You're listening to the inquiry on the BBC World Service with me Helena Merriman.

Each week one question, four expert witnesses and an answer.

Raka, northern Syria. In the city's sports stadium, fighters from Islamic State Group are

holed up, fighting for their lives.

They've ruled this city for nearly four years declaring it the capital of their caliphate

and brutally enforcing their version of Islamic law. But now, under the

bombardment of US airstrikes, they know there's no way out. Their time is up.

On the streets, the Syrian Democratic Forces, the SDF are sweeping the city, taking out IS fighters one by one. By the end of the month, the city is theirs.

Islamic State has gone. After the last fighters leave Kurdish and Arab soldiers tear down the black flags of IS

and raise bright yellow ones of their own.

They flutter in the wind high above the city,

but few are there to see them. In the streets below, there's just this.

Silence. After a four month battle, Raka is a ghost town.

Most of the people who lived here have left,

and their homes are buried under a mass of grey rubble.

That was eight months ago, and we want to know rubble.

That was eight months ago and we want to know what's happened to Raka since.

So our question this week is Raka recovering.

Part 1, the Return. My name is Salah. I'm a primary school teacher from Raka. Salah has spent all his life in Raka. He went to school, got married, had children and taught in a school there.

Then I S came and for a while he and his family stayed.

Until the day when seven of his friends were arrested and executed by IS.

When I heard what happened, I immediately lived the city.

...