar A-Raqqa in the countryside surrounding the city,” said A-Raqawi.

Above, children play tug-o-war at an IS “preaching tent” last week in A-Raqqa city. 

-Photo courtesy of RMC

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