US sends ammunition to Syrian forces ahead of offensive
ERBIL-Kurdistan Region—The United States has provided Syrian Arab forces operating within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) weapons and ammunition ahead of an expected offensive against the Islamic State (ISIS), in Hasakah province.
In an exclusive report late Wednesday Reuters wrote that the SDF forces are expected to launch an offensive against ISIS in Al-Shaddadah, a town south of Al-Hasakah province.
The majority of the SDF rank-and-file are members of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) smaller numbers of Arabs, Assyrians and Turkmen are also fighting under the same umbrella.
This latest shipment of ammunition was, the US claims, directly delivered overland to the 5,000-strong Arab force within the SDF.
Similarly when it air dropped 50 tonnes of bullets and grenades to the YPG last October Washington said it was intended for Arab rebels but YPG leaders claimed they had picked up some of the ammunition.
Al- Shaddadah is a strategically important town for ISIS and it is the group’s last foothold in Hasakah Province. Capturing it would further cut off that group from important highways and put more pressure on their so-called “capital”, Raqqa.
In an exclusive report late Wednesday Reuters wrote that the SDF forces are expected to launch an offensive against ISIS in Al-Shaddadah, a town south of Al-Hasakah province.
The majority of the SDF rank-and-file are members of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) smaller numbers of Arabs, Assyrians and Turkmen are also fighting under the same umbrella.
This latest shipment of ammunition was, the US claims, directly delivered overland to the 5,000-strong Arab force within the SDF.
Similarly when it air dropped 50 tonnes of bullets and grenades to the YPG last October Washington said it was intended for Arab rebels but YPG leaders claimed they had picked up some of the ammunition.
Al- Shaddadah is a strategically important town for ISIS and it is the group’s last foothold in Hasakah Province. Capturing it would further cut off that group from important highways and put more pressure on their so-called “capital”, Raqqa.