Syrian government forces capture key town in Raqqa region

Syrian Government Forces Seize Tabqa Town

Government forces have captured the strategic town of Tabqa, located in Raqqa province, as part of an ongoing military operation against Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) east of the Euphrates River.

The operation on Sunday follows recent battles between Damascus and the US-backed SDF, which resulted in deadly clashes and government control of three neighborhoods in Aleppo city. The seizure of Tabqa is significant due to its proximity to a dam that regulates water flow into areas controlled by the SDF.

A March agreement aimed at reintegrating northeastern Syria and Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian state has been breached by both parties, according to accusations exchanged between the government and the SDF. The SDF controls large areas of northeastern Syria and has been Washington’s key ally in combating the ISIL group.

The US had urged calm after this month’s clashes in Aleppo killed 23 people and displaced tens of thousands. Following the fighting, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi announced that his forces would withdraw from areas east of the Euphrates. The Syrian government has accused the SDF of executing prisoners in Tabqa before withdrawing, while the SDF denies this, claiming it transferred detainees out of the prison and accusing government forces of firing on the facility.

Since the SDF withdrawal, government forces have taken control of over a dozen villages and towns in the eastern Deir Az Zor countryside. The extent of the Syrian military’s advance into the Kurdish heartland remains unclear.

Source: Al Jazeera