U.S.-backed forces in Syria cut road between IS-held Raqqa and Deir al-Zor

Reuters, Mar 6, 2017 – Syrian militias backed by the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State cut the road between the jihadist-held city of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor province in Syria on Monday, a Kurdish military source and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The advance by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) means all land routes out of Raqqa are now cut, and the only remaining way out is south across the Euphrates River, the Kurdish military source said. “It is a big victory but there is still a lot to accomplish,” the source said.
The SDF includes the Kurdish YPG militia and allied Arab groups. The spokesman for the SDF could not immediately be reached for comment.