BEIRUT—Kurdish-led forces backed by the U.S. battled Islamic State militants near Raqqa on Wednesday, part of a fresh offensive to prepare for a march on the extremist group’s self-declared Syrian capital. The assault opened a second crucial front against Islamic State after Iraqi forces launched an effort on Monday to retake Fallujah, west of Baghdad. The Sunni Muslim extremist group recently has suffered a string of defeats,...

Source: Wall Street Journal May 25, 2016 05:17 UTC