As a battle to eject so-called Islamic State from Mosul grinds on, across the border in Syria, an alliance of US-backed fighters is advancing on the IS stronghold of Raqqa. The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse is one of the first reporters to reach the city. This has been a long and brutal road. Driving through the suburbs of Raqqa towards the centre, we pass collapsed buildings, hit by American air strike
![Raqqa: The desperate fight for Islamic State group's 'capital'](https://cdn-ak-scissors.b.st-hatena.com/image/square/ae5d879108e1c8bb02bcb374a28840ffa7d86d07/height=288;version=1;width=512/https%3A%2F%2Fichef.bbci.co.uk%2Fnews%2F1024%2Fbranded_news%2FA0F0%2Fproduction%2F_96600214_dce99262-4116-4e88-91b7-cd5b78297238.jpg)