A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance pushed closer to Raqa and Iraqi forces seized a key town near Mosul as offensives advanced on Monday against the two Islamic State group strongholds.
After announcing the start of the long-awaited offensive on Raqa, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance said it had moved south towards the city despite fierce jehadi resistance.
South of Mosul, Iraqi forces had retaken the town of Hamam al-Alil from ISIS, a key objective in their three-week advance on the city.
Raqa and Mosul are the last major cities in Syria and Iraq under the jehadi control and their capture would deal a knockout blow to the self-styled “caliphate” ISIS declared in mid-2014.
The US-led coalition that launched operations against IS two years ago is providing crucial backing to the offensives, with both airstrikes and special forces advisers on the ground.
SDF spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed told AFP that forces had advanced on two fronts towards Raqa amid heavy fighting.