US-backed forces push closer to IS ‘capital’ Raqa

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance pushed closer to Raqa and Iraqi forces seized a key town near Mosul as offensives advanced on Monday against the two Islamic State group strongholds.

After announcing the start of the long-awaited offensive on Raqa on Sunday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance said it had moved south towards the city despite fierce jihadist resistance.

South of Mosul, Iraqi forces had retaken the town of Hamam al-Alil from IS, a key objective in their three-week advance on the city.

Raqa and Mosul are the last major cities in Syria and Iraq under the jihadists’ control and their capture would deal a knockout blow to the self-styled “caliphate” IS declared in mid-2014.

The US-led coalition that launched operations against IS two years ago is providing crucial backing to the offensives, with both air strikes and special forces advisers on the ground.

SDF spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed told AFP that forces had advanced on two fronts towards Raqa amid heavy fighting. Alliance forces had pushed at least 10 kilometres (six miles) south towards the city from the towns of Ain Issa and Suluk, she said.

In both cases SDF fighters were still some distance from Raqa -- on the Ain Issa front at least 30 kilometres away.

“The offensive is going according to plan,” said Ahmed, who added that at least 10 villages had so far been taken from IS. “The battle will be long.”  An SDF commander said IS was fighting back with its favourite tactic of sending suicide bombers in explosives-packed vehicles against advancing forces.

“IS is sending car bombers but coalition planes and our anti-tank weapons are limiting their effectiveness,” the commander said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The SDF says some 30,000 of its fighters are taking part in the operation, dubbed “Wrath of the Euphrates”. It aims to surround and isolate IS inside Raqa before eventually assaulting the city itself. Both SDF commanders and coalition officials have warned that the battle is likely to be long and difficult.

“As in Mosul, the fight will not be easy and there is hard work ahead,” US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said in a statement after the assault was launched.

“But it is necessary to end the fiction of ISIL’s caliphate and disrupt the group’s ability to carry out terror attacks against the United States, our allies and our partners,” Carter said, using an alternative name for IS.