Its main fighting force is the Kurdish YPG militia, considered the best fighters against IS.
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However, he did say that the USA special forces sent to Syria’s Kurdish region are trying to blend in. It didn’t set a date for a bid to retake the city itself. Its most powerful component is the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, and Syrian Kurdish officials have previously said Arab groups must be the ones to lead any assault on the predominantly Arab city of Raqqa.
‘There are USA forces using (anti-tank) TOW missiles to fire on the explosives-rigged cars that (ISIS) is using to attack the SDF, ‘ Hawkar Kobane said.
The U.S.’ A-10 Thunderbolt jets, which are known as “tank busters”, hit some armed vehicles and heavy-weaponry in the ISIL ranks, sources said, adding that the coalition would first aim to take back “north Raqqa”, which is the area lying between the city center of Raqqa and Syria’s border with Turkey around 60 kilometers away, from ISIL.
“In that case, we would recommend they use the patches of Daesh [Isis], al-Nusra and al-Qaida when they go to other parts of Syria and of Boko Haram when they go to Africa”, he said.
Operation Inherent Resolve has largely consisted, from the USA standpoint, of airstrikes against ISIS positions in both Syria and Iraq.
Raqqa sits in the center of the province of the same name, which borders Turkey to the north.
However, the officials have also said that the troops are at risk and can be involved in combat in self-defense. The U.S. and Turkey regard the PKK as a terror group, it having fought a three decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
If the advancing forces manage to reach within artillery range of Raqqa, he added, it will further pressure the militants.
Staunch regime ally Russian Federation also called for a 72-hour local truce in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya near Damascus starting Tuesday.
The US wants to increase the number of Arab fighters in the SDF, which is now comprised of at least 25,000 Kurds and between 5000 and 6000 Arabs, before trying to retake Raqqa.
Elite Syrian army troops have reportedly been deployed to the region to lead an offensive to cut off FSA and other forces in the east of Aleppo, who launched more deadly artillery attacks against government-held areas overnight.
Warren acknowledged that the soldiers were north of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State.
“They are using the civilians as a cover”.
“This is something that they often do, and it’s an effort to, you know, just kind of connect with those that they’re training”.
“They also talk of some schools as places to stay because these schools have basements, something underground, so they are protected from the airstrikes. And they are surrounded by civilian buildings”.
Abu Mohammed, founder of the Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently activist group, said residents were paying smugglers $400 (350 euros) each to try to flee the city.
Earlier this year, two Syrian women took a hidden camera through the northern Syrian city to document their life under ISIS rule.
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“They are trying to show all the time that their city is a paradise, and everything is okay and you can find whatever you want”.
