US-led coalition air-drops forces in Raqqa province
BEIRUT -- The US-led coalition has air-dropped US and allied Syrian forces near Tabqa in Raqqa province, expanding a campaign by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militias against Islamic State, the SDF said on Wednesday.
The operation aims both to capture the al-Tabqa area, across the Euphrates from the SDF's other main holdings, and to curb Syrian government advances in that direction, the SDF's Raqqa campaign said in a statement on social media.
The landing forces had seized four small villages in the area west of al-Tabqa and cut a main highway that links the provinces of Raqqa, Deir al-Zor and Aleppo, the SDF, a US-backed alliance of militias said.
"American forces have conducted a landing operation for US ground forces, along with special forces" from the Raqqa campaign, it said.
