The U.S. is reportedly arming Syrian Arabs before expected anti-ISIS push

Fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces are fighting ISIS with U.S. munitions

(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

published 17 December 2015

The U.S. military has just delivered a third shipment of ammunition to Syrian Arab fighters who are fighting the Islamic State in northeastern Syria, Reuters reports, citing U.S. officials. The roughly 5,000 Syrian Arabs, fighting under U.S.-vetted commanders, are part of the Syrian Democratic Forces along with Syrian Kurdish YPG militias and some other groups, and the U.S. military estimates that they have collectively recaptured about 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) from ISIS over the past six weeks, when U.S. special ops advisers started doling out the ammunition.

But the real short-term goal is al-Shadadi, a strategically important crossroads that would help isolate the ISIS headquarters of Raqqa. U.S. officials declined to estimate how long they expect it to take for the Syrian Democratic Forces to capture al-Shadadi, with ISIS believed to be digging in for battle; Iraqi security forces have been battling for months to retake Ramadi, while Kurdish fighters recaptured Sinjar in about 48 hours.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.