More than 5,000 civilians have fled their homes since the Syrian Democratic Forces launched an offensive on the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) group's Syrian bastion al-Raqa, AFP reported Thursday (November 10th).

"More than 5,000 displaced people have arrived in regions liberated and secured by our forces. They are coming from combat zones through a corridor we opened for them," SDF spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed said.

Supported by international coalition airstrikes, the SDF launched the offensive on Saturday, upping pressure on the extremists who are also battling Iraqi forces in their bastion of Mosul .

The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces, has been pushing south from areas near the Turkish border towards al-Raqa, seizing a string of villages and moving to positions about 35 kilometres from the city.

Dozens of families have fled towards SDF lines in recent days.

Many have been arriving in trucks and cars around Ain Issa, the main staging point for the operation some 50 kilometres north of al-Raqa, loaded down with belongings and in some cases with livestock including cows and sheep.

SDF forces have been stopping them a few kilometres from Ain Issa, checking their identities and searching their belongings.

Ahmed appealed for aid in dealing with the influx, which is likely to rise as SDF forces approach al-Raqa.

"We need international help because our capacities are limited and, with winter coming, there is no camp to host them," she said.