An estimated 25,000 people have fled escalating violence over the last six months in eastern Syria, where die-hard jihadists are defending their last bastions, the UN said Friday.&nbsp;

Much of the unrest has been centred around Hajin in Deir Ezzor province, which had been the last town of note controlled by the Islamic State group in the area until it was taken in December by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The United Nations refugee agency said that clashes and air strikes have forced 25,000 people to run and seek shelter in camps or informal settlements, sometimes after spending several nights in the desert exposed to harsh weather and without access to food or water.&nbsp;

The agency also warned over "mounting civilian casualties" in the area, without providing figures.&nbsp;

An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in Hajin, where conflict continues, the UN said. &nbsp;

The SDF is currently flushing out the very last pockets of land controlled by the jihadists in the Euphrates River valley.

The US-led coalition that is supporting them in the area said Friday that it had begun withdrawing its troops, following a shock announcement from US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

An estimated 25,000 people have fled escalating violence over the last six months in eastern Syria, where die-hard jihadists are defending their last bastions, the UN said Friday.

An estimated 25,000 people have fled escalating violence over the last six months in eastern Syria, where die-hard jihadists are defending their last bastions, the UN said Friday. Much of the unrest has been centred around Hajin in Deir Ezzor province, which had been the last town of note controlled by the Islamic State group in the area until it was taken in December by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The United Nations refugee agency said that clashes and air strikes have forced 25,000 people to run and seek shelter in camps or informal settlements, sometimes after spending several nights in the desert exposed to harsh weather and without access to food or water. The agency also warned over "mounting civilian casualties" in the area, without providing figures. An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in Hajin, where conflict continues, the UN said. The SDF is currently flushing out the very last pockets of land controlled by the jihadists in the Euphrates River valley. The US-led coalition that is supporting them in the area said Friday that it had begun withdrawing its troops, following a shock announcement from US President Donald Trump.

25,000 flee violence in eastern Syria: United Nations

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

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

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned the United States to withdraw any American forces from the Syrian town of Manbij, vowing Turkish troops would expand a cross-border military operation to the key strategic hub.

Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples&#39; Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which Ankara sees as terror groups.

Turkey on January 20 launched a major operation aimed at ousting YPG forces from their enclave of the northwestern town of Afrin. However moving east to Manbij -- where unlike Afrin there is a US military presence -- would mark a major escalation.

Accusing Washington of breaking past promises, Erdogan said: &quot;They (Americans) told us they will pull out of Manbij. They said they will not stay in Manbij... Why don&#39;t you just go?&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Who did you bring there? PYD. Who did you bring there? YPG. Who did you bring there? PKK,&quot; he said.

Turkey considers YPG as Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency since 1984 and is designated a terrorist outfit by Ankara and its Western allies.

&quot;And then you tell us not to come to Manbij! We will come to Manbij to return it to its original owners,&quot; he added.

Turkey considers towns like Manbij to be originally Arab-majority territory whose ethnic balance was upset in favour of the Kurds during the seven-year civil war.

Turkey&#39;s Western allies, including the United States, do not classify the YPG as a terror group and have worked closely with its fighters in the battle against Islamic State jihadists.

In 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance dominated by the YPG, captured Manbij from IS.

In a show of anger at Turkey&#39;s NATO ally, Erdogan asked the United States what it was doing in Syria in the first place.

&quot;You do not have a border, you are not a neighbour (of Syria),&quot; he said. &quot;What&#39;s your business there? We have a 911 kilometre (566 miles) border.&quot;

Erdogan also accused US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama of failing to tell the truth over US support for the YPG.

&quot;They told us many things but unfortunately they did not tell the truth,&quot; Erdogan said. &quot;Mr Obama did not tell the truth and now Mr Trump is heading down the same path.&quot;

Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned the United States to withdraw any American forces from the Syrian town of Manbij, vowing Turkish troops would expand a cross-border military operation to the key strategic hub. Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which Ankara sees as terror groups. Turkey on January 20 launched a major operation aimed at ousting YPG forces from their enclave of the northwestern town of Afrin. However moving east to Manbij -- where unlike Afrin there is a US military presence -- would mark a major escalation. Accusing Washington of breaking past promises, Erdogan said: "They (Americans) told us they will pull out of Manbij. They said they will not stay in Manbij... Why don't you just go?" "Who did you bring there? PYD. Who did you bring there? YPG. Who did you bring there? PKK," he said. Turkey considers YPG as Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency since 1984 and is designated a terrorist outfit by Ankara and its Western allies. "And then you tell us not to come to Manbij! We will come to Manbij to return it to its original owners," he added. Turkey considers towns like Manbij to be originally Arab-majority territory whose ethnic balance was upset in favour of the Kurds during the seven-year civil war. Turkey's Western allies, including the United States, do not classify the YPG as a terror group and have worked closely with its fighters in the battle against Islamic State jihadists. In 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance dominated by the YPG, captured Manbij from IS. In a show of anger at Turkey's NATO ally, Erdogan asked the United States what it was doing in Syria in the first place. "You do not have a border, you are not a neighbour (of Syria)," he said. "What's your business there? We have a 911 kilometre (566 miles) border." Erdogan also accused US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama of failing to tell the truth over US support for the YPG. "They told us many things but unfortunately they did not tell the truth," Erdogan said. "Mr Obama did not tell the truth and now Mr Trump is heading down the same path."

Erdogan warns US to quit Syria's Manbij

A telephone call on Friday between U.S. and Turkish leaders marked a turning point in strained relations between the two countries, but Washington must honor a pledge to end weapons provisions to Syrian Kurdish fighters, Turkey said on Monday.

&quot;The &#39;We will not give weapons&#39; remarks from a U.S. president for the first time is important, but it will lose value if it is not implemented. It would be deceiving the world,&quot; Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.

The White House said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump informed Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Washington was adjusting the military support to partners on the ground in Syria.

The Syrian Kurdish YPG spearheads the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias fighting Islamic State with the help of a U.S.-led coalition.

A spokesperson for the coalition said on Sunday that it was looking at &quot;adjustments&quot; to the support it provides to the SDF, ranging from the number of advisers to training and artillery.

Weapons provided to Syrian YPG have been limited and mission specific, the spokesperson added.

Ankara has been infuriated by Washington&#39;s support for the YPG militia, seen by Turkey as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long insurgency in Turkey and is designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States, and European Union.

'The 'We will not give weapons' remarks from a U.S. president for the first time is important, but it will lose value if it is not implemented. It would be deceiving the world,' said the Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag

A telephone call on Friday between U.S. and Turkish leaders marked a turning point in strained relations between the two countries, but Washington must honor a pledge to end weapons provisions to Syrian Kurdish fighters, Turkey said on Monday. "The 'We will not give weapons' remarks from a U.S. president for the first time is important, but it will lose value if it is not implemented. It would be deceiving the world," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said. The White House said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump informed Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Washington was adjusting the military support to partners on the ground in Syria. The Syrian Kurdish YPG spearheads the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias fighting Islamic State with the help of a U.S.-led coalition. A spokesperson for the coalition said on Sunday that it was looking at "adjustments" to the support it provides to the SDF, ranging from the number of advisers to training and artillery. Weapons provided to Syrian YPG have been limited and mission specific, the spokesperson added. Ankara has been infuriated by Washington's support for the YPG militia, seen by Turkey as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long insurgency in Turkey and is designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States, and European Union.

Trump must keep pledge on not arming YPG militia: Turkey

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

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

A US-backed attack by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to capture the Syrian city of&nbsp;Raqqa&nbsp;from Islamic State began on Monday, the SDF militia told Reuters.

&quot;The campaign started yesterday to liberate&nbsp;Raqqa&nbsp;city,&quot; SDF spokesman Talal Silo said from Syria in a telephone interview. He said the attack had started from the north, east and west of the city.

The SDF is expected to hold a news conference later on Tuesday.

The multi-ethnic SDF, in a press release sent to WION, said the forces have encouraged civilians to depart Raqqa so that they are not used as human shields by Islamic State during the military offensive.

If Islamic State is flushed out of Raqqa, their so-called capital of the Caliphate, it would hugely undercut their influence and demoralise their fighters.

The coalition forces had started the operation to drive Islamic State out of Raqqa in November.

Lieutenant General Steve Townsend, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force &ndash; Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), said the fight for Raqqa&nbsp;will be long and difficult, but the offensive would deliver a decisive blow to the idea of IS&nbsp;as a physical caliphate: &quot;It&#39;s hard to convince new recruits that IS&nbsp;is a winning cause when they just lost their twin &#39;capitals&#39; in both Iraq and Syria.&quot; 
 
&quot;We all saw the heinous attack in Manchester, England,&quot; said Townsend.&nbsp; &quot;ISIS threatens all of our nations, not just Iraq and Syria, but in our own homelands as well. This cannot stand.&quot;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

Syrian Democratic Forces spokesperson confirmed that the attack started on Monday

A US-backed attack by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to capture the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State began on Monday, the SDF militia told Reuters. "The campaign started yesterday to liberate Raqqa city," SDF spokesman Talal Silo said from Syria in a telephone interview. He said the attack had started from the north, east and west of the city. The SDF is expected to hold a news conference later on Tuesday. The multi-ethnic SDF, in a press release sent to WION, said the forces have encouraged civilians to depart Raqqa so that they are not used as human shields by Islamic State during the military offensive. If Islamic State is flushed out of Raqqa, their so-called capital of the Caliphate, it would hugely undercut their influence and demoralise their fighters. The coalition forces had started the operation to drive Islamic State out of Raqqa in November. Lieutenant General Steve Townsend, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), said the fight for Raqqa will be long and difficult, but the offensive would deliver a decisive blow to the idea of IS as a physical caliphate: "It's hard to convince new recruits that IS is a winning cause when they just lost their twin 'capitals' in both Iraq and Syria." "We all saw the heinous attack in Manchester, England," said Townsend. "ISIS threatens all of our nations, not just Iraq and Syria, but in our own homelands as well. This cannot stand." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US-aided Syrian forces start IS-captured Raqqa offensive

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week, tightening &quot;their noose&quot; on Islamic State in an advance to isolate its base of operations at Raqqa, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said on Wednesday.

Some 3,000 to 4,000 Islamic State fighters are thought to be holed up in Raqqa city where they continue to erect defences against the anticipated assault, drawing coalition air strikes to stop them, Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, told Reuters in a phone interview from Baghdad.

The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been encircling Raqqa since November in a multi-phased offensive backed by the US-led coalition that is also fighting Islamic State in Iraq. Last week, the SDF accomplished a major goal by capturing Tabqa some 50 km (30 miles) west of Raqqa.

&quot;In the last week, the SDF have tightened their noose around ISIS in the northern and eastern and western part of Raqqa,&quot; Dillon said. SDF fighters had drawn as near as 4 km (2.5 miles) to Raqqa at their closest point to the city.

&quot;They have taken almost 350 sq kilometres of ground from ISIS, so they continue to just encroach and ... tighten, and tighten and tighten that isolation ring, quite frankly largely uncontested,&quot; he said.

The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, said last week it expects to launch the final assault on Raqqa city in early summer. YPG and SDF officials had previously given April start dates for the assault, but these slipped as the battle for Tabqa went on.

Asked about the timeframe, Dillon said: &quot;We do not try to stick to a timeline.

&quot;There&#39;s a principle of war called surprise and we want achieve that and we want our partner force to achieve that when they do decide it is the right time and place or places ... to start their assault.&quot;

Defences being erected by Islamic State include earthen berms, some of them designed to hold large pools of water. In some cases, these had collapsed, causing flooding in Raqqa city.

While the coalition already has armed Arab fighters in the SDF, the White House last week authorized supplying weapons for the YPG, to help in the Raqqa assault.

Dillon said there had been no deliveries and no specifics on the types of weapons and equipment the SDF will receive.

Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) that has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy and rights inside Turkey.

(Reuters)

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week, tightening "their noose" on Islamic State in an advance to isolate its base of operations at Raqqa, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said on Wednesday. Some 3,000 to 4,000 Islamic State fighters are thought to be holed up in Raqqa city where they continue to erect defences against the anticipated assault, drawing coalition air strikes to stop them, Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, told Reuters in a phone interview from Baghdad. The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been encircling Raqqa since November in a multi-phased offensive backed by the US-led coalition that is also fighting Islamic State in Iraq. Last week, the SDF accomplished a major goal by capturing Tabqa some 50 km (30 miles) west of Raqqa. "In the last week, the SDF have tightened their noose around ISIS in the northern and eastern and western part of Raqqa," Dillon said. SDF fighters had drawn as near as 4 km (2.5 miles) to Raqqa at their closest point to the city. "They have taken almost 350 sq kilometres of ground from ISIS, so they continue to just encroach and ... tighten, and tighten and tighten that isolation ring, quite frankly largely uncontested," he said. The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, said last week it expects to launch the final assault on Raqqa city in early summer. YPG and SDF officials had previously given April start dates for the assault, but these slipped as the battle for Tabqa went on. Asked about the timeframe, Dillon said: "We do not try to stick to a timeline. "There's a principle of war called surprise and we want achieve that and we want our partner force to achieve that when they do decide it is the right time and place or places ... to start their assault." Defences being erected by Islamic State include earthen berms, some of them designed to hold large pools of water. In some cases, these had collapsed, causing flooding in Raqqa city. While the coalition already has armed Arab fighters in the SDF, the White House last week authorized supplying weapons for the YPG, to help in the Raqqa assault. Dillon said there had been no deliveries and no specifics on the types of weapons and equipment the SDF will receive. Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy and rights inside Turkey. (Reuters)

Syrian force 'tightens noose' on Islamic State in Raqqa: US-led coalition

US-backed Syrian militias said they fully seized the town of&nbsp;Tabqa&nbsp;and Syria&#39;s largest dam from Islamic State on Wednesday, a major objective as they prepare to launch an assault on Raqqa city.&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, have been battling the jihadist group for weeks in&nbsp;Tabqa, some 40 km (25 miles) west of Raqqa, along the Euphrates river.&nbsp;

With air strikes and special forces from the US-led coalition, the SDF are advancing on Raqqa, Islamic State&#39;s base of operations in Syria, to ultimately take the city.&nbsp;

They captured&nbsp;Tabqa&nbsp;&quot;thanks to the sacrifices of the SDF&#39;s heroes and with the full, unlimited support of the US-led international coalition&quot;, said SDF spokesman Talal Silo.&nbsp;

Nasser Haj Mansour, an adviser to the SDF, said the town and the adjacent&nbsp;Tabqa&nbsp;dam were now &quot;completely liberated&quot; after the SDF drove all Islamic State militants out.&nbsp;

The Raqqa campaign appeared to have stalled around&nbsp;Tabqa, where the SDF made only slow progress after besieging the town. They pushed into the town nearly two weeks ago, capturing most of its districts and encircling Islamic State in the dam.&nbsp;

The battle for&nbsp;Tabqa&nbsp;began after US&nbsp;forces helped SDF fighters conduct an airborne landing on the southern bank of the Euphrates in late March, allowing them to gain control of an important nearby airbase.

Despite fierce objections from NATO ally Turkey, the United States this week approved supplying arms to the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, a key component of the SDF and their campaign.

Ankara strongly opposes US&nbsp;support of the YPG, viewing it as the Syrian extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency inside Turkey.

The YPG has emerged as a valuable partner for the United States in the fight against Islamic State in northern Syria. Washington says arming the Syrian Kurdish forces is necessary to capture Raqqa, which Islamic State has used a hub for planning attacks abroad.

Raqqa now lies in an Islamic State enclave on the northern bank of the Euphrates, after the SDF has closed in on the city from the north, east and west in recent months.&nbsp;

Islamic State&#39;s only means of crossing to its main territory south of the river is by boat after air strikes knocked the area&#39;s bridges out of service.&nbsp;

The jihadist group still controls swathes of Syria&#39;s vast eastern deserts and most of Deir al-Zor province near the border with Iraq, but it has lost tracts of its territory over the past year.

(Reuters)

The Raqqa campaign appeared to have stalled around?Tabqa, where the SDF made only slow progress after besieging the town. They pushed into the town nearly two weeks ago, capturing most of its districts and encircling Islamic State in the dam.?

US-backed Syrian militias said they fully seized the town of Tabqa and Syria's largest dam from Islamic State on Wednesday, a major objective as they prepare to launch an assault on Raqqa city. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, have been battling the jihadist group for weeks in Tabqa, some 40 km (25 miles) west of Raqqa, along the Euphrates river. With air strikes and special forces from the US-led coalition, the SDF are advancing on Raqqa, Islamic State's base of operations in Syria, to ultimately take the city. They captured Tabqa "thanks to the sacrifices of the SDF's heroes and with the full, unlimited support of the US-led international coalition", said SDF spokesman Talal Silo. Nasser Haj Mansour, an adviser to the SDF, said the town and the adjacent Tabqa dam were now "completely liberated" after the SDF drove all Islamic State militants out. The Raqqa campaign appeared to have stalled around Tabqa, where the SDF made only slow progress after besieging the town. They pushed into the town nearly two weeks ago, capturing most of its districts and encircling Islamic State in the dam. The battle for Tabqa began after US forces helped SDF fighters conduct an airborne landing on the southern bank of the Euphrates in late March, allowing them to gain control of an important nearby airbase. Despite fierce objections from NATO ally Turkey, the United States this week approved supplying arms to the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, a key component of the SDF and their campaign. Ankara strongly opposes US support of the YPG, viewing it as the Syrian extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency inside Turkey. The YPG has emerged as a valuable partner for the United States in the fight against Islamic State in northern Syria. Washington says arming the Syrian Kurdish forces is necessary to capture Raqqa, which Islamic State has used a hub for planning attacks abroad. Raqqa now lies in an Islamic State enclave on the northern bank of the Euphrates, after the SDF has closed in on the city from the north, east and west in recent months. Islamic State's only means of crossing to its main territory south of the river is by boat after air strikes knocked the area's bridges out of service. The jihadist group still controls swathes of Syria's vast eastern deserts and most of Deir al-Zor province near the border with Iraq, but it has lost tracts of its territory over the past year. (Reuters)

US-backed Syrian militias 'capture' Tabqa from Islamic State

US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria&#39;s largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa.

The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April.

This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city.

On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district.

SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said.

Islamic State still control the dam.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa.

In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State&#39;s pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014.

(Reuters)

The Syrian Democratic Forces have taken the old quarters of Tabqa, which has Syria's largest dam. But the dam remains under IS' control despite them having control of just 20% of the city

US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria's largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa. The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April. This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city. On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district. SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said. Islamic State still control the dam. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa. In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State's pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014. (Reuters)

US coalition ousts IS from vital town in Syria as part of Raqqa offensive

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

While the world waits to understand President Trump&#39;s strategy on Syria -- and pretty much everything else -- the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has decided to supply armoured vehicles to the Arab/Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).&nbsp;

The SDF has been the boots-on-the-ground against the IS for the past two years and is the main American ally in the Syrian conflict. The organisation is currently conducting an offensive which aims at taking control of the many villages surrounding Raqqa, the Islamic State&#39;s capital city in Syria. &nbsp;

There are no official figures, but it is believed that more than 40,000 men and women are involved in the offensive.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The SDF&#39;s enthusiasm is understandable. Armoured vehicles make a big difference in a war</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The SDF's enthusiasm is understandable. Armoured vehicles make a big difference in a war" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

SDF spokesperson Talal Silo told Reuters that the US decision marks an improvement in the support they receive. &quot;Previously we didn&#39;t get support in this form, we would get light weapons and ammunition,&quot; said Talal Silo. &quot;There are signs of full support from the new American leadership - more than before - for our forces.&quot;&nbsp;

The SDF&#39;s enthusiasm is understandable.

Armoured vehicles make a big difference in a war, they provide shelter to at least four soldiers and protection to the man shooting from the turret. It is however too early to say if this is a sign of increasing support. &nbsp;

American sources downplayed the matter, saying that it was just an ordinary move connected with military contingencies.

&quot;The department of defense only provides training and material support to the Syrian Arab Coalition (part of the SDF),&quot; Major Adrian JT&nbsp;Rankine-Galloway said in a statement.

A pentagon spokesperson told Reuters the armoured vehicles would help the SDF face down the threat of the many improvised explosive devices that the Islamic States leaves in its wake while retreating.&nbsp;

A plan for Syria, in 30 days

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding the Pentagon, the joint chiefs of staff, and other agencies submit, within 30 days, a preliminary plan for Syria.&nbsp;

If the new US administration wants to keep fighting the Islamic State in Syria, they will have to, soon, take a decision on the SDF&#39;s role.&nbsp;

Turkey, the second-largest NATO member, considers the SDF a threat to its national security.

The Turkish government claims the SDF is composed mostly of the left-wing People&#39;s Protection Unit (YPG), an organisation Ankara labels as &quot;terrorist&quot;. In his rallies, President Erdogan has repeatedly said that Turkey will fight both the YPG and the Islamic state.&nbsp;

Turkish soldiers are currently fighting on Syrian soil alongside local rebel groups in the area surrounding Al-Bab, ninety kilometres from Aleppo.&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces proved to be successful in the war against the Islamic State and have taken control of a large region of northern Syria, which they will most likely not be willing to leave if and when the war gets over.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has clearly said he will not allow an autonomous Kurdish region within his country.&nbsp;

Continuous &ndash; and more vigorous &ndash; &nbsp;US support to the SDF could translate into a further worsening of the US&#39;s political relations with Ankara, already close to their minimum. On the other hand, if the US stops supporting the SDF, they will be left virtually without an ally in Syria, and Russia, Iran, and Lebanon will take the lead &ndash; and the credit&nbsp;&ndash; of the so-called &quot;war on terror&quot;. The three countries support President Bashar al-Assad, a man whom Washington considers an enemy.&nbsp;

Whatever decision will come from the White House, it will not be free of consequences and it will significantly impact the US role in West Asia. &nbsp;

(WION woth inputs from Reuters)

The SDF has been the boots-on-the-ground against the IS for the past two years and is the main American ally in the Syrian conflict

While the world waits to understand President Trump's strategy on Syria -- and pretty much everything else -- the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has decided to supply armoured vehicles to the Arab/Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF has been the boots-on-the-ground against the IS for the past two years and is the main American ally in the Syrian conflict. The organisation is currently conducting an offensive which aims at taking control of the many villages surrounding Raqqa, the Islamic State's capital city in Syria. There are no official figures, but it is believed that more than 40,000 men and women are involved in the offensive. The SDF's enthusiasm is understandable. Armoured vehicles make a big difference in a war × SDF spokesperson Talal Silo told Reuters that the US decision marks an improvement in the support they receive. "Previously we didn't get support in this form, we would get light weapons and ammunition," said Talal Silo. "There are signs of full support from the new American leadership - more than before - for our forces." The SDF's enthusiasm is understandable. Armoured vehicles make a big difference in a war, they provide shelter to at least four soldiers and protection to the man shooting from the turret. It is however too early to say if this is a sign of increasing support. American sources downplayed the matter, saying that it was just an ordinary move connected with military contingencies. "The department of defense only provides training and material support to the Syrian Arab Coalition (part of the SDF)," Major Adrian JT Rankine-Galloway said in a statement. A pentagon spokesperson told Reuters the armoured vehicles would help the SDF face down the threat of the many improvised explosive devices that the Islamic States leaves in its wake while retreating. A plan for Syria, in 30 days Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding the Pentagon, the joint chiefs of staff, and other agencies submit, within 30 days, a preliminary plan for Syria. If the new US administration wants to keep fighting the Islamic State in Syria, they will have to, soon, take a decision on the SDF's role. Turkey, the second-largest NATO member, considers the SDF a threat to its national security. The Turkish government claims the SDF is composed mostly of the left-wing People's Protection Unit (YPG), an organisation Ankara labels as "terrorist". In his rallies, President Erdogan has repeatedly said that Turkey will fight both the YPG and the Islamic state. Turkish soldiers are currently fighting on Syrian soil alongside local rebel groups in the area surrounding Al-Bab, ninety kilometres from Aleppo. The Syrian Democratic Forces proved to be successful in the war against the Islamic State and have taken control of a large region of northern Syria, which they will most likely not be willing to leave if and when the war gets over. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has clearly said he will not allow an autonomous Kurdish region within his country. Continuous – and more vigorous – US support to the SDF could translate into a further worsening of the US's political relations with Ankara, already close to their minimum. On the other hand, if the US stops supporting the SDF, they will be left virtually without an ally in Syria, and Russia, Iran, and Lebanon will take the lead – and the credit – of the so-called "war on terror". The three countries support President Bashar al-Assad, a man whom Washington considers an enemy. Whatever decision will come from the White House, it will not be free of consequences and it will significantly impact the US role in West Asia. (WION woth inputs from Reuters)

US to give Syrian Democratic Forces armoured vehicles

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group&#39;s de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul.

&quot;The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun,&quot; Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion.

The operation, dubbed &quot;The Wrath of the Euphrates,&quot; involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said.

SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then &quot;taking control of the city&quot; itself.

&quot;The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria,&quot; he said.

An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline.

The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot;.

The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts.

After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists.

Complicated battlefield

The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group&#39;s claim to a self-declared &quot;state&quot;.

But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process.

Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014.&nbsp;

The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF.

Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles.

Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place &quot;within weeks&quot;.

The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa &quot;has been part of our planning for quite a while,&quot; he said.

But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated.

After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory.

Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition&#39;s potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault.

Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August.

Scene of worst atrocities

Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey&#39;s fierce opposition to the YPG.

Ankara considers the militia a &quot;terrorist&quot; group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG.

Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had &quot;agreed definitively&quot; with the United States &quot;that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation&quot; to capture Raqa.&nbsp;

In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country.

It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began.

IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic &quot;caliphate&quot; in Syria and Iraq.

Raqa became the scene of some of IS&#39;s worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves.&nbsp;

Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group&#39;s attacks abroad.

(AFP)

Syrian forces' spokesman said it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa , then 'taking control of the city' itself

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group's de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul. "The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun," Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion. The operation, dubbed "The Wrath of the Euphrates," involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said. SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then "taking control of the city" itself. "The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria," he said. An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline. The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border "caliphate". The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts. After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists. Complicated battlefield The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group's claim to a self-declared "state". But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process. Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014. The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF. Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles. Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place "within weeks". The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa "has been part of our planning for quite a while," he said. But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated. After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory. Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition's potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault. Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August. Scene of worst atrocities Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey's fierce opposition to the YPG. Ankara considers the militia a "terrorist" group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG. Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had "agreed definitively" with the United States "that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation" to capture Raqa. In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country. It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began. IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq. Raqa became the scene of some of IS's worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves. Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group's attacks abroad. (AFP)

Syria: US-backed forces launch offensive to capture Islamic State's 'capital'

At least 22 people were killed on Monday when a suicide attacker blew himself at an SDF member&#39;s wedding in the northeastern province of Hasakeh, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Observatory head&nbsp;Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, &quot; A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a hall in Tall Tawil village during the wedding of a member of the Syrian Democratic Forces, killing at least 22 civilians.&quot;

However, a hospital source said there were &quot;more than 20 dead and dozens wounded&quot; in the suicide attack.&nbsp;

A relative of the groom&nbsp;told AFP the bride and groom were safe. The Syrian monitor and local Kurdish officials had earlier said the groom had been killed.&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces, an Arab-kurdish coalition, are fighting Islamic State militants in northern Syria.&nbsp;

A wedding guest, Ahmad, told AFP, &quot;As the bride and groom were exchanging their vows I saw a man wearing a thick black jacket pass beside me.&quot;

&quot;I thought he looked strange and a few seconds later there was an enormous explosion,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;People had fallen on the ground and I saw bodies torn to bits, &quot; he added. Ahmad&#39;s head was wounded in the blast.

Islamic State issued a statement saying one of its fighters attacked a &quot;large gathering&quot; of Kurdish fighters, killing 40 north of Hasakeh. The statement did not mention a wedding.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

'People had fallen on the ground and I saw bodies torn to bits,' said one witness

At least 22 people were killed on Monday when a suicide attacker blew himself at an SDF member's wedding in the northeastern province of Hasakeh, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, " A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a hall in Tall Tawil village during the wedding of a member of the Syrian Democratic Forces, killing at least 22 civilians." However, a hospital source said there were "more than 20 dead and dozens wounded" in the suicide attack. A relative of the groom told AFP the bride and groom were safe. The Syrian monitor and local Kurdish officials had earlier said the groom had been killed. The Syrian Democratic Forces, an Arab-kurdish coalition, are fighting Islamic State militants in northern Syria. A wedding guest, Ahmad, told AFP, "As the bride and groom were exchanging their vows I saw a man wearing a thick black jacket pass beside me." "I thought he looked strange and a few seconds later there was an enormous explosion," he said. "People had fallen on the ground and I saw bodies torn to bits, " he added. Ahmad's head was wounded in the blast. Islamic State issued a statement saying one of its fighters attacked a "large gathering" of Kurdish fighters, killing 40 north of Hasakeh. The statement did not mention a wedding. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Suicide attack on Syria wedding kills 22

Islamic State group jihadists have released hundreds of civilians used as human shields while fleeing a crumbling stronghold in northern Syria, but the fate of others remained unknown today. 
 
The last remaining IS fighters abandoned Manbij near the Turkish border yesterday after a rout that the Pentagon said showed the extremists were &quot;on the ropes&quot;. 
 
The retreat from the city, which IS captured in 2014, marked the jihadists&#39; worst defeat yet at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurdish alliance supported by US air strikes. 
 
Fleeing jihadists took around 2,000 civilians, including women and children, yesterday to ward off air strikes as they headed to the IS-held frontier town of Jarabulus, according to the SDF. 
 
At least some of the civilians were later released or escaped, the alliance said today, but the whereabouts of the rest was unknown. 
 
&quot;There are no more IS fighters&quot; left in Manbij, an SDF member said. 
 
Kurdish television showed footage of jubilant civilians in Manbij, including smiling mothers who had shed their veils and women embracing Kurdish fighters. 
 
Booby-trapped houses 
 
A woman burned a black robe that the jihadists had forced residents to wear, while men who had lived for weeks under a shaving ban cut their beards with scissors. 
 
&quot;The battle was very hard,&quot; a Kurdish source told AFP. 
 
&quot;And the jihadists had laid mines&quot; in the city. 
 
&quot;One SDF fighter entered a house on Friday and saw a shoe placed on a Koran. When he removed it there was an explosion and he was killed,&quot; this source said. 
 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, reported that several hundred of the civilians taken from the city were no longer being held by IS. 
 
&quot;Among the civilians taken by IS there were people used as human shields but also many who chose voluntarily to leave the town due to fear of reprisals&quot; by the SDF, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. 
 
The SDF launched an assault in May on Manbij, on a key jihadist supply route between the Turkish border and IS&#39;s de facto Syrian capital Raqa. 
 
The jihadists, who have suffered a string of losses in Syria and Iraq, have often staged mass abductions when they come under pressure to relinquish territory they hold. 
 
IS has also booby-trapped cars and carried out suicide bombings to slow advances by their opponents. 
 
Hundreds killed 
 
SDF forces captured Manbij on August 6 but had continued to battle pockets of jihadists in parts of the town. 
 
According to the Observatory, 437 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed in the battle for Manbij and surrounding territory. 
 
Around 300 SDF fighters died, along with more than 1,000 jihadists, it said. 
 
Pentagon deputy press secretary Gordon Trowbridge said Friday that IS &quot;is clearly on the ropes&quot;. 
 
&quot;It has lost the centre of Manbij, it has lost control of Manbij,&quot; he said. 
 
Since fighting for Manbij began, US-led strikes have taken out more than 50 of IS&#39;s heavy weapons and destroyed more than 600 fortified fighting positions, Trowbridge said. 
 
But the job of clearing the city will be complicated after the jihadists left behind hundreds of mines and booby traps, he added. 
 
Syria&#39;s conflict erupted in March 2011 and has since killed more than 290,000 people and drawn in world powers on all sides of the war. 
 
Yesterday Russian and Syrian jets pounded rebel positions in and around second city Aleppo. 
 
The raids came despite a pledge by Russia to observe a three-hour daily ceasefire in Aleppo to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries. 
 
(AFP)

Fleeing jihadists took around 2,000 civilians, yesterday to ward off air strikes as they headed to IS-held town of Jarabulus

Islamic State group jihadists have released hundreds of civilians used as human shields while fleeing a crumbling stronghold in northern Syria, but the fate of others remained unknown today. The last remaining IS fighters abandoned Manbij near the Turkish border yesterday after a rout that the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes". The retreat from the city, which IS captured in 2014, marked the jihadists' worst defeat yet at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurdish alliance supported by US air strikes. Fleeing jihadists took around 2,000 civilians, including women and children, yesterday to ward off air strikes as they headed to the IS-held frontier town of Jarabulus, according to the SDF. At least some of the civilians were later released or escaped, the alliance said today, but the whereabouts of the rest was unknown. "There are no more IS fighters" left in Manbij, an SDF member said. Kurdish television showed footage of jubilant civilians in Manbij, including smiling mothers who had shed their veils and women embracing Kurdish fighters. Booby-trapped houses A woman burned a black robe that the jihadists had forced residents to wear, while men who had lived for weeks under a shaving ban cut their beards with scissors. "The battle was very hard," a Kurdish source told AFP. "And the jihadists had laid mines" in the city. "One SDF fighter entered a house on Friday and saw a shoe placed on a Koran. When he removed it there was an explosion and he was killed," this source said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, reported that several hundred of the civilians taken from the city were no longer being held by IS. "Among the civilians taken by IS there were people used as human shields but also many who chose voluntarily to leave the town due to fear of reprisals" by the SDF, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. The SDF launched an assault in May on Manbij, on a key jihadist supply route between the Turkish border and IS's de facto Syrian capital Raqa. The jihadists, who have suffered a string of losses in Syria and Iraq, have often staged mass abductions when they come under pressure to relinquish territory they hold. IS has also booby-trapped cars and carried out suicide bombings to slow advances by their opponents. Hundreds killed SDF forces captured Manbij on August 6 but had continued to battle pockets of jihadists in parts of the town. According to the Observatory, 437 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed in the battle for Manbij and surrounding territory. Around 300 SDF fighters died, along with more than 1,000 jihadists, it said. Pentagon deputy press secretary Gordon Trowbridge said Friday that IS "is clearly on the ropes". "It has lost the centre of Manbij, it has lost control of Manbij," he said. Since fighting for Manbij began, US-led strikes have taken out more than 50 of IS's heavy weapons and destroyed more than 600 fortified fighting positions, Trowbridge said. But the job of clearing the city will be complicated after the jihadists left behind hundreds of mines and booby traps, he added. Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 and has since killed more than 290,000 people and drawn in world powers on all sides of the war. Yesterday Russian and Syrian jets pounded rebel positions in and around second city Aleppo. The raids came despite a pledge by Russia to observe a three-hour daily ceasefire in Aleppo to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries. (AFP)

Islamic State frees hundreds of 'human shields' in Syria

Turkey is offering to &quot;join forces&quot; with Washington for a special operation inside Syria on condition it doesn`t include a Syrian Kurdish militia blacklisted by Ankara but seen as an ally by the US, the foreign minister said. 
Washington`s support of Kurdish fighters in Syria in the fight against Islamic State jihadists has angered Ankara, especially after AFP pictures last week revealed US commandos sporting patches of the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) detested by Turkey. 
&quot;If we join forces, they (the US) have their own special forces and we have our special forces,&quot; Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a small group of journalists in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya. 
Such a coalition could &quot;easily&quot; head to IS` de facto capital in Raqa to the south in a second front, he said. 
There was no immediate reaction to the proposal from the United States, whose strategy for fighting jihadists inside Syria is pinned on its alliance with the &nbsp;Syrian Kurds. 
The US is supporting an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters-- the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-- as the most effective fighting force on the ground against IS. 
But the SDF is still dominated by the YPG, which Turkey sees as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has fought a three decade insurgency against the Turkish state. 
Cavusoglu said Syrian Arab opposition forces opposing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad could be backed up with special forces from Turkey, the United States as well as from France, Britain and Germany. 
&quot;The subject we are discussing with the Americans is the closure of the Manbij pocket as soon as possible... and the opening of a second front,&quot; Cavusoglu said, referring to a backdoor border route favoured by IS for smuggling jihadists into and out of Syria. 
&quot;We say okay, a second front should be opened but not with the PYD,&quot; he said, referring to the Democratic Union Party, the YPG`s political wing.&nbsp;&quot;Unfortunately, both Russia and the United States see a terrorist organisation as a partner and support it,&quot; he added. 
In Ankara, government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus declined to comment on details of any operation, but said Turkey placed top priority on protecting a line stretching between Syria`s flashpoint towns of Marea and Jarablus. 
&quot;Turkey is determined whatever is needed to protect the line from terrorist groups,&quot; he said on Monday after a cabinet meeting.The dispute over the role of the YPG has proved a major bone of contention in relations between the two NATO allies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the weekend accused the US of dishonesty. 
Cavusoglu lamented the delay in the delivery of American light multiple rocket launchers to be deployed along its border with Syria to combat IS. 
The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) was supposed to be deployed along the Turkish border by the end of May, but Cavusoglu said it would now only happen in August. 
&quot;The United States is unfortunately not keeping its promise,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;We are completely ready. Not us, but the US is responsible for the delay,&quot; he added. 
The system would allow Turkey to hit IS positions within a 90-kilometre (56-mile) range, while Turkish artillery has a more limited range of 40 kilometres. 
Yet Turkish cooperation is critical for the US-led fight against IS, with coalition war planes using the southern Turkish base of Incirlik as a hub for attacks on the group. 
Cavusoglu said US support for YPG was &quot;very dangerous&quot; for the future of Syria. 
Asked if could have implications for the US use of Incirlik, he replied: &quot;The United States is our NATO ally, model partner. To be honest, we don`t want the business to reach that stage.&quot;

With support from Turkey and the US-led coalition, rebels in the northern province of Aleppo have been fighting for months to clear the Islamic State (IS) from the Aleppo countryside.

Turkey is offering to "join forces" with Washington for a special operation inside Syria on condition it doesn`t include a Syrian Kurdish militia blacklisted by Ankara but seen as an ally by the US, the foreign minister said. Washington`s support of Kurdish fighters in Syria in the fight against Islamic State jihadists has angered Ankara, especially after AFP pictures last week revealed US commandos sporting patches of the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) detested by Turkey. "If we join forces, they (the US) have their own special forces and we have our special forces," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a small group of journalists in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya. Such a coalition could "easily" head to IS` de facto capital in Raqa to the south in a second front, he said. There was no immediate reaction to the proposal from the United States, whose strategy for fighting jihadists inside Syria is pinned on its alliance with the Syrian Kurds. The US is supporting an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters-- the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-- as the most effective fighting force on the ground against IS. But the SDF is still dominated by the YPG, which Turkey sees as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has fought a three decade insurgency against the Turkish state. Cavusoglu said Syrian Arab opposition forces opposing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad could be backed up with special forces from Turkey, the United States as well as from France, Britain and Germany. "The subject we are discussing with the Americans is the closure of the Manbij pocket as soon as possible... and the opening of a second front," Cavusoglu said, referring to a backdoor border route favoured by IS for smuggling jihadists into and out of Syria. "We say okay, a second front should be opened but not with the PYD," he said, referring to the Democratic Union Party, the YPG`s political wing. "Unfortunately, both Russia and the United States see a terrorist organisation as a partner and support it," he added. In Ankara, government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus declined to comment on details of any operation, but said Turkey placed top priority on protecting a line stretching between Syria`s flashpoint towns of Marea and Jarablus. "Turkey is determined whatever is needed to protect the line from terrorist groups," he said on Monday after a cabinet meeting.The dispute over the role of the YPG has proved a major bone of contention in relations between the two NATO allies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the weekend accused the US of dishonesty. Cavusoglu lamented the delay in the delivery of American light multiple rocket launchers to be deployed along its border with Syria to combat IS. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) was supposed to be deployed along the Turkish border by the end of May, but Cavusoglu said it would now only happen in August. "The United States is unfortunately not keeping its promise," he said. "We are completely ready. Not us, but the US is responsible for the delay," he added. The system would allow Turkey to hit IS positions within a 90-kilometre (56-mile) range, while Turkish artillery has a more limited range of 40 kilometres. Yet Turkish cooperation is critical for the US-led fight against IS, with coalition war planes using the southern Turkish base of Incirlik as a hub for attacks on the group. Cavusoglu said US support for YPG was "very dangerous" for the future of Syria. Asked if could have implications for the US use of Incirlik, he replied: "The United States is our NATO ally, model partner. To be honest, we don`t want the business to reach that stage."

Turkey offers US joint Syria operation, without the Kurds