© AFP 2017/ DELIL SOULEIMANMembers of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up of an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, stand under an Islamic State (IS)group banner in the recently recaptured town of Al-Karamah, 26 kms from the IS bastion of Raqqa, as they advance encircle the jihadists, on March 26, 2017
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Monday a temporary pause in its advance on the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh, outlawed in Russia) terrorist group's stronghold of Raqqa due to the need to repair the damaged Tabqa Dam on the Euphrates.
On Sunday, local media reported that the dam partially collapsed as result of the fighting between the SDF and the Daesh. The SDF refuted the information that the dam had collapsed but said the US-led international coalition had conducted numerous strikes against the Daesh in the area.
"In order to protect the dam on the Euphrates... and at the request of the dam authority, we have decided to stop the operation in the region of the dam for four hours. This is being done to allow an engineer team to pass through and work on the dam," the SDF press service said on its website.
Fighting is ceasing between 12:00 and 17:00 GMT, according to the statement.
Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest, was built with Soviet help in the 1970s and functions primarily as a hydropower plant.
On Sunday, the Kurdish-led SDF pushed the Daesh militants out of the military airport located near the city of Thawrah, which is located just south of the dam. The city is the last big Daesh stronghold on the way to Raqqa, the de-facto Daesh capital in war-torn Syria.
The
Operation Euphrates Rage to retake Raqqa was launched last November by the SDF with the support of the international coalition.
Comment: The Tabqa dam that lies on the Euphrates River upstream from the Syrian city of Raqqa remains
structurally intact, as claimed earlier by anti-government forces advancing on the city about 25 miles to the south, US Central Command announced in a Twitter message on Monday.
"The Coalition is taking every precaution to ensure the integrity of Tabqa Dam, the tweet stated. "To our knowledge, the dam has not been structurally damaged."
The US-led coalition in Syria and Iraq
carried out 34 strikes consisting of 80 engagements against the Daesh on Sunday, including seven strikes near Tabqa, Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release.
"Near Tabqah, seven strikes engaged three Daesh tactical units; destroyed two vehicles, a fighting position, and a front-end loader; and damaged two supply routes," the release stated on Monday.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday
refuted media reports about the Tabqa Dam partly collapsing in result of airstrikes or shelling.
"We are very careful in order for the Euphrates Dam to not be damaged during the operation to liberate it [from the terrorists of the Islamic State (Daesh)]. However, the international coalition's air force conducts massive strikes against the IS units around Tabqa in order to secure the dam," official spokesman of the SDF said in a statement obtained by Sputnik.
The armed units of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
pushed Sunday the militants of the Islamic State (Daesh) terrorist group out of the military airport, located near the Syrian city of Tabqa, Lebanese Al Mayadeen broadcaster reported, citing its source.
Earlier in the day, the media said the SDF forces planned to seize the city of Tabqa, which is the last big Daesh stronghold on the way to Raqqa, serving as Daesh's de facto capital in Syria since it was captured in 2013.
See also:
US forces block Syrian Army advance in preparation for Syria's 'balkanization' Update (Mar. 28):
Comment: The Tabqa dam that lies on the Euphrates River upstream from the Syrian city of Raqqa remains structurally intact, as claimed earlier by anti-government forces advancing on the city about 25 miles to the south, US Central Command announced in a Twitter message on Monday. The US-led coalition in Syria and Iraq carried out 34 strikes consisting of 80 engagements against the Daesh on Sunday, including seven strikes near Tabqa, Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday refuted media reports about the Tabqa Dam partly collapsing in result of airstrikes or shelling. The armed units of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pushed Sunday the militants of the Islamic State (Daesh) terrorist group out of the military airport, located near the Syrian city of Tabqa, Lebanese Al Mayadeen broadcaster reported, citing its source. See also: US forces block Syrian Army advance in preparation for Syria's 'balkanization'
Update (Mar. 28):