U.S.-backed opposition group welcomes Syrian army campaign against IS capital

The spokesman of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) opposition group, Talal Silou, says his group welcomes any progress Syrian government forces make against the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) in al-Raqqa in northern Syria.

In a televised interview with a Kurdish TV based in Syria's Qamishili city, which went online Monday, Silou said "we are not racing or conflicting with the regime forces to liberate al-Raqqa, and what concerns us in the end is the result, which is liberating al-Raqqa from terrorism."

"If the Syrian army is capable of liberating al-Raqqa from IS, then they are welcome, we are not in a conflict with them," Silou said.

However, Silou stressed that his group is not coordinating with the Syrian army and "it's impossible to coordinate or fight by the Syrian army side in the future."

He said the SDF's ultimate goal is to eradicate terrorism in Syria, wherever needed, and according to the public demand for their help.

It was the first declared stance from the SDF, which is formed from Arab and Kurdish fighters and led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), toward Syrian government forces.

In late May, the SDF started a major offensive in the northern countryside of al-Raqqa, succeeding to capture several towns and villages in that area. Their attack on al-Raqqa was followed by an offensive against the IS-held city of Manbej in northern Syria, on the borders with Turkey, last week.

SDF fighters have completely besieged Manbej, the last key stronghold of IS in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that intense battles are still raging between the SDF and the IS near Manbej, amid airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition on IS positions in the city.

The London-based watchdog group said over 900 civilians have fled the city from its southern outskirts, reaching areas under SDF control.

For its side, the Syrian army continued to advance in the southern countryside of al-Raqqa against the IS terror group.

Video footage released by state news agency SANA showed military progress made in the western countryside of al-Raqqa, where the Syrian army captured several villages.

The advance of the SDF and the Syrian army against IS reflects the understanding between Russia, which supports the government forces, and the United States, which supports the SDF, on the need to eliminate the threat of IS in Syria, analysts say. Endit