US officials have confirmed they are supplying arms to a Kurd-led coalition in Syria, angering Turkey and jeopardising a precarious common front in the war against Islamic State extremists. The officials say that the US is supplying only light weapons and they are going to the Arab contingent of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ankara has reacted furiously to news of the arms supplies, as it views the YPG as a terrorist group, linked to Turkish Kurd militants. “When McGurk visited last time, [in early September], he spoke about the Raqqa operation and stated that the American special forces will participate in the operation to retake Raqqa, too,” the commander said. “We have not received any arms and are waiting for the American government’s response,” the commander said.

Source: The Guardian September 29, 2016 10:16 UTC