Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality, according to a statement dated earlier this month that was sent to media on Saturday.

In the statement dated January 6, 2019, the US-backed SDF alliance, led by the Kurdish YPG militia, said the pair were captured during operations against Islamic State in Deir al-Zor province along with two Pakistanis and an Irish citizen.

On Thursday, the SDF vowed to ramp up attacks on Islamic State remnants and cells, a day after a bomb attack killed four Americans in northern Syria.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality, according to a statement dated earlier this month that was sent to media on Saturday.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality, according to a statement dated earlier this month that was sent to media on Saturday. In the statement dated January 6, 2019, the US-backed SDF alliance, led by the Kurdish YPG militia, said the pair were captured during operations against Islamic State in Deir al-Zor province along with two Pakistanis and an Irish citizen. On Thursday, the SDF vowed to ramp up attacks on Islamic State remnants and cells, a day after a bomb attack killed four Americans in northern Syria.

Syria's SDF says it captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality

At least 23 forces of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nobody-should-expect-turkey-to-provide-assurance-to-terror-organisation-turkey-on-kurdish-forces-189051">US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)</a> were killed on Tuesday in a fight with the radical Islamist forces.

The Islamist State could not retain their last bastion in eastern Syria in the fight which also killed nine jihadists.

The Islamist forces used the cover of the bad weather and launched a deadly counterattack against the Kurdish-led force.

IS fighters took advantage of poor visibility to unleash suicide attackers on SDF forces along the front line in the Euphrates valley late on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Twenty-three SDF fighters were killed and nine IS jihadists were also killed in fighting that lasted all night and into Monday morning," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF launched what is meant to be the final offensive on the jihadist organisation four months ago with air and ground support from coalition forces.

(With inputs from AFP)

At least 23 forces of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed on Tuesday in a fight with the radical Islamist forces. The Islamist State could not retain their last bastion in eastern Syria in the fight which also killed nine jihadists.

At least 23 forces of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed on Tuesday in a fight with the radical Islamist forces. The Islamist State could not retain their last bastion in eastern Syria in the fight which also killed nine jihadists. The Islamist forces used the cover of the bad weather and launched a deadly counterattack against the Kurdish-led force. IS fighters took advantage of poor visibility to unleash suicide attackers on SDF forces along the front line in the Euphrates valley late on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "Twenty-three SDF fighters were killed and nine IS jihadists were also killed in fighting that lasted all night and into Monday morning," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. The SDF launched what is meant to be the final offensive on the jihadist organisation four months ago with air and ground support from coalition forces. (With inputs from AFP)

IS counterattack in east Syria leaves 32 dead: Monitor

To up its ante against the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in Sikkim, footballer turned politician, Bhaichung Bhutia is all set to lead a day-long protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday.&nbsp;

With just a few days to go for the assembly polls in Sikkim, the vice president of Hamro Sikkim Party, Bhutia will be leading a 20-member delegation of HSP members to Delhi.&nbsp;

A protest will be put up in front of the Jantar Mantar against the SDF on several issues ranging from alleged corruption in the government, demand for tribal status for eleven communities of Sikkim and restoration of Nepali seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.&nbsp;

“Corruption is a disease in our society today. The state of Sikkim is suffering from massive corruption. The government has no money but the individuals have become richer than the government. We are going to fight corruption in Sikkim,” said Bhutia.&nbsp;

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It is time to take a stand against corruption! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hamrosikkim?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hamrosikkim</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/saynotocorruption?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#saynotocorruption</a> <a href="https://t.co/ICZMu8U2K0">pic.twitter.com/ICZMu8U2K0</a>
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However, political analysts feel that Bhutia has sounded the bugle for the upcoming polls in the state and such protests will further help the newly formed regional party gain more momentum.&nbsp;

On the other hand, the Election Commission of India has allotted the ‘whistle’ sign as an election symbol to HSP.&nbsp;

The party had sent three preferences of which, the commission sent their confirmation on the ‘whistle’ symbol on Thursday.&nbsp;

“Whistle personally is very special to me. Usually, a whistle is blown at the beginning and end of any match. We have blown the whistle to win this match and end the rule SDF in Sikkim,” added Bhutia.

To up its ante against the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in Sikkim, footballer turned politician, Bhaichung Bhutia is all set to lead a day-long protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday.

To up its ante against the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in Sikkim, footballer turned politician, Bhaichung Bhutia is all set to lead a day-long protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday. With just a few days to go for the assembly polls in Sikkim, the vice president of Hamro Sikkim Party, Bhutia will be leading a 20-member delegation of HSP members to Delhi. A protest will be put up in front of the Jantar Mantar against the SDF on several issues ranging from alleged corruption in the government, demand for tribal status for eleven communities of Sikkim and restoration of Nepali seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. “Corruption is a disease in our society today. The state of Sikkim is suffering from massive corruption. The government has no money but the individuals have become richer than the government. We are going to fight corruption in Sikkim,” said Bhutia. It is time to take a stand against corruption! #hamrosikkim #saynotocorruption pic.twitter.com/ICZMu8U2K0 — Bhaichung Bhutia (@bhaichung15) January 6, 2019 × However, political analysts feel that Bhutia has sounded the bugle for the upcoming polls in the state and such protests will further help the newly formed regional party gain more momentum. On the other hand, the Election Commission of India has allotted the ‘whistle’ sign as an election symbol to HSP. The party had sent three preferences of which, the commission sent their confirmation on the ‘whistle’ symbol on Thursday. “Whistle personally is very special to me. Usually, a whistle is blown at the beginning and end of any match. We have blown the whistle to win this match and end the rule SDF in Sikkim,” added Bhutia.

Bhaichung Bhutia to lead day-long protest at Jantar Mantar against SDF 

President Bashar al-Assad said he would recover areas of Syria held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and that US&nbspforces should learn the lesson of Iraq and leave the country.

In an interview with Russia Today, Assad also said the government had "started now opening doors for negotiations" with the SDF, a Kurdish dominated militia alliance that controls parts of northern and eastern Syria where US&nbspforces are stationed.

"This is the first option. If not, we`re going to resort to ... liberating those areas by force," he said, adding "the Americans should leave, somehow they`re going to leave".

Responding to US&nbspPresident Donald Trump`s description of him as "Animal Assad", the Syrian leader said: "What you say is what you are".

Assad also said the government had 'started now opening doors for negotiations' with the SDF

President Bashar al-Assad said he would recover areas of Syria held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and that US&nbspforces should learn the lesson of Iraq and leave the country. In an interview with Russia Today, Assad also said the government had "started now opening doors for negotiations" with the SDF, a Kurdish dominated militia alliance that controls parts of northern and eastern Syria where US&nbspforces are stationed. "This is the first option. If not, we`re going to resort to ... liberating those areas by force," he said, adding "the Americans should leave, somehow they`re going to leave". Responding to US&nbspPresident Donald Trump`s description of him as "Animal Assad", the Syrian leader said: "What you say is what you are".

Assad says US will leave Syria, vows to retake SDF-held areas

France has offered to mediate between Turkey and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, and assured the SDF of Paris’ support in stabilizing northern Syria, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said on Thursday.

Speaking after Macron met a delegation from northern Syria that included the Kurdish YPG militia, Khaled Eissa, a Kurdish official based in Paris, said Macron had promised to send French troops to Manbij to support the fight against Islamic State and dissuade Turkey from advancing on the town.

The president’s office declined to comment on that. 
&nbsp

France has offered to mediate between Turkey and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, and assured the SDF of Paris’ support in stabilizing northern Syria, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said

France has offered to mediate between Turkey and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, and assured the SDF of Paris’ support in stabilizing northern Syria, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said on Thursday. Speaking after Macron met a delegation from northern Syria that included the Kurdish YPG militia, Khaled Eissa, a Kurdish official based in Paris, said Macron had promised to send French troops to Manbij to support the fight against Islamic State and dissuade Turkey from advancing on the town. The president’s office declined to comment on that.

Syria war: France's Macron offers to mediate between Turkey and Syrian Kurds

A US-backed Syrian coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups advanced against Islamic State in the jihadists&#39; Syrian capital of Raqqa on Sunday, taking the al-Qadisia district, they said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its assault on Raqqa earlier this month after a long campaign to isolate Islamic State inside the city. It took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting, it said in a statement on one of its official social media feeds.

The SDF has pushed Islamic State from swathes of northern Syria over the past 18 months. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have also taken territory from it and the Syrian army has this year advanced rapidly against it in desert areas.

The US-backed coalition has supported SDF advances against the jihadist group throughout the Raqqa campaign with artillery and air strikes, including some against Islamic State leaders.

This month, the coalition said its air strikes had killed Turki Binali, a Bahraini cleric who was the group&#39;s top religious authority and the most senior known Gulf Arab in Islamic State.

It also said last week it killed Fawaz al-Rawi, who it said was an important Islamic State financier, in an air strike in Syria.

However, coalition air raids have also caused large numbers of civilian casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.

It said on Saturday that coalition airstrikes in and around Raqqa had killed nearly 700 civilians so far this year. The coalition says it works hard to avoid killing civilians and investigates all reports that it has done so.

&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting

A US-backed Syrian coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups advanced against Islamic State in the jihadists' Syrian capital of Raqqa on Sunday, taking the al-Qadisia district, they said. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its assault on Raqqa earlier this month after a long campaign to isolate Islamic State inside the city. It took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting, it said in a statement on one of its official social media feeds. The SDF has pushed Islamic State from swathes of northern Syria over the past 18 months. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have also taken territory from it and the Syrian army has this year advanced rapidly against it in desert areas. The US-backed coalition has supported SDF advances against the jihadist group throughout the Raqqa campaign with artillery and air strikes, including some against Islamic State leaders. This month, the coalition said its air strikes had killed Turki Binali, a Bahraini cleric who was the group's top religious authority and the most senior known Gulf Arab in Islamic State. It also said last week it killed Fawaz al-Rawi, who it said was an important Islamic State financier, in an air strike in Syria. However, coalition air raids have also caused large numbers of civilian casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. It said on Saturday that coalition airstrikes in and around Raqqa had killed nearly 700 civilians so far this year. The coalition says it works hard to avoid killing civilians and investigates all reports that it has done so.

US-backed Syrian groups take Raqqa district from Islamic State

&nbsp;Islamic State militants have become increasingly desperate in the face of heavy air strikes on their Syrian bastion Raqqa,&nbsp;passing themselves off as civilians to escape detection and killing anyone who tries to flee, witnesses said.

At a camp for the displaced in the village of Ain Issa north of the city,&nbsp;people who arrived on Wednesday also said the air strikes supporting an assault by US-backed forces had inflicted widespread destruction as the battle intensified.

United Nations war crimes investigators said the air campaign had killed at least 300 civilians in the city, captured by Islamic State in 2014 in the chaos of Syria&#39;s civil war.

The escapees said the air strikes had flattened rows of apartment blocks along a main road but many of them had already been abandoned by residents fleeing Islamic State&rsquo;s reign of terror and the assault on the town, which began last week.

&quot;The coalition strikes destroyed a four-story apartment building. I saw 10 people trapped underneath,&quot; said Abu Hamoud. &quot;They used phosphorus.&quot;

Human Rights Watch expressed concern on Wednesday about the use of incendiary white phosphorous weapons by the US-led coalition, saying it endangers civilians when used in populated areas.

The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city.

Hassan Kirfou,&nbsp;said an airstrike hit the mosque where he works just a few hours after he closed it for the night, and two other mosques were hit.

&ldquo;I saw three dead teenagers on top of each other outside the Nour mosque,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why they shot these areas. As far as I know there were only a few Daesh (Islamic State) snipers left there.&rdquo;

Much of the damage from air strikes was inflicted on Seif al-Dawla street, one of the main arteries of the town. &ldquo;My uncle and two cousins were killed. Their house was destroyed,&rdquo; Kirfou said.

The pressure on Islamic State, which is on the brink of losing the other centre of&nbsp;its self-proclaimed caliphate, the Iraqi city of Mosul, is taking a heavy toll on the group,&nbsp;people who arrived at Ain Issa in the last few days said.

&ldquo;They have started using microphones to tell people: &#39;Don&rsquo;t go to the infidels, stay with Islam&#39;,&rdquo; said Abdul Razak Crais, standing near rows of white tents as people lined up for food.

&ldquo;They poured gasoline on the cars of anyone who tried to escape then lit a match and burned the vehicles. I saw them haul people out of their cars and shoot them with AK-47s.&quot;

The coalition estimates that 3,000-4,000 Islamic State fighters are holed up in Raqqa, the administrative headquarters of Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on civilians across the globe.

Residents who fled say they have been laying landmines on streets, booby trapping houses and digging tunnels in preparation for battle.

&ldquo;They take over people&rsquo;s houses and create big holes in their walls so they can move back and forth during fighting,&rdquo; said Thaier Ibrahim.

Others at the camp said militants were hiding weapons and riding cars with civilians to avoid air strikes.

About 10,000 civilians have fled to the SDF-run Ain Issa camp about 60 km (40 miles) north of Raqqa with hundreds more arriving each day, Medecins Sans Frontieres has said.

Conditions have deteriorated because of the gruelling summer heat. But people like Mohamed Nahaf took the risk of getting shot to escape Islamic State and a battle for the city that could take months.

&ldquo;They cut off all roads. We had to pay a smuggler $200 to get us out,&rdquo; he said.

The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city

Islamic State militants have become increasingly desperate in the face of heavy air strikes on their Syrian bastion Raqqa, passing themselves off as civilians to escape detection and killing anyone who tries to flee, witnesses said. At a camp for the displaced in the village of Ain Issa north of the city, people who arrived on Wednesday also said the air strikes supporting an assault by US-backed forces had inflicted widespread destruction as the battle intensified. United Nations war crimes investigators said the air campaign had killed at least 300 civilians in the city, captured by Islamic State in 2014 in the chaos of Syria's civil war. The escapees said the air strikes had flattened rows of apartment blocks along a main road but many of them had already been abandoned by residents fleeing Islamic State’s reign of terror and the assault on the town, which began last week. "The coalition strikes destroyed a four-story apartment building. I saw 10 people trapped underneath," said Abu Hamoud. "They used phosphorus." Human Rights Watch expressed concern on Wednesday about the use of incendiary white phosphorous weapons by the US-led coalition, saying it endangers civilians when used in populated areas. The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city. Hassan Kirfou, said an airstrike hit the mosque where he works just a few hours after he closed it for the night, and two other mosques were hit. “I saw three dead teenagers on top of each other outside the Nour mosque,” he said. “I don’t know why they shot these areas. As far as I know there were only a few Daesh (Islamic State) snipers left there.” Much of the damage from air strikes was inflicted on Seif al-Dawla street, one of the main arteries of the town. “My uncle and two cousins were killed. Their house was destroyed,” Kirfou said. The pressure on Islamic State, which is on the brink of losing the other centre of its self-proclaimed caliphate, the Iraqi city of Mosul, is taking a heavy toll on the group, people who arrived at Ain Issa in the last few days said. “They have started using microphones to tell people: 'Don’t go to the infidels, stay with Islam',” said Abdul Razak Crais, standing near rows of white tents as people lined up for food. “They poured gasoline on the cars of anyone who tried to escape then lit a match and burned the vehicles. I saw them haul people out of their cars and shoot them with AK-47s." The coalition estimates that 3,000-4,000 Islamic State fighters are holed up in Raqqa, the administrative headquarters of Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on civilians across the globe. Residents who fled say they have been laying landmines on streets, booby trapping houses and digging tunnels in preparation for battle. “They take over people’s houses and create big holes in their walls so they can move back and forth during fighting,” said Thaier Ibrahim. Others at the camp said militants were hiding weapons and riding cars with civilians to avoid air strikes. About 10,000 civilians have fled to the SDF-run Ain Issa camp about 60 km (40 miles) north of Raqqa with hundreds more arriving each day, Medecins Sans Frontieres has said. Conditions have deteriorated because of the gruelling summer heat. But people like Mohamed Nahaf took the risk of getting shot to escape Islamic State and a battle for the city that could take months. “They cut off all roads. We had to pay a smuggler $200 to get us out,” he said.

Air strikes kill civilians as Raqqa battle intensifies, Syrians say militants shoot escapees

US-backed Syrian militias advanced further into Islamic State&#39;s Syrian stronghold of Raqqa from the east on Monday, reaching the walls of the Old City, a war monitor and a militia spokesman said on Monday.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a US-led coalition, began to attack Raqqa last Tuesday with the aim of taking it from Islamic State militants, after a months-long campaign to cut it off.&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the SDF took the al-Sanaa industrial neighbourhood on Monday as part of their push into the eastern half of the city, and had reached the walls of the Old City neighbourhood.

SDF media officer Ahmad Mohammed said the SDF had reached the walls but there were still fierce clashes in al-Sanaa and the district had not yet been totally secured.

The Old City, east of central Raqqa, is a neighbourhood of modern housing bordered on two sides by fortified city walls built in the eighth century by the Abbasid Islamic Caliphate which at one point used Raqqa as its capital.

Residents said on Monday the Old City area was being shelled intensely.

The US-led coalition estimates that Raqqa, which Islamic State seized from Syrian rebels in 2014 during their lightning advance in Syria and Iraq, is defended by 3,000 to 4,000 jihadists.

It has been a hub both for Islamic State`s military leaders and its bureaucrats, and has been used to plot attacks in countries around the world.

The SDF also advanced from north of the city on Monday, taking a sugar factory complex northeast of Raqqa. A video said to show SDF officers within the complex shows heavy damage to the factory.

Since the offensive began the SDF, supported by heavy coalition air strikes, have taken territory to the west, east and north of the city.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

The SDF took the al-Sanaa industrial neighbourhood on Monday as part of their push into the eastern half of the city

US-backed Syrian militias advanced further into Islamic State's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa from the east on Monday, reaching the walls of the Old City, a war monitor and a militia spokesman said on Monday. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a US-led coalition, began to attack Raqqa last Tuesday with the aim of taking it from Islamic State militants, after a months-long campaign to cut it off. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the SDF took the al-Sanaa industrial neighbourhood on Monday as part of their push into the eastern half of the city, and had reached the walls of the Old City neighbourhood. SDF media officer Ahmad Mohammed said the SDF had reached the walls but there were still fierce clashes in al-Sanaa and the district had not yet been totally secured. The Old City, east of central Raqqa, is a neighbourhood of modern housing bordered on two sides by fortified city walls built in the eighth century by the Abbasid Islamic Caliphate which at one point used Raqqa as its capital. Residents said on Monday the Old City area was being shelled intensely. The US-led coalition estimates that Raqqa, which Islamic State seized from Syrian rebels in 2014 during their lightning advance in Syria and Iraq, is defended by 3,000 to 4,000 jihadists. It has been a hub both for Islamic State`s military leaders and its bureaucrats, and has been used to plot attacks in countries around the world. The SDF also advanced from north of the city on Monday, taking a sugar factory complex northeast of Raqqa. A video said to show SDF officers within the complex shows heavy damage to the factory. Since the offensive began the SDF, supported by heavy coalition air strikes, have taken territory to the west, east and north of the city.

US-backed Syrian fighters reach old city walls in Islamic State-held Raqqa

Raqqa is the &#39;capital city&#39;&nbsp;of the Islamic State in Syria which is also their heart in West Asia. However, the city is being converted by a number of great powers in the region including Russia and United States who are keen to stamp their authority over the region even as thousands of IS fighters dig their heels to defend their final bastion. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The situation is a quite complicated since the competing actors fighting in Syria are far from agreeing on who will spearhead the final campaign against the IS. &nbsp;

Turkey, Russia, Iran, US, the Kurds, anti-Assad militias are all fighting &quot;wars within the war&quot;&nbsp;over&nbsp;Raqqa as they eye the &#39;big prize&#39;. Whoever retakes the city secures&nbsp;legitimacy in the international arena as the &quot;destroyer of IS in West Asia&quot;.&nbsp;Despite&nbsp;tremendous difficulties that an urban guerrilla warfare presents, everyone seems to be in a rush to take the lead.&nbsp;

In November 2016, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched operation &quot;Wrath of the Euphrates&quot;; they secured several villages north of&nbsp;Raqqa and now their troops are&nbsp;close to the city. &nbsp;

&quot;The number of our forces is now increasing, particularly from among the people of the area, and we have enough strength to liberate Raqqa with support from the coalition forces,&quot; Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, recently said in a statement.&nbsp;

The US has&nbsp;backed the SDF with airstrikes and strategic support and has&nbsp;recently deployed 400 additional troops. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces are an umbrella organisation in which Arabs and Kurds fight&nbsp;together. The group&#39;s backbone is, however, made by the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), which have been fighting the Islamic State in northern Syria since 2014. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Apart from the evident military challenge, Raqqa&#39;s social fabric could be an obstacle for the Kurds. The city mainly consists of a majority&nbsp;Arab population and there is no guarantee&nbsp;that the local population would welcome the Kurdish army. Mosul presented a similar scenario which led the Iraqi Kurdistan army to&nbsp;opt out of&nbsp;entering the city&nbsp;leaving it to the Iraqi army. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Kurds fighting in northern Syria make no bones about their willingness to remain in the areas they have liberated. They aim to form an autonomous Kurdish belt running along northern Syria where intend to implement a form of direct democracy. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Their only obstacle is a 100 km&nbsp;wide stretch of land starting from the city of Jarablus, an area currently controlled by Turkish-backed paramilitary groups.&nbsp;If the Syrian Kurds succeed in leading the attack against Raqqa, they will gain not only gain territorially but also earn political capital internationally. &nbsp;

Their success will ultimately translate into success for the US. It will especially favour President Trump&#39;s narrative of being a game-changer, even if he just followed Obama&#39;s foreign policy strategy. &nbsp;

It goes without saying that neither Syria&#39;s President Bashar al-Assad nor Turkey are willing to accept the Kurds&#39; project. 
 
Turkey considers the YPG as a terrorist organisation and will never allow them to control a continuous belt running along&nbsp;its southern border. The country&#39;s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed clear discontent over the support that the US is&nbsp;giving the SDF. &nbsp;

Turkey is currently backing several anti-Assad groups fighting the IS in Syria. These militias are very different in nature and a majority of them are&nbsp;believed to be the Islamist and Salafi-oriented group Ahrar al-Sham, a militia which considers the Kurds as their enemy. &nbsp;

Clashes between Turkey-backed rebel groups and the SDA is already a reality on the ground. According to the Turkish military, 71 Kurdish fighters were&nbsp;killed last week. &nbsp;Turkey has already been &#39;shut out&#39; from the Mosul offensive and will try its best not to remain isolated in Raqqa also. Keeping Turkey-backed rebels under control will be one of US&#39;s most difficult tasks.&nbsp;

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s troops, backed by Russian airstrikes and logistic support, have also advanced towards Raqqa from the south. As president of the country, Assad is opposed to any division of its territory and does not seem to be willing to concede an independent Kurdish region in the north. &nbsp;

Assad has never been able to digest&nbsp;Turkish interference on his soil, especially after Ankara started openly backing anti-Assad paramilitary brigades. &nbsp;

An eventual success of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the country&#39;s regular army, will strengthen both President Assad&#39;s position and Russia&#39;s reputation as the most effective enemy of the Islamic State. Moscow could also secure, once and for all, its already strong influence in West Asia. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Assad also desires&nbsp;&#39;personal propaganda&#39;&nbsp;in order to shift international focus over&nbsp;accusations of tens of thousands of random arrests, torture&nbsp;and murder&nbsp;perpetrated in Syria&#39;s jails. &nbsp;

Iran too has its eyes on Raqqa. There is no evidence of Iran-backed militias in&nbsp;the Syrian Arab Army advancing towards Raqqa, but such troops have supported President Assad in Aleppo. Tehran will only profit from an eventual SAA successful attack in Raqqa. A strong Shia-aligned Syria is part of Iran&#39;s dream of a transnational &#39;Shia belt&#39; running across West Asia. This will give Iran the opportunity to effectively influence the region&#39;s politics appealing to its inhabitants&#39; religious feelings. &nbsp;

There is&nbsp;another puzzle to the Raqqa story. The US secretary of defense James Mattis believes that Iran presents a&nbsp;major threat to peace in the entire West Asia which also means bad news for US presence in the region. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Despite these complexities, Washington and Ankara might converge on Iran. Turkey is opposed to Iran&#39;s political hegemony over the region and is likely to subvert any Iranian success. &nbsp;

Planning the attack to retake IS&#39;s capital city in Syria seems to be even more difficult than actually fighting it. This is a not just a battle of retaking Raqqa and defeating the Islamic State but a&nbsp;global struggle for influence in West Asia involving regional and international powers. &nbsp;

In this great game, the Syrian populace has been conveniently left out as they suffer silently and find no voice in the country&#39;s politics.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey, Russia, Iran, US, the Kurds, anti-Assad militias are all fighting 'wars within the war' over?Raqqa as they eye the 'big prize'

Raqqa is the 'capital city' of the Islamic State in Syria which is also their heart in West Asia. However, the city is being converted by a number of great powers in the region including Russia and United States who are keen to stamp their authority over the region even as thousands of IS fighters dig their heels to defend their final bastion. The situation is a quite complicated since the competing actors fighting in Syria are far from agreeing on who will spearhead the final campaign against the IS. Turkey, Russia, Iran, US, the Kurds, anti-Assad militias are all fighting "wars within the war" over Raqqa as they eye the 'big prize'. Whoever retakes the city secures legitimacy in the international arena as the "destroyer of IS in West Asia". Despite tremendous difficulties that an urban guerrilla warfare presents, everyone seems to be in a rush to take the lead. In November 2016, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched operation "Wrath of the Euphrates"; they secured several villages north of Raqqa and now their troops are close to the city. "The number of our forces is now increasing, particularly from among the people of the area, and we have enough strength to liberate Raqqa with support from the coalition forces," Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, recently said in a statement. The US has backed the SDF with airstrikes and strategic support and has recently deployed 400 additional troops. The Syrian Democratic Forces are an umbrella organisation in which Arabs and Kurds fight together. The group's backbone is, however, made by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which have been fighting the Islamic State in northern Syria since 2014. Apart from the evident military challenge, Raqqa's social fabric could be an obstacle for the Kurds. The city mainly consists of a majority Arab population and there is no guarantee that the local population would welcome the Kurdish army. Mosul presented a similar scenario which led the Iraqi Kurdistan army to opt out of entering the city leaving it to the Iraqi army. Kurds fighting in northern Syria make no bones about their willingness to remain in the areas they have liberated. They aim to form an autonomous Kurdish belt running along northern Syria where intend to implement a form of direct democracy. Their only obstacle is a 100 km wide stretch of land starting from the city of Jarablus, an area currently controlled by Turkish-backed paramilitary groups. If the Syrian Kurds succeed in leading the attack against Raqqa, they will gain not only gain territorially but also earn political capital internationally. Their success will ultimately translate into success for the US. It will especially favour President Trump's narrative of being a game-changer, even if he just followed Obama's foreign policy strategy. It goes without saying that neither Syria's President Bashar al-Assad nor Turkey are willing to accept the Kurds' project. Turkey considers the YPG as a terrorist organisation and will never allow them to control a continuous belt running along its southern border. The country's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed clear discontent over the support that the US is giving the SDF. Turkey is currently backing several anti-Assad groups fighting the IS in Syria. These militias are very different in nature and a majority of them are believed to be the Islamist and Salafi-oriented group Ahrar al-Sham, a militia which considers the Kurds as their enemy. Clashes between Turkey-backed rebel groups and the SDA is already a reality on the ground. According to the Turkish military, 71 Kurdish fighters were killed last week. Turkey has already been 'shut out' from the Mosul offensive and will try its best not to remain isolated in Raqqa also. Keeping Turkey-backed rebels under control will be one of US's most difficult tasks. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops, backed by Russian airstrikes and logistic support, have also advanced towards Raqqa from the south. As president of the country, Assad is opposed to any division of its territory and does not seem to be willing to concede an independent Kurdish region in the north. Assad has never been able to digest Turkish interference on his soil, especially after Ankara started openly backing anti-Assad paramilitary brigades. An eventual success of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the country's regular army, will strengthen both President Assad's position and Russia's reputation as the most effective enemy of the Islamic State. Moscow could also secure, once and for all, its already strong influence in West Asia. Assad also desires 'personal propaganda' in order to shift international focus over accusations of tens of thousands of random arrests, torture and murder perpetrated in Syria's jails. Iran too has its eyes on Raqqa. There is no evidence of Iran-backed militias in the Syrian Arab Army advancing towards Raqqa, but such troops have supported President Assad in Aleppo. Tehran will only profit from an eventual SAA successful attack in Raqqa. A strong Shia-aligned Syria is part of Iran's dream of a transnational 'Shia belt' running across West Asia. This will give Iran the opportunity to effectively influence the region's politics appealing to its inhabitants' religious feelings. There is another puzzle to the Raqqa story. The US secretary of defense James Mattis believes that Iran presents a major threat to peace in the entire West Asia which also means bad news for US presence in the region. Despite these complexities, Washington and Ankara might converge on Iran. Turkey is opposed to Iran's political hegemony over the region and is likely to subvert any Iranian success. Planning the attack to retake IS's capital city in Syria seems to be even more difficult than actually fighting it. This is a not just a battle of retaking Raqqa and defeating the Islamic State but a global struggle for influence in West Asia involving regional and international powers. In this great game, the Syrian populace has been conveniently left out as they suffer silently and find no voice in the country's politics. (With inputs from Reuters)

Retaking Raqqa: The great game unfolds

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area.&nbsp; 
 
The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey),&quot; the rebel said. 
 
Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. 
 
&quot;Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus,&quot; the source said. 
 
Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. 
 
Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. 
 
Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey.&nbsp; 
 
It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State.&nbsp; 
 
Rivalry with Kurds 
 
By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS.&nbsp; 
 
A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. 
 
The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. 
 
Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF&#39;s westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. 
 
On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. 
 
The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. 
 
The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. 
 
Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said.&nbsp;On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily,&quot; he said. &quot;The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The onslaught will also dent Kurdish hopes of expansion along the Syria-Turkey border area

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified. "The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey)," the rebel said. Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. "Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus," the source said. Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey. It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State. Rivalry with Kurds By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS. A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF's westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said. On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said. "There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily," he said. "The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy." (Reuters)

Syrian rebels prepare to seize IS town from inside Turkey

<div style="text-align: justify;">The Syrian government said today that German special forces were present, alongside French and American military personnel, in northern Syria. Germany has denied their presence.&nbsp; 
 
Syrian state media said the government strongly condemned the presence of French and German forces in Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobani, and Manbij. 
 
&quot;Syria considers it explicit and unjustified aggression towards (Syria&#39;s) sovereignty and independence,&quot; state news agency SANA quoted the foreign ministry as saying. 
 
The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) are staging an offensive against Islamic State near Manbij, while Kobani is under the control of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, part of the SDF. 
 
Germany&#39;s defence ministry said repeated claims by the Syrian government that German special forces were in northern Syria were not and had never been true. 
 
&quot;There are no German special forces in Syria. The accusation is false,&quot; a ministry spokesman said. 
 
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian civil war now in its sixth year, said French special forces were building a base for themselves near Kobani. 
 
France&#39;s defence minister said last week that there were special forces operating in Syria helping the SDF advance towards Manbij. 
 
The Observatory also said German, French and American military advisers, and French and American special forces, were assisting the SDF in its fight against Islamic State but had so far remained in a support role and had not fought on front lines. 
(Reuters)</div>

Damascus says presence of German forces is 'unjustified aggression' on their sovereignty, Germany denies they are even there

The Syrian government said today that German special forces were present, alongside French and American military personnel, in northern Syria. Germany has denied their presence. Syrian state media said the government strongly condemned the presence of French and German forces in Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobani, and Manbij. "Syria considers it explicit and unjustified aggression towards (Syria's) sovereignty and independence," state news agency SANA quoted the foreign ministry as saying. The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) are staging an offensive against Islamic State near Manbij, while Kobani is under the control of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, part of the SDF. Germany's defence ministry said repeated claims by the Syrian government that German special forces were in northern Syria were not and had never been true. "There are no German special forces in Syria. The accusation is false," a ministry spokesman said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian civil war now in its sixth year, said French special forces were building a base for themselves near Kobani. France's defence minister said last week that there were special forces operating in Syria helping the SDF advance towards Manbij. The Observatory also said German, French and American military advisers, and French and American special forces, were assisting the SDF in its fight against Islamic State but had so far remained in a support role and had not fought on front lines. (Reuters)

German special forces in Syrian territory, claims Assad government

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