The United States has started arming Syrian Kurds with heavy machine guns, antitank weapons and other arms, a critical step in preparing a pivotal part of the force that will carry out the final assault on the Islamic State’s de facto capital of Raqqa, Pentagon officials said. The equipment provided included “small arms, ammunition, heavy machine guns” and antitank weapons to use against “heavily armored vehicle-borne I.E.D.s,” or improvised explosive devices.
U.S. Begins Arming Syrian Kurds for Final Assault on Raqqa
