US-backed fighters battle IS around north Syria town
US-backed forces battled the Islamic State group around a key Syrian town today, after the capture of an airbase brought them closer to besieging the jihadists in their stronghold Raqa.
US-backed forces battled the Islamic State group around a key Syrian town today, after the capture of an airbase brought them closer to besieging the jihadists in their stronghold Raqa.
Backed by air power from the US-led coalition that has been bombing IS since 2014, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are laying the groundwork for an assault on the heart of the jihadists' so-called "caliphate".
Operations are currently focused on the strategically important town of Tabqa on the Euphrates River, and the adjacent dam and military airport.
Late yesterday, Arab and Kurdish fighters from the SDF seized Tabqa airbase and pressed north towards the town itself.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, said the SDF was fighting north of the airport to reinforce its positions.
"The SDF could bring supplies to the airport in the coming days and use it as a launching point for additional military operations," he added, reporting "heavy strikes" in the area.
SDF spokesman Talal Sello told
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)