WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The SDF, formed in 2015 as the defense force of northern Syria's de facto autonomous Rojava federation and supported by the US-led coalition, announced the launch of a military operation to liberate Raqqa from Daesh on Sunday. Syrian Democratic Forces urged international and region forces to support the operation, dubbed Euphrates Rage.
"We are confident that, with the help of the coalition they will be successful," Cook told reporters. "In fact, SDF forces have already made progress since they began their move against Raqqa on Saturday."
The operation to liberate Raqqa will be the second major offensive against Daesh this fall. On October 17, Iraqi troops supported by the Kurdish Peshmerga units and US-led coalition airstrikes launched an offensive to retake Mosul, the main Daesh's stronghold in Iraq.
