Syrian Kurdish Militias Have Reached 'Four Kilometers' from Raqqa

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, reports that the predominantly Kurdish militants of the 'Syrian Democratic Forces' have reached four kilometers from the city of Raqqa in the ongoing battles against the so-called Islamic State. According to the report, the Kurdish militants, supported by the US-led coalition, have positioned themselves four kilometers northeast of Raqqa while facing fierce resistance from ISIS fighters. At the same time, reports of clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces and ISIS fighters have emerged six kilometers east of Raqqa and 13 kilometers northwest of the city. A day before the release of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights report, commanders of the Syrian Democratic Forces stated that the final operation to retake Raqqa from the Islamic State would begin with the onset of the upcoming summer. In the middle of last week, the US Department of Defense announced that the government intends to provide arms to the Kurdish militants 'as needed' during the ongoing battles against the Islamic State in Syria. The Kurdish militants and members of the People's Protection Units (YPG) are the main forces in the core command of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Turkey, which has criticized the arms shipments to the Syrian Kurds, considers the YPG to be an offshoot of the PKK and a terrorist group. The US government has refrained from accepting this classification both during Barack Obama's presidency and currently. A Pentagon spokesperson told reporters last Tuesday that the Syrian Democratic Forces, supported by the US and the coalition, are the only ground force capable of retaking Raqqa in the near future. This group has currently taken the city of Tabqa and a large dam near Raqqa from the Islamic State. Meanwhile, US-backed forces in Syria have captured Tabqa by pushing back ISIS.