A US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters has captured a strategic airbase from ISIS in northern Syria in the first major victory for the group since the US airlifted the forces behind enemy lines last week.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that they captured the Tabqa airbase, 45km west of Raqqa, the Islamic State of Iraq and the levant (ISIl) group’s de facto capital in Syria.SDF forces were also battling for the nearby Tabqa dam, held by ISIl, which was forced out of service on Sunday after its power station was damaged.
Earlier this week, US forces airlifted SDF fighters behind ISIl lines to allow them to launch the Tabqa assault, and on Friday the alliance reached one of the dam’s entrances.