The Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes has advanced towards ISIS-held Raqqa province in a new offensive, a group monitoring the war said, nearing a region where US-backed militias have also attacked the militant group.
Heavy Russian air strikes hit ISIS-held territory in eastern areas of Hama province near the provincial boundary with Raqqa on Friday, where the army had advanced some 12 km (7 miles), according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The army was around 12 km from the Raqqa provincial boundary.
US-backed militias including the Kurdish YPG are pressing a separate, multi-pronged attack against ISIS in Raqqa province and neighbouring Aleppo province, which escalated this week with a push towards the city of Manbij near the Turkish border.
(Excerpt):
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/06/03/Syrian-army-opens-new-front-against-ISIS-edges-towards-Raqqa-province.html
