Final push on Syria's Raqa to begin in days: France

BEIRUT: The international coalition battling the Islamic State group will begin a final push on the jihadists' Syrian stronghold Raqa in the coming days, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said yesterday, reports AFP.
But on the ground, the US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance spearheading the battle for the jihadist group's de facto Syrian capital faces several key obstacles before reaching Raqa.
IS has come under growing pressure from twin US-backed ground offensives targeting Raqa and their other main stronghold, Mosul in Iraq.
"Today, we can say that Raqa is surrounded and the battle will begin in the coming days," Le Drian told France's CNEWS television. "This will be a very hard battle but essential."
France, which has been targeted by a wave of jihadist attacks, is one of the most active members of the US-led coalition against IS.
It ratcheted up its air strikes against the extremists after the Paris massacre of November 2015 which was claimed by IS.
The jihadists are under attack from several directions in northern Syria, with Russia supporting its Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad on one front and Turkey providing air cover for rebel groups battling the jihadists on another.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-Arab alliance, has been working for months to encircle Raqa.
The US military has provided air and artillery support involving Apache helicopter gunships to help the SDF in an offensive for the strategically important Tabqa Dam near Raqa.

 

Final push on Syrias Raqa to begin in days: France

BEIRUT: The international coalition battling the Islamic State group will begin a final push on the jihadists Syrian stronghold Raqa in the coming days, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said yesterday, reports AFP. But on the ground, the US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance spearheading the battle for the jihadist groups de facto Syrian capital faces several key obstacles before reaching Raqa. IS has come under growing pressure from twin US-backed ground offensives targeting Raqa and their other main stronghold, Mosul in Iraq. Today, we can say that Raqa is surrounded and the battle will begin in the coming days, Le Drian told Frances CNEWS television. This will be a very hard battle but essential. France, which has been targeted by a wave of jihadist attacks, is one of the most active members of the US-led coalition against IS. It ratcheted up its air strikes against the extremists after the Paris massacre of November 2015 which was claimed by IS. The jihadists are under attack from several directions in northern Syria, with Russia supporting its Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad on one front and Turkey providing air cover for rebel groups battling the jihadists on another. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-Arab alliance, has been working for months to encircle Raqa. The US military has provided air and artillery support involving Apache helicopter gunships to help the SDF in an offensive for the strategically important Tabqa Dam near Raqa.