Syrian Kurds retake northern villages
from Islamic State: monitor
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[July 07, 2015]
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian Kurdish
fighters have recaptured more than 10 villages seized by Islamic State
north of its de facto capital of Raqqa city, aided by U.S.-led coalition
air strikes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on
Tuesday.
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Intensified air strikes across northern Syria and clashes on the
ground have killed at least 78 Islamic State fighters since Sunday
night, the Britain-based Observatory said.
The strikes are some of the most sustained since they began in
September, according to U.S. officials who say they are aimed at
curbing the militants' ability to operate out of Raqqa and to
prevent it from fighting back against Kurdish advances.
But, on Tuesday, the ultra-hardline group was still in control of
Ain Issa, the Observatory said. The town, 50 km (30 miles) north of
Raqqa city, was seized by Islamic State fighters from the Kurdish
YPG militia in an attack on Monday.
That attack on YPG-held areas followed an intensification of air
strikes on Raqqa city over the weekend, which U.S. Defense Secretary
Ash Carter said on Monday were aimed at disrupting the militants'
ability to respond to YPG advances north of Raqqa.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Jul/07/images/ads/current/gives_you_more_bch_040314.png) The YPG, a militia operating mostly in predominantly Kurdish areas
of northern Syria towards the Turkish border, has emerged as the
only significant partner in Syria for U.S.-led alliance fighting to
tackle Islamic State both there and in Iraq.
The Observatory, a British-based organization reporting on Syria's
four-year-old civil war, said the coalition had played an "effective
role" in helping YPG forces recover 11 villages northeast of Ain
Issa.
The YPG, backed by small Syrian rebel groups, has made significant
gains against Islamic State in Raqqa province in recent weeks,
seizing Tel Abyad at the Turkish border on June 15 before advancing
south to Ain Issa.
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The YPG captured Ain Issa on June 23.
While the YPG has shown itself to be a potent force in the fight
against Islamic State, its effectiveness is seen to diminish beyond
the predominantly Kurdish areas it was set up to defend in northern
and northeastern Syria.
The United States aims to train and equip Syrian rebel fighters it
deems politically moderate in order to fight Islamic State in Syria.
But the Pentagon said on June 18 the effort was moving more slowly
than expected.
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday the United States would
do more to train and equip "the moderate opposition".
(Writing by Tom Perry and Sylvia Westall; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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