Syrian army, US-backed forces advance separately against Islamic State

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Special forces from the Syria Democratic Forces gather in Haj Hussein village, after taking control of it from Islamic State fighters, in the southern rural area of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said
Special forces from the Syria Democratic Forces gather in Haj Hussein village, after taking control of it from Islamic State fighters, in the southern rural area of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said
Syrian government troops backed by Russian air power moved to within 25 km (15 miles) of an Islamic State-held town in Raqqa province on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, as state media reported air strikes against the jihadists in the area.

In a separate simultaneous campaign against Islamic State in Syria, U.S.-backed militias captured more territory from the group near the city of Manbij in Aleppo province, a spokesman for the forces told Reuters. The Observatory said they were now 2 km from the Islamic State-held city.

The offensives both got underway last week and are targeting Islamic State in areas of major strategic importance to its foothold in Syria, where it controls swathes of land up to the Iraqi border.

They are taking place at the same time as an assault by the Iraqi army against Falluja, an Islamic State bastion close to Baghdad. The simultaneous assaults by a myriad of enemies on farflung fronts amount to some of the greatest pressure Islamic State has faced since declaring its caliphate to rule over all Muslims from Iraq and Syria two years ago.

The Syrian army’s advance into Raqqa province, which has not been announced by the military, is initially targeting the Islamic State-held town of Tabqa, according to the Observatory and pro-Damascus media sources.

Raqqa province is a major base of operations for Islamic State and home to its de facto capital, Raqqa city.

Syrian state-run TV station Ikhbariya said on Tuesday the Syrian air force had targeted Islamic State positions south of Tabqa in the Rasafa area, destroying vehicles equipped with machine guns.

The Syrian military could not immediately be reached for comment. A military source told Reuters on Monday the army had advanced to the edge of Raqqa province, from where it could move in several directions against Islamic State.

The Observatory, citing its activists on the ground, said Islamic State had sent weapons and fighters from Raqqa city to Tabqa.

The separate U.S.-backed campaign that got underway last week aims to dislodge Islamic State from its last foothold at the Syrian-Turkish frontier and shut off its main access route to the outside world for material and manpower.

It is being fought on the ground by militias including the Kurdish YPG and allied Arab groups, which together formed an alliance last year known as the Syria Democratic Forces. It has proven to be the first effective fighting force allied to Washington during five years of multi-sided civil war in Syria.

Sharfan Darwish, spokesman for the Manbij Military Council that is part of the U.S.-backed force, said: “We are advancing on all fronts of our assault.”

The United States has consistently rejected the idea of partnering in the fight against Islamic State with President Bashar al-Assad, saying he should leave power. Some of Assad’s opponents have accused the Kurdish YPG of coordinating with his government’s forces, which the Kurds deny.

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26 responses to “Syrian army, US-backed forces advance separately against Islamic State”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Another new town every mile … slog along … slow squeeze whether they are ‘together’ on it or not.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      From the ground … tank with ‘war-spoils’ at the end …
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz_jCmdAYyM

      1. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        There are tens of thousand Lebanese in Fallujah..

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          Hard to imagine why they didn’t run to Lebanon with all the other ‘refugees’.
          But then, many probably thought ISISies were ‘religious’.

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Maybe they had to care for their deformed children..

    1. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      Who’s FSA now?
      May8 2013
      ‘Free Syrian Army rebels defect to Islamist group Jabhat al-Nusra’
      https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/08/free-syrian-army-rebels-defect-islamist-group

      July9 2015
      ‘Vetted Moderate’ Free Syrian Army Fighting Alongside Al-Qaeda, Islamic State Against Assad Regime’
      https://pjmedia.com/blog/report-vetted-moderate-free-syrian-army-fighting-alongside-al-qaeda-islamic-state-against-assad-regime-offensive/

      September 2013
      ‘Raqqa’s FSA Brigades Join Jabhat al-Nusra’
      https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/20/raqqas-fsa-brigades-join-jabhat-al-nusra/

      May8 2016 (updated 19:32 08.06.2016)
      Daesh to Conquer Aleppo to Make it Militants’ ‘Capital Instead of Raqqa’
      http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160608/1041016825/daesh-advent-aleppo.html

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar
        5thDrawer

        Damned if I know … I just add to the listings of reports on ‘who, what, where ..’ … No-one explains ‘why’. And even ‘when’ seems a little foggy. :-))

        1. Hind Abyad Avatar
          Hind Abyad

          Al Nusra is on “terrorist list” in US and UN..but US asked Russia not to target Al nusra (???)
          AL-QAEDA SHOWS ITS TRUE COLORS IN SYRIA
          Aug 1, 2013
          https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2013/09/20/raqqas-fsa-brigades-join-jabhat-al-nusra/

          1. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            Here’s a ‘choice’ arrangement … torture in a cell, or on a ‘front line’. Take your pick. 😉
            http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2016/Jun-11/356427-syria-requiring-released-prisoners-to-join-army-opposition-says.ashx

    2. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      NBC say “pro-Assad Shia militia” abducted their reporter.
      3 years later admit he was kidnapped by FSA rebels.
      nytimes.com/2015/04/16/bus…

    1. Rudy1947 Avatar
      Rudy1947

      And your point is?

      1. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        Stop spamming posters on YaLibnan.

        1. Rudy1947 Avatar
          Rudy1947

          And your point is what?

    2. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      USA can’t ever tell the players without a programme. :-)))

      1. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        Good idea
        Russia’s Air Force cuts off mercenary-terrorists’ communication lines with Turkey’s intelligence agency MI
        https://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2016/06/11/russias-air-force-cuts-off-mercenary-terrorists-communication-lines-with-turkeys-intelligence-agency-mit/

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          Yes, good idea … but it might slow Lebanese net by another notch, and it’s already the slowest in the world. Super-poor communication to Tripoli after the last 5 years. 🙁

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            I don’t know about that, is there other solutions for who’s who in the “alphabet soup”?Today. Sign of hope https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sign-hope-islamist-rebels-agree-ceasefire-idlib-enclave-zabadani/

          2. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            It may be … but it’s ‘for’ a religious time-period … after which they all seem to start shooting again. Peace for festivities only? Bring in the food.

          3. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            This was not for peace it was to disrupt communication between ISIS and CO. US asked Russia not to target al Nusra, it was to know who’s who.
            There was a truce yesterday with one of terrorist group for government to enter help for the people, but fighting continue elsewhere. Yes till end of Ramadan.
            https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sign-hope-islamist-rebels-agree-ceasefire-idlib-enclave-zabadani/

      2. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        They are skating around the ring.. lying.

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          That guy is a pain to listen to … for sure … seems to know what position to be in for the ‘glory shots’, however. 😉 I think if there’s a God, he knows how to turn sound off.
          And for sure, no-one wants to admit they never knew something in the first place, or got their sticky fingers into a mess for everyone else.

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Haha..just laughing…

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