Posted on 04/21/2017 2:08:51 AM PDT by elhombrelibre
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (5:20 P.M.) – The long-awaited battle for Raqqa may very soon begin as the US-backed ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) advanced several kilometers in the northern Raqqa countryside today, seizing a dozen villages and hamlets from ISIS.
As part of stage four of the Euphrates Wrath offensive, units of the YPG-led SDF launched a blitz offensive that saw Kurdish troops seize a large chunk of territory along a road running horizantally north of Raqqa, threatening to cutoff an ISIS bulge in the area.
Effectively, the SDF were able to impose full control over the villages of Jisr Shahin, Al-Ruhayyat, Bir Jarbu, Jaroua, Im Emk and Hitash.
At least a jihadist dozen militants were neutralized, pictures revealed. Seven corpses were recovered by the SDF while others were either wounded or retrieved by ISIS. Meanwhile, new SDF gains were also reported in Tabqa.
More news on the latter development will follow shortly…
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-coalition-destroys-every-bridge-inside-northern-raqqa-town/
Yet our other “ally” Turkey bombs these particular “rebels”...mixed up mess!
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22798391
Yes, with “allies” like these who needs enemies.
Stop! It’s a trap.
There's the problem - Turkey is afraid the Iraq Kurds and the Syrian Kurds are going to join to form an autonomous state on their border. I think that's what Operation Euphrates Shield was about - keeping the Kurds out of a buffer zone. OTOH, the only reliable fighters the US can tap are the Kurds. But part of that problem is, the Kurds want to displace the Christians. Killing Isis is good, tho.
That seems far from being an absolute; there have been some incidences of strife between Kurds and Christians but overall, cooperation. The Assyrian (Christians) news website is worth exploring.
http://www.aina.org/news/20150203231600.htm
One article; Christian fought with the Peshmerga, Kurds.
SDF is mainly a Kurdish force but has Christians and Arabs too.
In a choice between Turkey and the Kurds, I’ll take the Kurds. They need to have their own Sovereign country and the Turks need to go back to Attaturk’s policies.
They will be getting a better late than never arms shipment...
“Government Approves $300 Million Sale Of Guns And Humvees To The Kurds”
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