Last week saw US forces rolling into northern Syria to help keep a neutral relationship between the two allies that have fought for more than a week now. The situation is further complicating Washington’s battle against the Islamic State and underscoring a struggle for influence across what remains of the ravaged north.
The US-backed fighters are preparing to move in the coming weeks to assault the city of Raqqa, ISIS’ self-declared capital, according to the officials. The Pentagon and the Marine Corps have declined to confirm the deployment because of security concerns in the region. They have also declined to specify the exact location of the forces or how many are there.
