美國官員：奪取拉卡之戰可能在今後幾日開始
American military officials say U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have pushed within three kilometers of Islamic State's de-facto capital in Syria, and the major battle for control of Raqqa from Islamic State militants "could begin in the coming days."
Speaking to reporters from Baghdad, U.S.-led counter ISIS coalition spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon said the SDF is "poised around Raqqa," after gaining 350 square kilometers from Islamic State in Syria in the last week.
The forces are within three kilometers from Raqqa city to the north and the east and about 10 kilometers from the city to the west, according to Dillon.
"The fight for the city could begin in the coming days," a U.S. military official separately told VOA on the condition of anonymity. "The encirclement of Raqqa is almost complete."
The U.S. military confirmed earlier this week that it has started distributing weapons and vehicles to Syrian Kurdish fighters in preparation for the Raqqa battle. That move has placed the United States at odds with NATO ally Turkey, which contends the SDF's Syrian Kurdish militia is a terrorist group affiliated with the outlawed PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a terror group that has been battling the Turkish state for many years.
Dillon said the SDF has instructed Raqqa citizens to leave the city ahead of the fighting, with nearly 200,000 people already displaced. Camps for displaced citizens have been established around the Syrian city, Dillon added, with SDF screening sites in place to prevent Islamic State militants from escaping among the fleeing civilian population.美國軍方官員說，美國支持的敘利亞民主力量已經推進到距離伊斯蘭國自詡的首都敘利亞拉卡市三公里之內的地方。他們說，從伊斯蘭國激進分子手中奪回拉卡控制權的主要戰役“有可能在今後幾日開始”。
美國領導的打擊伊斯蘭國聯盟的發言人迪龍上校說，敘利亞民主力量“在拉卡周圍準備就緒”，上週，他們從伊斯蘭國手中奪回350平方公里的地盤。
迪龍說，敘利亞民主力量距離達拉市北部和東部三公里之內，距離該市西部約10公里。
另外一位不願意透露姓名的美國軍方官員對美國之音說：“奪取這座城市的戰鬥可能在今後幾日開始。” 他說：“對拉卡的包圍幾乎完成”。
美國軍方本週早些時候證實，爲準備拉卡一戰，已經開始向敘利亞的庫爾德戰士發放武器和車輛，此舉使美國和其北約盟友土耳其之間出現裂痕。土耳其聲稱，敘利亞民主力量的敘利亞庫爾德民兵組織是一個恐怖組織，與被取締的庫爾德工人黨有聯繫。土耳其稱，恐怖組織庫爾德工人黨與政府進行了多年的戰鬥。
迪龍說，敘利亞民主力量已經指示拉卡居民在戰鬥開始之前撤離該市。那裏已有近20萬人流離失所。迪龍補充說，在這座敘利亞城市的周圍，設立了收容流離失所者的營地，敘利亞民主力量還設置了審查站，以防伊斯蘭國激進分子混入逃難的平民中逃跑。
