IS fighters stage last stand as Raqa capture nears

US-backed fighters battledhundreds of Islamic State group jihadists holed up in the last pockets of Syria's Raqa, as the former extremist stronghold stood on the verge of capture."The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are currently waging their toughest battles yet," Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the operation to capture the city, told AFP.The latest fighting "will bring an end to Daesh's presence", she added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.