US-backed fighters advance on IS-held Raqa

HASSAKE: The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces militia has advanced to within four kilometres north and east of the Islamic State group's Syrian bastion Raqa, a spokesperson and monitor said Tuesday, reports AFP.
The advances bring the SDF, a Kurdish-Arab alliance, closer than ever to the jihadist group's most important remaining Syrian stronghold.But the fighters are still 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Raqa to the west, and they do not control any territory directly to the city's south, which is bordered by the Euphrates river. The SDF "on Monday took three villages four kilometres (two miles) north of Raqa", spokesman Talal Sello told AFP. The alliance also seized two more villages four kilometres to the east of the city on Monday night, he added."We are close to encircling Raqa from the east and the north, but we need to advance on the western front before launching the assault (on the city) at the right moment." Last week, the SDF seized the town of Tabqa and the adjacent dam, around 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Raqa, and the alliance will now push on towards their next target, the town of Al-Mansura.The SDF has said the long-awaited attack on Raqa would start at the beginning of the summer, probably in June.

 

US-backed fighters advance on IS-held Raqa

HASSAKE: The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces militia has advanced to within four kilometres north and east of the Islamic State groups Syrian bastion Raqa, a spokesperson and monitor said Tuesday, reports AFP. The advances bring the SDF, a Kurdish-Arab alliance, closer than ever to the jihadist groups most important remaining Syrian stronghold.But the fighters are still 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Raqa to the west, and they do not control any territory directly to the citys south, which is bordered by the Euphrates river. The SDF on Monday took three villages four kilometres (two miles) north of Raqa, spokesman Talal Sello told AFP. The alliance also seized two more villages four kilometres to the east of the city on Monday night, he added.We are close to encircling Raqa from the east and the north, but we need to advance on the western front before launching the assault (on the city) at the right moment. Last week, the SDF seized the town of Tabqa and the adjacent dam, around 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Raqa, and the alliance will now push on towards their next target, the town of Al-Mansura.The SDF has said the long-awaited attack on Raqa would start at the beginning of the summer, probably in June.