An American Official Reports Unprecedented Air Operations Around Raqqa

An American official told CNN that Washington-supported militants have launched a large-scale operation to seize a dam near Raqqa, and the U.S. Air Force has conducted operations 'unprecedentedly' behind enemy lines against ISIS fighters. Colonel Joseph Skroka, a public relations officer for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, stated that American forces have undertaken an unprecedented air operation around Raqqa. Colonel Skroka said, 'This is the first time we have conducted an aerial troop movement alongside the Syrian Arab Coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces.' Aerial troop movement is an operation conducted by aircraft such as helicopters, where ground military forces board the aircraft at an initial location and land at the operation or battle site. This U.S. military official described the operation on the second of Farvardin as a 'brave assault behind enemy lines.' Colonel Skroka did not disclose the number of troops or soldiers transferred during Wednesday's operation. CNN reports that nearly 500 Washington-supported militants and coalition military advisors have been transferred to the banks of the Euphrates River and Lake Assad, with these forces on standby to attack a dam controlled by ISIS. This operation has included artillery attacks from U.S. Marine Corps and air support, including Apache helicopter assaults. However, the so-called Islamic State group still maintains control over the area. Colonel Skroka told CNN, 'We believe there are several hundred foreign fighters present... the [Syrian Democratic Forces] and our allies have faced heavy resistance, which is why such operations are daring. We were fortunate to be able to catch ISIS off guard. They are still reacting to this maneuver.' The Tabqa Dam is located near Raqqa, west of the city. Raqqa is the most significant center of ISIS presence in Syria. Electricity for major parts of Syria is supplied through the Tabqa Dam. According to military estimates, controlling the Tabqa Dam is vital for besieging ISIS and conducting operations to retake Raqqa. The latest operations by American forces and Washington-supported militants come as predominantly Kurdish militants in the Syrian Democratic Forces have recently reported an increase in U.S. military aid for operations to seize Raqqa. Turkey, a U.S. ally and a member of NATO, considers the group encompassing Syrian Kurdish militants as an arm of the PKK and a 'terrorist group.' According to American officials, based on a somewhat imprecise estimate, ISIS has nearly four thousand militants in Raqqa. However, there is a possibility that they have filled the city with hidden explosives in homes, tunnels, and roads.