US To Provide More Ammunition To Syrian-Arab Rebel Forces

The group, which includes the Syrian Arab Coalition that received the supply drop, was supported from the air by a U.S. AC-130 Spectre gunship and U.S. A-10 warplanes launched from Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base. The Kurdish militia proved to be one of the most potent and formidable fighting forces against the ISIL, wresting hundreds of miles of territory back from the radical group.

Warren said the US would continue to supply the Syrian Arab Coalition with ammunition, although he did not say when the next airdrop would occur.

Last month, moderate rebel forces, including the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the YPG formed a new alliance called the Democratic Forces of Syria, or SDF. We’re going to address those concerns.

Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist organization, has expressed concerns about close cooperation between Washington and the Kurdish group. About 1,000 rebels reportedly took 255 square kilometers of ground and killed 79 ISIS fighters.

The six air strikes in Syria near al Hasaka, al Hawl and Dayr Az Zawr struck four units of militant fighters, fighting positions and various Islamic State equipment, the statement said.

“While this is not a large tactical action, we believe the operation demonstrates the viability of our program to provide support to these forces”, Warren told Pentagon reporters. “The answer is yes”.

“We have seen that”.

“We’re willing to reinforce success and amplify our approach when it’s working well”, he said.

“I don’t care who invited it”, he said.

The USA recently shifted its strategy in Syria from one of vetting and training Syrian fighters outside Syria to one in which the US vets and trains only leaders of Syrian rebel groups while arming their fighters on the Syrian battlefield.

The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State with 25 air strikes in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, according to the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operations.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the White House announced that US President Barack Obama had authorized the first sustained deployment of special forces to Syria reversing a long-standing refusal to put U.S. boots on the ground.

The president approved the deployment of “fewer than 50” special operations personnel in the north of the war-ravaged nation, but Warren said no special operations forces were on the ground in the latest operation.

USA officials have stressed the forces would not engage in front-line combat.