A U.S.-backed alliance of Arabs and Kurds will launch their final assault on ISIS' Syrian bastion Raqqa in early summer, two commanders from the force said Friday.
"The attack on Raqqa will take place in the beginning of the summer," Syrian Democratic Forces commander Rojda Felat told AFP.
She later specified that it would likely start in June based on "military and tactical considerations."
Felat spoke at a press conference in Tabqa, which the SDF captured from ISIS Wednesday along with its nearby dam.
The city is a key waypost in the SDF's flagship offensive for Raqqa, the Syrian heart of ISIS' so-called caliphate, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) further down the Euphrates Valley.
The deputy head of the SDF, Qahraman Hassan, said: "In the beginning of the summer, we will storm and liberate (Raqqa) city."
He said the alliance would receive "special weapons and armored vehicles" to enter the city after President Donald Trump changed U.S. policy to allow arms deliveries to Kurdish as well as Arab SDF fighters.
"I believe this support will arrive soon," he said
