US coalition bombs ISIS in support of Kurdish-led SDF

[Anthea]

US coalition bombs ISIS positions in support of Kurdish-led SDF near Raqqa
Reporting by: Hozan Mamo

KOBANE – Aircraft of the US-led coalition on Tuesday launched a number of airstrikes on headquarters of the Islamic State (ISIS) radical group in Syria’s northeastern Raqqa province. This comes as the Kurdish-Led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) started a campaign to liberate Raqqa province from ISIS militants.

In its first phase, the SDF campaign would focus on capturing the countryside of Raqqa, which will serve as a launching pad for more operations against ISIS in its de facto capital in the future.

“US-led coalition’s fighter jets launched over a dozen airstrikes against ISIS tactical units and fighting positions in northern Raqqa,” SDF officer Habun Osman told ARA News. “The raids bombed ISIS in the southeastern suburb of Ain Issa town in northern Raqqa.”

“The coalition’s air cover is helping our troops to advance on the ground,” Osman said.

The Kurdish officer reported that SDF troops were engaged in fierce clashes with ISIS near the Jubriyat Khalil town of Raqqa province on Tuesday evening.

The western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday afternoon launched an operation to capture the countryside of Raqqa from the Islamic State (ISIS) group, military sources told ARA News.

“Cleansing these territories from ISIS starts now from the north of Raqqa,” Kurdish Defence Minister of the Rojava Auto-Administration told ARA News in Kobane.

“We began the operation to liberate northern Raqqa with the participation of all the Syrian democratic forces and the support of the international coalition aircraft. The goal of the campaign is to liberate the people of this region from the injustices of the ISIS mercenaries. Through this campaign, we will liberate the north of Raqqa,” said Abu Fayyad, SDF commander in Tel Abyad city–north of Raqqa.

http://aranews.net/2016/05/us-coalition ... ear-raqqa/