The United States on Tuesday began providing small arms to Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State group in northern Syria, the Pentagon said, fulfilling a pledge that has infuriated Turkey.

The weapons transfers have begun ahead of an upcoming offensive to recapture Raqa, the last major bastion for IS in Syria.

&quot;We have begun to transfer small arms and vehicles to the Kurdish elements&quot; of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said, referring to a Kurdish-Syrian Arab alliance fighting IS.

The weapons include AK-47s and small-caliber machine guns, Rankine-Galloway added.

President Donald Trump this month approved arming the fighters from the&nbsp;Kurdish Peoples&#39; Protection Units (YPG).

But Turkey says the YPG is linked to Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) separatists inside Turkey, who have waged an insurgency since 1984 that has killed more than 40,000 people.

(AFP)

Weapons include AK-47s and small-caliber machine guns, Pentagon said

The United States on Tuesday began providing small arms to Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State group in northern Syria, the Pentagon said, fulfilling a pledge that has infuriated Turkey. The weapons transfers have begun ahead of an upcoming offensive to recapture Raqa, the last major bastion for IS in Syria. "We have begun to transfer small arms and vehicles to the Kurdish elements" of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said, referring to a Kurdish-Syrian Arab alliance fighting IS. The weapons include AK-47s and small-caliber machine guns, Rankine-Galloway added. President Donald Trump this month approved arming the fighters from the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG). But Turkey says the YPG is linked to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) separatists inside Turkey, who have waged an insurgency since 1984 that has killed more than 40,000 people. (AFP)

US starts arming Kurdish fighters to battle IS militants

Two US troops were killed and one was wounded while fighting an Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, the US military said Thursday, near where Washington this month dropped the &quot;Mother of All Bombs&quot;.

US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops &quot;came under attack during a raid against insurgents in Nangarhar province&quot; late Wednesday.

The troops were working with partnered Afghan soldiers in the raid against IS Khorasan, a local offshoot of the jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria.

&quot;The fight against ISIS-K is important for the world, but sadly, it is not without sacrifice,&quot; said US Forces-Afghanistan chief General John Nicholson, using the military&#39;s name for IS Khorasan.

In mid-April, the US military earlier dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions in Nangarhar.&nbsp;

The deployment of the so-called Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defence ministry, but fighting in the area has continued.&nbsp;

&quot;Last night US forces along with some Afghan forces, conducted a night time operation in a village next to Assadkhail village (site of the MOAB),&quot; the governor of Achin district, where the fighting took place, Ismail Shinwari, told AFP.

&quot;They used helicopters to deploy forces and the sound of heavy fighting could be heard from the site. We don&#39;t know anything about possible American casualties, but as per our information, up to 40 IS fighters were killed in the operation,&quot; he added.

On Thursday evening the Islamic State group claimed on its website to have repelled an attack conducted by American and Afghan forces and to have caused US casualties.&nbsp;

US Forces-Afghanistan did not immediately provide additional information ahead of notification of the dead troops&#39; next of kin.&nbsp;

An American special forces soldier was killed while conducting operations against IS in Nangarhar on April 8.

America has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Most are part of a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces.&nbsp;

But about 2,150 of these troops work in a counterterrorism role and are more likely to be engaged in actual combat.

IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists.

But the group has steadily lost ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

This week Afghan authorities arrested 35 soldiers who served on an army base in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban staged a deadly attack last week as fears grew they had inside help.

The brutal assault in which 135 recruits were killed is believed to be the deadliest-ever Taliban attack on a military installation.

Afghan forces, already beset by killings and desertions, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014.

(AFP)

US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops 'came under attack' during an operation in an area not very far from where the 'Mother of All Bombs' was dropped

Two US troops were killed and one was wounded while fighting an Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, the US military said Thursday, near where Washington this month dropped the "Mother of All Bombs". US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops "came under attack during a raid against insurgents in Nangarhar province" late Wednesday. The troops were working with partnered Afghan soldiers in the raid against IS Khorasan, a local offshoot of the jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. "The fight against ISIS-K is important for the world, but sadly, it is not without sacrifice," said US Forces-Afghanistan chief General John Nicholson, using the military's name for IS Khorasan. In mid-April, the US military earlier dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions in Nangarhar. The deployment of the so-called Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defence ministry, but fighting in the area has continued. "Last night US forces along with some Afghan forces, conducted a night time operation in a village next to Assadkhail village (site of the MOAB)," the governor of Achin district, where the fighting took place, Ismail Shinwari, told AFP. "They used helicopters to deploy forces and the sound of heavy fighting could be heard from the site. We don't know anything about possible American casualties, but as per our information, up to 40 IS fighters were killed in the operation," he added. On Thursday evening the Islamic State group claimed on its website to have repelled an attack conducted by American and Afghan forces and to have caused US casualties. US Forces-Afghanistan did not immediately provide additional information ahead of notification of the dead troops' next of kin. An American special forces soldier was killed while conducting operations against IS in Nangarhar on April 8. America has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Most are part of a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces. But about 2,150 of these troops work in a counterterrorism role and are more likely to be engaged in actual combat. IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists. But the group has steadily lost ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces. This week Afghan authorities arrested 35 soldiers who served on an army base in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban staged a deadly attack last week as fears grew they had inside help. The brutal assault in which 135 recruits were killed is believed to be the deadliest-ever Taliban attack on a military installation. Afghan forces, already beset by killings and desertions, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014. (AFP)

Two US troops killed, one hurt during raid against IS in Afghanistan

The United States deployed additional troops to drive out Islamist State from their stronghold Raqa, Syria.

The US-led coalition announced they had deployed another 400 troops on the ground in Syria.

At the moment, the US have 500 troops fighting in Raqa, as Iraqi forces advanced on the IS group in west Mosul on Thursday.

US-led coalition spokesperson&nbsp;Colonel John Dorrian said the reinforcements &quot;are temporary forces&quot;, adding that the long-term strength would remain at 500.

The additional deployment comes as the US announced they&nbsp;would host a meeting of the 68 members of the coalition fighting IS on March 22.

The American military buildup comes amid calls by President Donald Trump for new plans to accelerate the pace of the war against the Sunni Muslim extremists.

IS jihadists are facing simultaneous offensives in northern Syria by government forces, Turkish-backed rebels, and a US-supported alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.

In the latest sign they are feeling the squeeze, their chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported to have abandoned Mosul, leaving local commanders behind to fight the Iraqi forces.

&quot;He was in Mosul at some point before the offensive.... He left before we isolated Mosul and Tal Afar,&quot; a town to the west, said a US defence official.

&quot;He probably gave broad strategic guidance&nbsp;and has left it to battlefield commanders.&quot;

Baghdadi, who declared IS&#39;s cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot; at a Mosul mosque in 2014, in an audio message in November urged supporters to make a stand in the city rather than &quot;retreating in shame&quot;.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake west of Mosul, after having regained the eastern part of the city last October.

In recent days Iraqi forces have retaken a series of neighbourhoods and a museum where IS militants filmed themselves destroying priceless artefacts.

Iraq&#39;s Joint Operations Command announced Thursday the elite Counter-Terrorism Service recaptured the Mualemeen neighbourhood in west Mosul.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The reinforcement means the US now have 900 of its troops on the ground in Syria

The United States deployed additional troops to drive out Islamist State from their stronghold Raqa, Syria. The US-led coalition announced they had deployed another 400 troops on the ground in Syria. At the moment, the US have 500 troops fighting in Raqa, as Iraqi forces advanced on the IS group in west Mosul on Thursday. US-led coalition spokesperson Colonel John Dorrian said the reinforcements "are temporary forces", adding that the long-term strength would remain at 500. The additional deployment comes as the US announced they would host a meeting of the 68 members of the coalition fighting IS on March 22. The American military buildup comes amid calls by President Donald Trump for new plans to accelerate the pace of the war against the Sunni Muslim extremists. IS jihadists are facing simultaneous offensives in northern Syria by government forces, Turkish-backed rebels, and a US-supported alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters. In the latest sign they are feeling the squeeze, their chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported to have abandoned Mosul, leaving local commanders behind to fight the Iraqi forces. "He was in Mosul at some point before the offensive.... He left before we isolated Mosul and Tal Afar," a town to the west, said a US defence official. "He probably gave broad strategic guidance and has left it to battlefield commanders." Baghdadi, who declared IS's cross-border "caliphate" at a Mosul mosque in 2014, in an audio message in November urged supporters to make a stand in the city rather than "retreating in shame". Meanwhile, Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake west of Mosul, after having regained the eastern part of the city last October. In recent days Iraqi forces have retaken a series of neighbourhoods and a museum where IS militants filmed themselves destroying priceless artefacts. Iraq's Joint Operations Command announced Thursday the elite Counter-Terrorism Service recaptured the Mualemeen neighbourhood in west Mosul. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US deploys 400 additional troops to oust IS from stronghold Raqa

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US starts arming Kurdish fighters to battle IS militants

Two US troops killed, one hurt during raid against IS in Afghanistan

US deploys 400 additional troops to oust IS from stronghold Raqa