KOBANI, Syria — On April 1, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) started making military movements in northern Syria, at the Tishrin Dam west of the Euphrates, to level ground offensives against Manbij and Jarablous. This military maneuver points to an imminent large-scale offensive to expel the Islamic State (IS) from the remaining areas it controls in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
Meanwhile, factions of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) operating under the Hor Kalas operations room expanded their control in northern Syria by taking over a 10-kilometer (6-mile) borderline with Turkey. On April 8, the factions drove IS out of al-Rai and adjacent towns that have been under the group's control for 2½ years.
These movements are tightening the noose around IS, which is currently facing government forces from the south, the FSA from the west, and the Kurds — backed by the US-led coalition — from the east.
Manbij, al-Bab and Jarablous are a part of the Aleppo province in northern Syria. They are about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the center of Aleppo, to the northeast. The cities have been controlled by IS since Jan. 23, 2014. IS seized a 55-kilometer (34-mile) border area with Turkey to the west of the Euphrates, from Jarablous to the outskirts of al-Rai, which is currently witnessing fierce battles between IS and armed opposition factions.
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