US Army chief in Ankara as push begins to oust IS from Syria stronghold

The top US general Joseph Dunford is making a previously unannounced visit to Ankara, the army says, as Kurdish-Arab forces launch an operation to capture the jihadist bastion of Raqqa in Syria.

The chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff is to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, the army says, without giving further details.

The Kurdish-Arab force leading the fight to retake Raqqa says Washington agreed Turkey would play no role in the offensive.

Ankara previously expressed alarm that the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were dominated by the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) militia.

— AFP

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