A U.S.-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces announced Tuesday it will push into territory north of ISIS' de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria.
The battle Tuesday is meant to retake that area, Kurdish officials said, but is likely to stop short of attempting to retake the beleaguered city.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of armed militants backed by the U.S., and Kurdish groups announced the offensive on social media and through various announcements.
The activist group "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" tweeted late Tuesday that a clash was taking place in the northern outskirts of the ISIS stronghold.