U.S.-backed Syrian force to reach IS-held town in days: Kurdish source

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias will reach Islamic State-held Manbij within days after advancing to within 10 km (6 miles) of the town in a major offensive against the group near the Turkish border, a Kurdish source said on Thursday. The source said Islamic State defenses stationed on the west bank of the Euphrates river had collapsed at the start of the campaign by the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance this week, but it was too soon to say how the Manbij battle would go. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The SDF includes the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and allied Arab groups. "The defenses on the (river) bank collapsed but we did not yet reach the defenses around the town," said the source, noting that the presence of civilians in Manbij could be a complicating factor. "It will not be like open ground ... the nature of the battle and weapons is different." Asked how long it would take the SDF to reach Manbij, the source said "mere days". Backed by U.S.-led air strikes, the SDF offensive marks an attempt to drive Islamic State from the last remaining tract of territory it holds at the border with Turkey, a top priority for the U.S.-led campaign against the jihadist group. "There were civilians in al-Shadadi too but it fell within 48 hours," added the source, referring to a town captured by the SDF from Islamic State in Syria in February. (Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by G Crosse and James Dalgleish)