US sends over 100 more truckloads of weapons to YPG: report

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The United States has reportedly sent over 100 more truckloads of weapons to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) as they battle the Islamic State (IS) in Raqqa.

The trucks which were carrying hummers, jeeps, lifting cranes, and other types of weaponry entered the Hasakah region from the Iraqi border, Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported.

Since early June, the US has sent about 800 trucks of military supplies to the YPG forces as they continue to defeat IS in Syria.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded by the YPG, are making “consistent gains” against IS in Raqqa, according to coalition spokesperson Colonel Ryan Dillon.

“We’ve seen a less coherent [IS] defense in Raqqa compared to Mosul,” Dillon said referring to the operation against the militant group in neighboring Iraq.

“[IS] is still using car bombs, booby traps, and civilians to hide behind, but their inability to address the multiple advances from the SDF is apparent,” he added.

Meanwhile, an unnamed Kurdish official said SDF fighters advancing from the east and west of Raqqa are only separated by a few streets where clashes are ongoing.

“There is a fierce resistance from [IS], so we can’t determine when exactly we’ll take [full control],” the official told Reuters on Tuesday.

“Around 90 percent of the southern neighborhood has been liberated,” the Kurdish official added.

The YPG-led SDF forces launched the Raqqa campaign in early June.

Full control of southern districts in Raqqa would cut off IS’ last remaining path to the Euphrates River which is located south of the city.

Editing by Ava Homa