The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) managed to capture the village of Al-Mansoura in the western Raqqa countryside, thus tightening the siege on ISIS fighters in the Al-Ba’ath dam area east of the village.
The SDF killed 19 ISIS fighters and captured one of ISIS tank workshops in Hamam village. The workshop contained several T-55 tanks, mostly destroyed.
Source: https://twitter.com/AfarinMamosta/status/870562775969431552
Source: https://twitter.com/AfarinMamosta/status/870562775969431552
Source: https://twitter.com/AfarinMamosta/status/870562775969431552
Source: https://twitter.com/AfarinMamosta/status/870562775969431552
Footage of the destroyed 2 ISIS tanks by SDF/Coalition in the village of Mansura. East of Tabqa. pic.twitter.com/qmGccLJJh5
— Afarin Mamosta (@AfarinMamosta) June 2, 2017
According to opposition sources, ISIS withdrew from Al-Mansoura on Friday, after an agreement between ISIS and the SDF which allows ISIS fighters to withdraw from Al-Mansoura, Hnideh and Al-Ba’ath dam.
صور من المعارك التي تخوضها قوات #قسد “غضب الفرات” بمحيط سد البعث قبل انتزاعه من تنظيم #داعش#عاجل#الحسكة#دير_الزور pic.twitter.com/NpBWysVm8S
— قوات سوريا من الجبهة (@QSD_Jabha) June 2, 2017
From its side, the SDF had denied holding such agreements. However the Russian Defense Ministry and the US-led coalition had previously confirmed that the SDF allowed ISIS to withdraw from Tabqah town.
Separately, US-led coalition warplanes targeted gatherings of ISIS fighters at Hittin farm in the vicinity of Raqqa, and bombed Swediah village and Raqqa city.
According to the US-led coalition, 20,000 civilians have fled from Raqqa city to the SDF-held areas so far. The US-led coalition has argued that it will work on encircling the ISIS-held city before storming it.
The Surrounds of Raqqah videos for a few weeks are undramatic to say the least. Is there any actual fighting going on? Or is it all just deals? No reports of Kurds losing much equipment. It seems like no one is taking this seriously. I am starting to not take this seriously. Too much fog and BS.
They are more coordinated then the turks that is why turks lost so much stuff didn’t have coordination with airforce in the ground.
It is indeed strange. We also don’t see the ISIS media posting videos and statements regarding how many SDF troops they killed like they do with the SAA and PMU (though often exaggerated).
“…It seems that no one is taking this seriously…”
The YPG/YPJ fight for their homes and farms, not America’s soft take-over of Syria’s east. YPG/YPJ wants to see ISIS gone, but Raqqa is mostly not their town and not their fight. They are simply bribed to fight and die for U.S. goals with the eternal promises of heavier arms. Arms that mostly never come despite repeated CJTF-OIR propaganda and Soros SDF media-activist reports that suggest otherwise.
They get a few things which are promptly displayed in internet videos, but that’s it. The YPG/YPJ want to arm their own forces permanently, and the U.S. will only dole out limited quantities of stuff for specific battles, treating the YPG/YPJ like children. The U.S. has been so stingy with them so far that the YPG/YPJ almost packed up and left last month. The U.S. just promised them even more heavy arms, but the YPG/YPJ will believe it when they see them. Most of that stuff seems to be going to the Arab militia parts of the SDF to bribe them to fight for U.S. schemes.
The YPG/YPJ knows they’re being played, but they have no choice. Why would they be eager to rush into the Raqqa meat-grinder? When the fighting stops, the U.S. arms supplies will stop. The U.S. wants to occupy eastern Syria – they only need the YPG/YPJ now for cannon fodder to clear out ISIS.
The YPG/YPJ are only serious about keeping the trickle of arms coming from the U.S., – they really don’t give a damn about Raqqa.
Yes, I think you got it Pave Way. The Kurds are being asked to fight for Raqqah but they know that ultimately they won’t be able to keep it. It is not their city and the urgency simply isn’t there. And yes, the Kurds would like the weapons but not if the cost is becoming slaves to the US deep state, so they are playing it slow. I’ve seen some of the yellow Kurdish flags display a picture of the Syrian territory in its entirety, and that gives hope that they are actually on the right side.
I think you mentioned elsewhere that YPG is waiting for ISUS to clear out of Raqqah. That puts a different complexion on the events. So the US wants the Kurds to storm the city but they won’t until enough of the bad guys have left and they have enough weapons of the right type. US is ordering the bad guys to leave so the Kurds can start “storming” the city without it being completely levelled. The bad guys don’t want to leave because they have not many places to go to and because the Russians will take them out as soon as they hit the road. Almost like a nice little Mexican standoff of a grand scale. But the gist of it is that ISUS is being asked to hand the city over! Who would’ve thought, you can just ask them!
Btw an Iranian site wrote that there has been unusual US helicopter activity over Raqqah and they were fairly confident that ISUS leaders were being taken home! Now that is predictable.
I can imaging that the Americans want this to go slow so that all their agents can get out and all their documents linking ISIS to the US coalition can be burned.