At least 3 Kurdish fighters killed in Isis attack on YPG security office in west of Raqqa

Islamic State (Isis) militants killed at least three Kurdish soldiers and injured several others during an attack on Thursday (19 January), targeting a security office of People's Protection Units (YPG) west of Raqqa in northeastern Syria.

Raqqa – an IS (Daesh) stronghold in Syria – is currently at the centre of a major offensive to liberate the city from Isis rule.

"Daesh terrorists attacked one of our security offices in the Suwaydiya village west of Raqqa," the YPG leadership said in a statement, using the Arabic name for the terrorist group. The Kurdish army added that three of their fighters were killed in the attack, while at least five others were wounded.

All the deceased Kurdish fighters were from the Kurdish city of Kobani.

YPG officer Habun Osman told ARA News that the militants attacked their office with mortar shells and heavy machine guns "aimed at impeding the progress made by the US-backed forces towards Raqqa city".

The YPG is allied with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who liberated Manbij near Raqqa in the recent past as part of their Euphrates Wrath Operation. They are now advancing towards ridding Raqqa of the terrorists.

Meanwhile, the Kurdish forces are facing threats from Turkish troops that are also battling Isis in the region. Turkey recently threatened to attack SDF soldiers stationed in Manbij, which is touted as a strategic position to launch an effective assault over Raqqa.