"We are not planning any operations with Russia to jointly liberate Raqqa from ISIL [Islamic State] control. In Syria, our focus remains on equipping and enabling local, motivated forces who can take the fight to ISIL," Baldanza said.
Media eports on Thursday indicated that Kurdish forces may be planning an imminent operation to liberate the Islamic State stronghold. According to reports, coalition aircraft dropped leaflets over the city on Thursday, calling on civilians to evacuate.
During a US Senate hearing earlier in May, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter stated that the ultimate purpose of the United States deploying additional military personnel to Syria is to reclaim Raqqa from the Islamic State.
Raqqa has served as the Islamic State’s de facto capital in Syria since the terrorist group overran the city in 2014.
