Syrian Democratic Forces: We Have Liberated the 'Tabqa' Base from ISIS Control

U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab militants in northern Syria claim to have liberated the 'Tabqa' airbase from the control of the group known as the 'Islamic State.' ISIS had captured this Syrian army base in 2014 and had committed massacres there. In a statement issued on April 6, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared that they currently have 'full control' of the airbase and that operations to secure the surrounding areas are ongoing. This strategic base is located near the important 'Tabqa' dam, and controlling it could play a significant role in advancing towards the dam and ultimately liberating Raqqa from ISIS control. On April 2, an American official stated that the predominantly Kurdish militants supported by the U.S. conducted an 'unprecedented' operation using aircraft and assistance from U.S. soldiers, with hundreds of SDF members being transferred to the banks of the Euphrates River and Lake Assad. On Sunday, ISIS claimed that if coalition forces conducted airstrikes, the Tabqa dam might break. Coalition officials rejected this claim, stating that the SDF currently controls the dam's overflow and can 'reduce pressure on the dam if necessary.' The United Nations has warned of a potential disaster from the release of water from the Tabqa dam, whether due to sabotage or possible intentional damage by the 'Islamic State,' or as a result of coalition airstrikes. Raqqa, the main center of ISIS's presence in Syria, is located about 40 kilometers from the Tabqa dam. According to SDF officials, they have reached areas as close as eight kilometers from Raqqa, but the majority of militants are engaged in battles against ISIS at distances between 18 to 30 kilometers from Raqqa. The Tabqa airbase was captured by ISIS in 2014, during a time when the group was making extensive advances in Syria and Iraq. At that time, this military airport was the only airbase of the Syrian army in the area controlled by the 'Islamic State.' Dozens of aircraft, helicopters, tanks, and other heavy weaponry were present at the base during the ISIS assault. After capturing the Tabqa base, ISIS killed around 200 remaining Syrian army soldiers and displayed the severed heads of some of them in the central square of Raqqa. Operations against ISIS are currently ongoing in the two main cities they control, Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.