Despite the direct participation of US special operation forces [SF editor: at least 550 US spec. ops. forces are deployed there], the Syrian Democratic Forces’ offensive in Northern Raqqa is ongoing more difficult than it has been expected by stoned couch-based experts. As SouthFront predicted in previous analyses, the Kurdish-led offensive became a US-led offensive with US troops, operating in the ISIS support area. US special ops. units identify and designate militant targets for strikes by US-led coalition aircraft and participate in clashes, spearheading the Kurdish force.
Pentagon officials don’t estimate the capabilities of the SDF high by various reasons. Questionable level of military training, poor coordination between Kurdsish and non-Kurdish (Arabic and Asyrian) units and the antagonism between Kurds and the local Arab population, especially in the Sunni regions, while non-Kurdish SDF units don’t represent a significant strike force, are at least few of these reasons. However, there is no reasons to believe that the city of Raqqa won’t be libereated, sooner or later. The advantage in the artillery and airpower and US boots on the ground are enough to win a case.
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Map by Cristian Ionita
