ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have taken full control of Tabqa airbase from ISIS on Monday while they have temporarily halted operations against the extremist group in the area of the dam in order to allow a team of experts examine the structure, which is feared to have been damaged in the conflict.
The SDF stormed the military airport south of the town of Tabqa on Sunday, taking control of more than half of the base. They completed operations on Monday and are now in full control of the base, the SDF announced Monday afternoon.
To the north of the town, in the vicinity of the dam, the SDF announced that they were stopping operations against ISIS for a four-hour period Monday afternoon in order to allow a team of engineers access to the dam amid concerns that the dam has been damaged and may collapse entirely.
On Sunday, ISIS issued warnings to local residents that the dam was at risk of collapsing and that there was danger of flooding. The dam was temporarily out of service on Sunday after its power station was damaged, sources at the site told AFP.
If the dam does burst, it could cause massive flooding in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zur, resulting in a humanitarian disaster, the UN has warned.
The SDF stormed the military airport south of the town of Tabqa on Sunday, taking control of more than half of the base. They completed operations on Monday and are now in full control of the base, the SDF announced Monday afternoon.
Talal Silo, SDF spokesperson, told AFP that the main runway was heavily damaged. “We will begin rehabilitating Tabqa airport after clearing out explosive devices” left behind by ISIS.
To the north of the town, in the vicinity of the dam, the SDF announced that they were stopping operations against ISIS for a four-hour period Monday afternoon in order to allow a team of engineers access to the dam amid concerns that the dam has been damaged and may collapse entirely.
On Sunday, ISIS issued warnings to local residents that the dam was at risk of collapsing and that there was danger of flooding. The dam was temporarily out of service on Sunday after its power station was damaged, sources at the site told AFP.
Cihan Shekh Ahmed, spokesperson for the SDF’s operation for Raqqa, accused ISIS of spreading terror among civilians. She issued a statement on Monday confirming that the dam continues to work, providing electricity, and that their forces had allowed a team of engineers to check the dam to evaluate any possible damage and ensure it was functioning properly.
If the dam does burst, it could cause massive flooding in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zur, resulting in a humanitarian disaster, the UN has warned.
The US-led coalition said in a published statement last week that it was taking precautions to ensure the dam’s integrity. On Monday, the coalition tweeted, "To our knowledge, the dam has not been structurally damaged."
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