FATISAH: US forces on the ground in northern Syria are helping a major offensive against the militant Islamic State (IS) group in its stronghold of Raqa province, Kurdish-Arab fighters say.

Near the frontline north of the IS bastion of Raqa city, a photographer saw US soldiers climbing onto a low rooftop carrying US-made anti-tank missiles.

“These are US special operations forces and this is why you cannot follow them or take many pictures,” said a fighter with the Syrian Democratic Forces, which announced on Tuesday an assault on the militants north of Raqa.

Leaning on a partially destroyed home in the village of Fatisah which was recently seized from IS, SDF field commander Hawkar Kobane said that “US forces are taking part in this operation” alongside his own troops.

“On the rooftop of this house, there are US forces using (anti-tank) TOW missiles to fire on the explosives-rigged cars that Daesh is using to attack the SDF,” he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

The SDF has also received air support from the US-led air coalition bombing the militants in Iraq and Syria.

And this week, the first of 250 members of the US special operations forces were to arrive in northeast Syria to support the fight, joining dozens of advisers already on the ground.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016