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Syrian Democratic Forces Make Progress With Coalition Aid in Raqqa Operation

Sputnik News

23:03 07.11.2016(updated 23:10 07.11.2016)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have already made progress in the three days since they launched the operation to recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh, US Department of Defense spokesman Peter Cook said in a press briefing on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – On Sunday, the Kurdish-led SDF announced in a press conference in Ayn Isa the launch of the operation Wrath of Euphrates to retake the Daesh's de facto capital of Raqqa.

On Monday, SDF commander Rojda Felat said the offensive advanced more than six miles south from Ayn Isa and nearly seven miles from the town of Saluq in the northeast.

"We are confident that, with the help of the coalition they will be successful," Cook told reporters. "In fact, SDF forces have already made progress since they began their move against Raqqa on Saturday."

The US-led coalition said it carried out 16 airstrikes on Daesh positions near Ayn Isa on Sunday, hitting the group's tactical units and several car bombs.

At the same time, Syrian media have reported taht the operation is no more than a part of the US information campaign aimed at diverting attention from scandals around the US elections.

"The battle for liberation of Raqqa from IS declared yesterday is just an information campaign. SDF cannot fight against IS even if fully supported by Washington and Paris," the Al-Watan newspaper has cited a diplomatic source in Paris as saying."They need such achievements several hours before the start of presidential elections amid scandals around Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama."

The source added that "SDF will hardly advance to more than several symbolic kilometers toward Raqqa in coming hours during the elections."

The Wrath of Euphrates force includes a reported 30,000 fighters, including Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians. According to media reports, US special forces are backing the advance.

© Sputnik