An alliance of US-backed militias have started a new phase of its campaign against the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa, aiming to complete its encirclement and sever the road to militant strongholds in Deir al-Zor province.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said in a statement the action was being undertaken with "increasing support from the (US-led) international coalition forces" through both air strikes and backing from coalition special forces on the ground.
The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, launched its multi-phased campaign in November aimed at encircling and ultimately capturing Raqqa. It is the main US partner in the fight against Islamic State in Syria.
Islamic State is also being fought in a separate campaign by the Turkish army and Syrian rebel groups northeast of Aleppo, and on several fronts across Syria by the Syrian government backed by the Russian air force and Iranian-backed militia.
Jordan, part of the US-led coalition, said it had conducted air strikes against Islamic State targets in southern Syria on Friday night, hitting an ammunition depot, a car bomb factory, and a barracks.
Islamic State is fighting hard to preserve its Syria foothold as it loses ground in Iraq. It still holds swathes of Syrian territory, mostly in central and eastern Syria.
A SDF commander told Reuters the forces had so far advanced a few kilometres in the latest phase, which aims to capture areas to the east of the city, including the highway linking it to Deir al-Zor province.
Deir al-Zor, which is almost entirely in Islamic State hands, stretches all the way to the Iraqi border. A Kurdish military source told Reuters on Tuesday that the goals of this phase include capturing the main highway.
Several hundred US special forces soldiers have been supporting SDF operations against Islamic State in northern Syria. France said in June that its special forces were advising rebels in the same area.
Representatives of the US-led coalition looked on as the statement declaring the start of the new phase was read out in a village in northern Raqqa province.
