US-Armed Syrian Faction Announces New Offensive in Hasakeh Province

The US-backed Syrian rebel faction called the Democratic Forces of Syria, a group which was announced last month, and appears to be overwhelming the Kurdish YPG under a new name and with a few other Arab allies, appears to be the probable go-to location for the announced US ground troops heading to Syria.

The Democratic Forces issued a statement today saying that they were launching a new offensive against ISIS in the Hasakeh Province, the site where the YPG’s primary territorial possessions are, saying the battle has “already begun” against ISIS territory around the province.

ISIS has sought to make inroads into southern Hasakeh Province, seizing a lot of villages in the area. The attempts to take the city of Hasakeh mostly failed, with the YPG backed by Syrian military forces in that area.

In recent weeks though, the US has airdropped weapons to the Democratic Forces, with an eye on a new push against ISIS. The US has made much of hyping the group as a totally new alliance, and the high-profile announcement suggests once again that the US “advisers” will head to Hasakeh first for embedded missions.