Kurdish YPG will be part of efforts to isolate Raqqa

(The Daily Star)- Kurdish YPG militia fighters will be a part of the force to isolate ISIS-held Syrian city of Raqqa, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq said Wednesday.

The United States regards the YPG as an ally in its fight against ISIS, but Turkey regards it as a terrorist organization because of its links with Kurdish militants fighting a three-decade insurgency in Turkey.

"The only force that is capable on any near term timeline are the Syrian Democratic Forces, of which the YPG are a significant portion," said Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend in a news briefing. "We'll move soon to isolate Raqqa with the forces that are ready to go."