Anti-IS Forces Close In On Group's Raqqa HQ

Sky's Alex Crawford travels with the Syrian Democratic Forces as they battle Islamic State and close in on its headquarters.

The city where the terror group has been holed up for the past two years is next on the list to be freed from its extremist stranglehold.

This army, made up of Arabs, Christians but mostly Kurds from the YPG and YPJ fighting units, has been helped by coalition airstrikes 'softening up’ the IS-held communities before the troops move in on the ground.

We are the only foreign journalists allowed access into the Democratic Forces' inner circle - allowed to travel with the troops, stay with them on their bases, as well as eat and sleep alongside the fighters as they make their slow advance through northern Syria, trying to push IS militants out of the area.

We witnessed their sniper team in operation as well as the work of the anti-mining crew.

We saw three of their top commanders coordinating a pincer movement aimed at creating a safe arc around the northeast of Syria. 

And we spoke to a number of foreign volunteers, from the UK, US, Poland and Canada who have flocked to the war-torn country.  

Most have zero military experience.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is largely led by the hardy fighters of the Kurdish YPG who have been fighting for rights in Syria for decades.

As one senior Kurdish leader told me, “We have no right to even call ourselves Kurds.

“We cannot own land or buy houses.

“We don't have the right to have an identification card.

“We have no rights at all.”

Read the whole article at: http://news.sky.com/story/1659408/anti-is-forces-close-in-on-groups-raqqa-hq

Source: http://news.sky.com/ By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Syria Photo: Sky News