US eyes more arms for Syria rebels after latest advance
The US military said on November 4 it was moving toward providing additional weaponry to Syrian opposition forces battling Islamic State after territorial gains in the past week by the US-backed fighters.
Colonel Steve Warren, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the US-led coalition against Islamic State, told reporters the Democratic Forces of Syria had taken back about 255 square kilometers from Islamic State around the village of al-Haul.
Some of those forces included fighters from the Syrian Arab Coalition, which the United States says received 50 tons of US ammunition during a US airdrop into Syria on October 12.
Warren said the operation was backed by 17 US-led coalition air strikes, killing 79 Islamic State fighters and destroying Islamic State weapons systems around al-Houl, near the Iraqi border.
"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 US military, when it carried out its first air drop of ammunition last month to the Syrian Arab Coalition, said it was going to make sure the weaponry was used correctly before providing additional arms.
Washington's strategy in Syria has shifted from trying to train fighters outside the country to supplying groups headed by US-vetted commanders.
The United States also announced last week it would send dozens of US special operations forces to northern Syria to advise those opposition forces fighting Islamic State.