SDF CONFIDENT IT CAN CAPTURE ISIL ‘CAPITAL’

BEIRUT The main Syrian Kurdish force fighting ISIL militants in northern Syria said Friday that it has enough fighters to take the extremists’ de facto capital of Raqqa with the help of the U.S.-led coalition — remarks that reflect a veiled warning to Ankara and also to rival, Turkey-backed opposition forces making headway toward the city.

The comments by Cihan Sheikh Ehmed, the spokeswoman of the Syrian Democratic Forces, came as U.S. troops are playing a bigger role on the ground.

Gen. Joseph Votel, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, signalled Thursday that there will be a larger and longer American military presence in Syria to accelerate the fight against ISIL and quell friction within the complicated mix of warring factions there.

The SDF spokeswoman said their numbers are increasing with more residents of newly liberated areas from ISIL joining the ethnically-mixed force, the most effective group on the ground in Syria in the battle against ISIL.

“We have enough forces to liberate Raqqa with the help of the coalition,” Sheikh Ehmed said, adding that their troops received intelligence that the ISIL group is digging tunnels in preparation for intense street battles.