Kurdish-led SDF announces the start of Raqqa operation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday announced the launch of the military operation to liberate Raqqa from the Islamic State (IS).

In a press conference held in Ein al-Issa near Raqqa, an SDF representative stated the US would provide aerial support to the fighter group during the offensive.

The group mentioned that only the SDF fighters would participate in the ground battle of freeing Raqqa.

SDF is a mixed force that consists mostly of Kurdish fighters known as People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women Protection Units (YPJ) with some Arab and Turkmen groups that jointly fight against the extremist group in northern Syria.

Additionally, the Kurdish-led group stated some 30,000 fighters would participate in the operation.

Moreover, the SDF representative called on civilians to stay away from the areas where the IS bases are located.

On Sunday morning, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the Defense Minister of France, which is part of the US-led coalition, said the Raqqa offensive should begin while the Mosul operation is on-going.

“I believe it will be necessary,” he told Europe 1 radio.

On Nov. 2, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter mentioned that Washington continued to discuss the role of Turkey in the military operation of freeing Raqqa, but the campaign would proceed.

Carter also noted the liberation of Raqqa to eradicate the insurgent group in the province would be the task of the local fighter groups in northern Syria.

Recently, the Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim said Ankara would not take part in the Raqqa operation if the Kurdish YPG and YPJ forces participated.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany