On 10 April 2017, a purported spokesman for the Elite Forces claimed that the group was not part of the SDF, would cooperate with both the SDF and Rojava Peshmerga to capture Deir ez-Zor, and rejected federalism. On 15 April, this statement was denied by Muhammad Khalid Shakir, the official spokesman of the Elite Forces. He denied any disagreements between the Elite Forces and the SDF and said that "We are in the framework of the international coalition. The leadership of the coalition manages the operations on the ground. Our troops did not withdraw. We have completed the third phase of the Wrath of Euphrates Operation, and we will participate in all stages until Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor are freed." While the Battle of Raqqa (2017) was still ongoing, the Elite Forces officially left the SDF, though elements of the group continued to cooperate with the SDF.