Iraqi forces face a growing threat from roadside bombs and ambushes as they take on Islamic State militants on multiple fronts

The forces fighting Islamic State in Iraq say they are encountering more and more roadside bombs as the extremist group is attacked on multiple fronts.

As Sky News was filming in northern Iraq the team saw fighters being treated for serious injuries 30 minutes after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on a road which was meant to be secure.

Four men were killed in the blast.

The small medical centre near the frontline with IS was overwhelmed with casualties.

Doctor Zahawi Saman told us the attacks are happening regularly and that he and his staff are facing medical shortages.

“There should be a plan from the central government because they are running a war and war needs more big hospitals and more staff and equipment,” he said.

“They are not providing us with this equipment – that’s why we need more facilities.”

The IEDs IS are using are basic but devastating.

They are also very difficult to defend against as they are made from easily obtained dual use materials; fertiliser for farming, simple fuses and a mobile phone are enough to cause carnage.

The bombs also have a massive psychological impact on the forces trying to defeat IS, particularly when they are detonated in areas that are meant to be secure.

Some of the fighters we meet on the frontline in northern Iraq are teenagers – the youngest who is fitted out in a mismatched uniform is just 15.

The group of boys tell us they are battling IS to retake their villages and avenge the murders of their relatives.

None of them want to be identified because they are scared of IS’s reach.

“They displaced us from our houses, they stole everything. They are evil.

“They blew up mosques and schools. If they were Muslim they wouldn’t blow up mosques.

“They killed our families, anyone who had a business. IS only kills.”

The villages here are slowly being liberated but the roads connecting them are still dangerous.

As IS is attacked in Syria and Iraq, the threat is increasingly from guerrilla tactics.

The men fighting believe they are winning the battle against IS but they also know that each time they leave their bases on patrol they face the risk of roadside bombs and ambush.

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The United States will continue to work with Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), despite Turkey’s concerns, a US State Department Spokesperson said on Friday.

Turkish government officials have criticized US troops for wearing patches of the Kurdish YPG forces. Although the US government sees the YPG as one of the most effective groups in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), the Turkish government sees the YPG as a terrorist group connected to the PKK. However, the Syrian Kurds say that the Turkish government has been supporting ISIS and other jihadist groups since the beginning of the Syrian crisis.

“The support they give to… the YPG (militia)… I condemn it,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday during an airport ceremony in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir. “Those who are our friends, who are with us in NATO… cannot, must not send their soldiers to Syria wearing YPG insignia.”

Mark Toner, US State department spokesperson said on Friday that they will continue to work with the YPG despite of the Turkish government opposition towards Kurdish-US cooperation.

“Now, are there disagreements among members of the coalition as to how we proceed and with whom we’re cooperating on the ground? I’m not going to say that there aren’t. And obviously, Turkey’s made very clear their feelings about the YPG [People’s Protection Units]. We have also been equally clear, while we understand Turkey’s concerns, that we’re going to continue to work with the YPG as a part of the overarching Syrian Democratic Forces. So the YPG is not the sole group that we’re working with on the ground. We’re working with Syrian Arabs, Syrian Turkmen, and other groups that are fighting Daesh,” said Mark Toner, US State department spokesman.

“With respect to Turkey’s comments about these photos, we’ve been very clear from this podium and elsewhere, our belief that the YPG is not connected to the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party], which we have designated as a foreign terrorist organization. On the contrary, we believe the YPG, as well as other forces in Syria, in northern Syria, are effectively taking the fight to ISIL and we’re going to continue to support them with our advise and assist operations there,” he added.

Nevertheless, the US says they understand Turkey’s concerns. “And we continue to discuss this as well as other concerns that Turkey has regarding Daesh and regarding issues in northern – concerning northern Syria. We’re going to continue to work through those, such as providing stronger border security as well as other aspects that we – where we feel we can strengthen the relationship with Turkey. But Turkey’s been a member of the anti-Daesh coalition, continues to be an active member, and we – we’re grateful for Turkey’s support,” he said.

Moreover, the US government will continue to work with Turkey to combat the PKK. “(…)We continue to maintain that the PKK is a designated terrorist organization and we work with Turkey in sharing intelligence and other things in combating the PKK. We take a separate view on the YPG,” he added.

“And we believe, as I said, in the context of northern Syria and in the context of our battle to defeat and degrade Daesh in northern Syria, we view them as an effective partner along with other members of the Syrian Democratic Forces,” the spokesperson said.

However, the US has ordered the special forces to stop the use of YPG patches. “I think the first thing to make clear is that wearing those YPG patches was — was unauthorized and it was inappropriate and corrective action has been taken, and we have communicated as much to our military partners and our military allies in the region,” said Colonel Steve Warren, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman.

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The US State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Friday said that the US has been working on diversifying the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) by recruiting more Arabs.

“I can say that the force that successfully took Shaddadi [from ISIS] I think a few weeks ago was 60 percent Kurd and 40 percent Arab and other elements. And this reflects some of the training that we’ve been doing, DOD – the Department of Defense, has been conducting that has seen greater influx of Arab fighters. I think they just graduated a class of 200 additional Arabs who are joining this fight. There’s another class poised to be – graduate that’s another additional 200,” Toner said.

“We’re cognizant of the need to have diversified forces conducting these kinds of operations, given the sensitivities of the communities that they’re liberating. And then specifically on Raqqa, we have seen – I think the Kurds themselves have said publicly that they understand the political dimensions of this fight and that it would need to be an Arab – a predominantly Arab force liberating Arab areas in Syria,” the spokesperson said.

The US government is also trying to make them more diversified. “But we’re certainly sensitive to the viewpoints and the sensitivities of these populations,” Toner said.

The spokesman has indirectly denied that they supplied the SDF with TOW missiles and American-made vehicles.

“I think what we’ve said before holds, which is that there’s fortunately – or unfortunately, rather, there’s a lot of liberated, shall we say, equipment that’s being used on the battlefield. It’s impossible for us to say where that equipment has come from or where it’s sourced from. We just don’t have the clarity on that,” he said

Speaking to ARA News, Abdullah Qattab al-Saif, leader of FSA Shield Brigade, said that for the Raqqa operation “50% of gathers are Arabs, and 50% are Kurds”.

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U.S. Special Forces soldiers have been seen and photographed on the front lines in Syria wearing the patches of Kurdish fighters

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Elite troops support SDF fighters in operation to seize control of northern Raqqa, the home province of IS ‘capital’

At a base in northern Syria, US special forces can be seen providing targeting assistance and artillery fire to support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) forces in their operation to clear the countryside of northern Raqqa, close to the Islamic State’s self-declared capital.

There is a clear coalition presence on the ground here, as opposed to last year, when Western soldiers were nowhere to be seen. British, US and French special forces are assisting the SDF on the ground in an operation that has so far advanced at least 6km and which aims to dislodge IS from its north-east Syrian bastion.

Pictures showed US troops manning a grenade launcher in Fatisah, Raqqa. One showed what appeared to be a US soldier wearing a badge of the YPG, an element of the SDF that defended Kobane from IS attacks in 2014 and last year.

Heval Gabar Tolhildan, an SDF volunteer from Canada, told Middle East Eye: “They are working with us, and they give lessons and training for air strikes, communication and strategy. They are firing, mortaring and helping with air strikes.

“They are not leading the operation, so it’s good, but they can give more supplies and weapons.

The campaign was launched on Wednesday, just days after the recent visit of US Central Command chief, General Joe Votel. His visit came on the back of the Obama administration deciding to send an additional 250 troops to aid the Raqqa operation.

“We did not see the general, that was more for the media. However, if we see US soldiers on the frontlines, this gives us a higher moral,” Tohildan added.

Local Kurdish commanders do not permit videos or photos to be taken of the US special forces, however; footage claiming to show US troops with SDF forces has already been published to social media.

US forces have also been seen driving trucks escorted by Kurdish anti-terrorism teams, known by their acronym HAT.

Despite the presence of the elite US troops, local Kurdish fighters maintain they need more weapons to defeat IS.

“For the liberation of Raqqa we need more weapons,” Abu Ahmed, a fighter from the Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, told MEE. “After Deir Ezzor is liberated, we will give you one oil well,” he joked, indicating that the SDF also want to play a future role in the city, which is south of Raqqa.

“We can see until now that the support is very little. We have a lot of fighters, but few weapons. If they provide us more weapons, it would be good, because the tactics of the mercenaries [IS] are very advanced,” said Heval Soresh, a local Kurdish fighter. “If we have more weapons we can take Raqqa easily.”

Talal Silo, the official spokesman of the SDF forces, said they also need more arms.

“Until now it’s only ammunition. We ask for weapons like artillery, armoured cars, and anti-tank rockets,” Silo said.

Although fighters have called for heavy weaponry, some light arms have been reportedly handed out to officers as gifts after meetings – including M4 and M16 assault rifles, as well as some heavy machine guns.

However, one fighter, who asked to remain anonymous, said these weapons will not be useful in tackling IS.

“These hand pistols are not useful, since ISIS will never come closer than 50m during battle,” an anonymous fighter said, using an alternative acronym for IS.

The US is most likely reluctant to provide heavy weapons to the Kurdish forces because of sensitivities with their Nato ally Turkey.

Ankara is at war with Kurdish militant groups domestically, and Turkish authorities have urged against any US support for Kurdish forces inside Syria.

“We understand their (Turkey’s) concerns regarding Kurdish forces in northern Syria,” US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said last Monday. The Turkish army warned the US not to trust Syrian-Kurdish militia the YPG on 23 May.

As a result, the US has tried to build up more Arab forces within the SDF and is training 200 Arab fighters in a base near Hasakah in north-east Syria. The SDF itself is also recruiting more and more Arabs.

Senior Kurdish officials said that in the future Raqqa could be part of a federal region in northern Syria administrated by local Arabs.

“I think we’re going to force the governance [of Raqqa] to be Syrian Sunni Arabs, preferably from the Raqqa area tribes and residual original governance entities. That’s the way it should be,” General John Allen, the former special envoy to the global coalition against the Islamic State told MEE.

“I’d be very surprised if we’re not already working with elements of the local tribes and expatriate Raqqa civil leadership to conduct stability operations in the immediate aftermath of the clearing operation.

“This would include establishment of local security/police and governance as well as immediate stability activity and essential services, detainee operations, medical support,” he added.

The increasing support for the SDF has prompted jealousy and anger among Syrian opposition rebels based in Aleppo and Turkey, who have warned the US this could lead to a conflict between Arabs and Kurds.

However, opposition fighters that are part of the SDF reject the criticism. Abdullah Qattab al-Saif, a leader of a small Free Syrian Army brigade asked these rebels to come and fight on the ground.

“I am not Kurdish, and I am an Arab and son of the tribes, and one of the biggest tribes in the Raqqa province,” he told MEE.

“They oppress Kurds in Turkey [the Turkish government], but the Kurds are assisting anyone who fights ISIS and the Kurds are Syrian and there are no differences between Arabs, Kurds, Alawites, Muslims and Christians,” he added.

“The SDF forces have all ethnic groups and religions, but sadly no one loves the truth, and those who lie about us are sitting in internet cafes in Turkey to fabricate lies,” he said.

The Raqqa operation is still in its early stages but with at least four villages captured since Tuesday, it is proving a slow success so far.

“The assaulters won’t rush in. Be prepared for the very surgical application of force. Air strikes, then very careful ground movement. Some more air strikes, and then some more careful ground movement,” General John Allen told MEE.

“We have civilians to worry about, and the depth of the attackers’ force can’t sustain a lot of casualties. It won’t be fast. I don’t think ISIL will break contact, and flee, but you never know. If we take Raqqa, we may begin to see a general breakdown of their command and control system wide,” he said.

However, some Kurdish officials are concerned that if they are successful in taking Raqqa, they will lose support from the US, as the Kurdish forces will seek to battle on to take Manbij, which is west of Raqqa and the Euphrates river, before moving on to battle for the besieged Kurdish town of Efrin in Aleppo province.

Despite these concerns, a former senior Kurdish official said they remain committed to taking back the IS-held city.

“As long as Raqqa is under ISIS control, they will attack Kobane, Hasakah and Tal Abyad, so we have to defeat them,” Idris Nassan, a former senior official told MEE in Kobane.

Nassan said he believed a condition of the Kurdish forces fighting for Raqqa will be that the US agrees for them to move on towards Manbij.

“One condition of the coalition forces is for the SDF to liberate Raqqa, then they will allow them to go to Manbij,” he added.

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The Iraqi air force launched Wednesday an airstrike targeting a security centre for ISIS in Fallujah city, activists and official sources told ARA News in Anbar province.

At least ten ISIS militants were killed in the raid, including the ISIS deputy governor of Fallujah.

“The airstrike hit a building that was used by ISIS militants as a security centre,” local media activist Diab al-Jdeh told ARA News.

The building, located in the Albu Ali district of Fallujah city where a group of ISIS members were meeting, was destroyed completely subsequent to the airstrike on Wednesday evening.

Also, the Iraqi forces bombed a field hospital in southern Fallujah of Anbar province where injured ISIS militants were being treated.

Speaking to ARA News, Iraqi army officer Karrar al-Saadi said that reliable local informers are providing the Iraqi air force with information about ISIS secret locations inside Fallujah.

“Thanks to our sources, Wednesday’s operations were conducted accurately, killing and wounding dozens of ISIS terrorists, including leading members of the extremist group,” al-Saadi said.

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The Syrian city of Raqqa will become a part of Syrian Kurdistan, the Federal Democratic System of Rojava and Northern Syria, following its liberation from Islamic State (IS) militants, a representative of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Iraqi Kurdistan, Gharib Hassou, said Thursday.

Last week, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance announcedplans to liberate Raqqa from the IS group. On Tuesday, the SDF, with assistance from a US-led international coalition, launched an offensive to free the northern part of the Syrian province.

“Since the assault on Raqqa is carried out by the SDF, it makes sense that after its recapture, the city will become a part of the democratic federal system created by us in northern Syria,” Hassou told RIA Novosti.

The Syrian government cannot do anything to oppose the city joining the Kurdish federal system, as “the Syrian army failed to do something with the terrorists in Raqqa,” Hassou said.

He noted that the Syrian army was not taking part in the offensive to retake Raqqa.

The SDF which has formed in October 2015, of the powerful Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) with smaller Arab, Christian and Turkmen militias in a coalition intended to take on Islamic State, has a total of about 25,000 Kurdish fighters and about 5,000 Arab fighters.

Syrian Kurds have established three autonomous zones, or “cantons”, and Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan (northern Syria) since the civil war broke out in 2011.

Syria’s Kurds on March 17, 2016 declared a federal region in Syrian Kurdistan, in the country’s north. The initiative was criticized by the Syrian government.

Nearly 3 million Kurds live in Syria’s Kurdish north.

Since 2013, Raqqa has been held by the IS group, which is outlawed in the United States and Russia. It has served as the group’s de facto capital and witnessed countless atrocities.

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