The US-led anti-ISIS coalition said as much as 40,000 fighters in northern Syria are ready to isolate Raqqa.

According to a source in the US military there are now “adequate forces” for the job and a ballpark of 30,000 to 40,000 US-backed forces are ready to envelope the city held by ISIS.

There will be ongoing dialogue between the US and its coalition partners as well as allies to decide who would actually go in and hold the city while the isolation operation is completed.