DAMASCUS, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is close to make its largest achievement against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria's northern city of Raqqa, a monitor group reported on Sunday.
The SDF and allied fighters of the Syrian Elite forces, both forces backed by the U.S.-led coalition and led by Kurdish forces, have captured the southern parts of the strategic Sina'a neighborhood in Raqqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The UK-based watchdog group said the SDF and other forces are trying to fully capture Sina'a, as part of intensified military operations in the eastern and northwestern part of Raqqa on Sunday.
The operations in Sina'a was coupled with intense airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, said the Observatory, adding that if the U.S.-backed forces succeeded to fully capture Sina'a, they will be in contact with the old city of Raqqa, which is the depth of Raqqa.
The new achievement came after the SDF with the heavy backing of the U.S. captured three neighborhoods in Raqqa city, since unleashing their wide-scale offensive on Raqqa last Tuesday.
The SDF, which comprises of Kurd, Arab and Assyrian fighters and led by the Kurdish YPG militia, so far captured the neighborhoods of Mashlab, Jazra, and Romaniyeh in the city.
The SDF announced their campaign to liberate Raqqa under the title of "Euphrates Wrath" in November last year, and declared their fourth stage of the attack to storm the Raqqa city last Tuesday, after months of battles at the outskirts and countryside of the city.