US-Backed Kurdish-led Forces Advance Against ISIS Along Euphrates East Of Raqqah

US-Backed Kurdish-led Forces Advance Against ISIS Along Euphrates East Of Raqqah

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The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), predominatly consisting of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), have been advancing along the Euphrates River east of the ISIS stronghold of Raqqah.

On March 14, SDF units, backed by the US-led coalition air power, retook the village of Khass Hibal and the nearby grain silos from ISIS terrorists.

This advance allowed the SDF to deploy closer to Judayat Khabour, Hamad Assaf and Al Kulayb from which Kurdish forces had retreated earlier this month.

SDF unts have to retake these villages as well as the areas near Hamrat Balasim and Hamrat Nasir in order to isolate Raqqah from the eastern direction.

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Yahu Savant

Now that the Syrians are winning, everyone is in a rush to get what they can from ISIS so they can carve up Syria.

Thegr8rambino

True. I guess that’s better than having IS on your doorstep, but not as good as having 100% of your country back

Bill Wilson

The Syrian Kurds aren’t interested in having their own independent state and have been returning control of NE regions back to the Syrian government once they’ve become stabilized.

Thegr8rambino

really? why dont they want their own state? i always thought thats waht they were always fighting for

Jens Holm

Im sure its more like a wish for a Khalifat, but they do want more local rule, which can be done in several ways.

I se the uprise + kurds more as poor uprising against the more welthy part in rural districts as well as in the towns.

Jens Holm

well, probatly not for free.

Bill Wilson

Turkey is the only country that’s interested in acquiring Syrian territory. The US may hang around for awhile to ensure that Tayyip doesn’t do anything stupid.

Pave Way IV

Seriously? How can you be so blind to the fact that the U.S. wants Rojava and Sunnistan? We’ve ALWAYS wanted it and Assad has ALWAYS refused to give up control of it – that’s why the U.S. (and GCC cronies) started a fake ‘revolution’ in Syria. The U.S. will be hanging around anyways – we already have a half-dozen permanent military bases on Syrian soil. We own the PYD and have the Arab tribal thug leaders in the east paid off pretty well to be our proxy mercs. It’s a soft occupation already.

The only reason the U.S. cares about Turkey stealing Syrian land/resources is because we want to steal it for ourselves. There’s oil, water and future pipeline routes. Those are all worth their weight in gold. Did you actually think the U.S. would go in there to kick out ISIS, and then just leave all that loot? The ONLY reason the U.S. is there is to establish de facto control over oil-gas-water and pipelines. Whatever the post-war Syria will look like, the U.S. has no intention of letting the Syrian people own or control those resources. We may not take them directly, but they will be controlled indirectly by the U.S. through bribed Kurds and Arabs.

Kell
Thegr8rambino

hopefully russia will do something about that

Jens Holm

Have written You before. The same usual shit.

Jens Holm

Very strange comment. Fx kurds are also Syrians.

Solomon Krupacek

The yankees will take east part of deir ez zor city. What a shame for Putin!!!

Bill Wilson

From looking at the current situation map, I believe agreements have been made for the Kurds to take control of both sides of the Euphrates River between Raqqa and Deir Azzor before a major assault is launched on either one. During that time the SAA will be busy regaining control of the road network between Palmyra, Deir Azzor and Tabqa so ISIS will become isolated inside three large pockets which will be easier to recapture since they’ll be cut off from supplies and reinforcements.
My bets are on Deir Azzor being liberated first since ISIS will be forced to withdraw towards Iraq before the Kurds and SAA surround the city on both sides of the rivers. They’ll hold ISIS in check there while reducing their territory around Raqqa and east of Aleppo. ISIS probably will try to extract their units west of Palmyra before they’re totally cut off. From what I’ve read, those should be small units that simply moved into abandoned ruined villages and towns then were ignored since they lacked any punch to go any further. Those fellahs may throw away their weapons and uniforms to try escaping to the west instead of risking traveling back to Raqqa. I suspect that the SAA will start rolling them up starting from the south and not stop until they reach Ithriya.
I also have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll start hearing about Syrians and Iraqis that ISIS recruited shooting their more zealous fighters so they can slip away to surrender. A large number of them joined up just to earn some income and get one or two decent meals each day. I’m sure they’re ready to quit the fight if they’re not getting paid and are on greatly reduced rations.

Jens Holm

I hope not. Assads started the civile war very systematicly by making no vital reforms as well as killing all capable opposition leaders and every else as they wished. Seem they still do according to a prison, where 50 are hanged every day and other indications.

Kurds and Yankees and Nato should focus on consolidating, what they already have – and as promised -take or reduce Raqqa to 0. Markadah is OK too. And thats it.

If this country are owned by Assads and not the people, Assads should as a minimum take it back.

We have seen it several times, if we open up Der El Zor, som general will come out with his nose in the sky, so it will rain in, and proclaime have taken all the Rojava possetion and all there at once has to follow his orders care of the great leader in Damaskus.

I dont think thats acceptable at all. Assads has to be reduced by sensible people. One way could be to decentralize most things very much(thats what most kurds want). It could be to make most religion to a private matter and not a diaper for diffrences and war. Well, thats what kurds kind of want too.

An absolute minimum demand should be, that every citicen gets the exact same check for the oil to come. Baathist are for me mainly Mafiosas, which think they own Syria.