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DAMASCUS Brent Burns Sharks Jersey , Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States has sent large shipments of military gears to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to help them in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria's northern province of Raqqa, the SDF said Sunday.

The large quantities of weapons aim to help the SDF in their fight to completely clear Raqqa from IS, said the group.

Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS, is almost liberated and people started returning to their homes, the SDF added.

On Thursday Logan Couture Sharks Jersey , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group said the SDF fighters were mopping up the last IS holdouts in Raqqa.

The Observatory, which says it relies on a network of activists on ground, said the IS had lost its main stronghold in Syria by losing Raqqa to the Kurdish-led SDF, adding that the remaining IS fighters are hiding in basements and underground shelters in the city center.

The anticipated victory comes following a 110-day battle by the SDF and allied fighters to drive out IS from Raqqa, which the terror-designated group self-declared as its capital in 2014.

The SDF fighters, backed by U.S. special forces Joe Thornton Sharks Jersey , are combing the city to defuse the bombs left by IS, said the Observatory.

The London-based watchdog also said the SDF will declare the full capture of Raqqa once the city is fully cleared of IS militants.

According to the monitor group, 80 percent of the city has been destroyed, and about 3,100 including IS militants have been killed during the months-long offensives in the city.

A source familiar with the situation in Raqqa told Xinhua that the SDF could declare the liberation of the city within hours or a day.

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by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

KILA RAIPUR, Punjab, India, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- These days, the village of Kila Raipur, half an hour drive from Ludhina city in northern Indian city of Punjab Brent Burns Salute to Service Jersey , is abuzz with traditional sports activities as part of what has been dubbed by the local media as a mini-Olympic festival.

Every year the villagers assemble in the stadium for the three- day festival to watch games including the typical rural ones -- bullock cart and dog racing.

The popularity of Punjab's rural Olympics has been growing with every passing year. Even players from foreign countries have participated in traditional games.

The sporting activities are held inside a stadium built in the middle of a vast expanse of wheat and sugarcane fields.

The athletes, mostly Jat Sikh villagers from neighboring places, took part in the activities and displayed their skills.

In gentle February sun the athletes run to cheering applause from crowds and rip-roaring commentary in chaste Punjabi language.

Riding two speedy horses at the same time, displaying stunts on a running bicycle and lifting of pegs on spears by galloping horsemen were among the sports activities that often leave spectators in the stadium gaping and some of them shouting on the top of their lungs.

The bullock cart owners in the audience also shouted calling on their mules to run faster and outsmart the other cart riders. Early in the morning, the owners ferried their decorated mules and dogs in tractors and other vehicles to the stadium.

The mules from one village have to compete with others from neighboring villages. Dog races should also follow the same arrangement.

School children donning uniforms took part in hockey matches and race. Elderly residents showed acrobatics and other manly sports.

While hockey matches and race competition were staged simultaneously, for bullock cart and dog races the arena would have to be cleared.

For local villagers the assortment of rural games gives them a respite from days of back-breaking toil in the fields.

"I have brought two mules for the competition and have been coming here for the past six years Logan Couture Salute to Service Jersey ," said Jasmaer Singh, a 55-year- old villager from village Sangoor. "It's lots of fun here."

The Grewal clan inhabiting the village Kila Raipur is organizing the games and keeping the spirit of these Olympics- style games alive.

"This is the 78th edition of the Kila Raipur festival," said Jagbir Grewal, organizer of Kila Raipur sports festival. "It has been going on since 1933 and our aim is to promote sportsmanship among the rural populace."

According to Grewal, they organized the festival on their own with the objective of encouraging the youth to go into sports instead of becoming addictive to drugs and other vices.

In 2012, a ban was imposed on the bullock cart racing in the festival after animal rights activist cited prevention of cruelty to animals. However Joe Thornton Salute to Service Jersey , the ban was challenged by Grewal sports association in the state's high court.

"The court ruled that during the Kila Raipur sports festival there has been no cruelty done to mules and, in fact, the animals are treated well by the owners," said Grewal.

According to Grewal, 95 percent of villagers come to the festival to watch bullock cart racing while the rest have interest in other games.

Outside the stadium, vendors have put up makeshift stalls and sell food items Evander Kane Salute to Service Jersey , fruits, pop corn and toys. Pal Mullapur, a vendor, said he and his brother have been selling food items during the festival for many years.

According to the organizers, this year's budget for the festival is just 55,999 U.S. dollars Cheap Brent Burns Jersey , of which around 22,3. Hockey Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NBA Jerseys China Cheap College Jerseys Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap Authentic Soccer Jerseys Free Shipping Authentic MLB Jerseys Online