U.S. Backed Kurdish-Syrian Fighters Launch A New Offensive Against The Islamic State

Reuters: Exclusive: U.S.-backed Syria forces launch offensive for Manbij pocket - U.S. officials

Thousands of U.S.-backed fighters in Syria are launching an offensive to capture from Islamic State a crucial swathe of northern Syria known as the Manbij pocket following weeks of quiet preparations, U.S. officials disclosed to Reuters.

The operation, which only just started to get underway on Tuesday and could take weeks to complete, aims to choke off Islamic State's access to Syrian territory along the Turkish border that militants have long used as a logistics base for moving foreign fighters back and forth to Europe.

"It's significant in that it's their last remaining funnel" to Europe, a U.S. military official said.

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WNU Editor: The Turks are not happy .... U.S. backs Kurds in drive against ISIS in Syria despite Turkish objections (Washington Post)

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