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Battle of Tabqa
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Battle of Tabqa
The Battle of Tabqa was a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) military operation against the Islamic State (IS) to capture and secure the Tabqa Dam, Tabqa (al-Thawrah), Tabqa Airbase, and the surrounding countryside during the 2016–2017 Raqqa campaign of the larger Rojava-Islamist conflict of the Syrian civil war. The SDF assault began on 22 March 2017, and resulted in the capture of Tabqa and the Tabqa Dam on 10 May 2017. The SDF was supported by the United States-led CJTF–OIR coalition during the battle.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, seeking to capture Raqqa city from the Islamic State, positioned themselves around the city as part of the second phase of their regional campaign. However, as part of this, they encountered ISIL forces dug in around the Tabqa Dam, west of Raqqa. Because of the dam's fragility and strategic importance, the SDF could not immediately advance on the dam, and there were concerns it could break and cause flooding. ISIL had previously threatened to open the floodgates if the dam was attacked, which would destroy many villages downstream.
In late January 2017, it was reported that a number of ISIL militants were hiding inside the structure of the Tabqa Dam with senior militant leaders–who used to be "very important prisoners" wanted by the US and several other countries–in order to deter a possible CJTF–OIR coalition strike on these targets.[citation needed]
As part of a series of probing attacks in January 2017, US special forces crossed the Euphrates in amphibious raids, including a raid by a combined SDF-U.S. special forces contingent on the Tabqa Dam and the nearby city of Tabqa (al-Thawrah).[citation needed] Following the raids, ISIL counterattacked the SDF positions, but the counterattacks were largely repelled.
On 22 March, the SDF began an assault to capture the Tabqa Dam, Tabqa (al-Thawrah) city, and the Tabqa Airbase. Five hundred SDF fighters and additional US soldiers of the CJTF–OIR were airlifted by US V-22 Osprey helicopters across the Euphrates river and Lake Assad and were dropped on the Shurfa Peninsula to the west of Tabqa city. US air support assets and artillery units from the United States Marines supported the assault. SDF and US forces also landed on the Jazirat al-'Ayd Island (or Peninsula) to the west of Tabqa Dam, capturing it as well. The airlift of forces behind enemy lines was described by Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon as a large high-priority offensive and announced that the advance had cut off the highway linking the Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa Governorates. He added that around 75-80% of the attacking force consisted of Arab fighters, with the rest being Kurds in the YPG and the YPJ. Four towns were also seized as part of the landings and it was believed that the dam and general area were held by hundreds of ISIL fighters, many of them foreign fighters. The SDF stated that the advance was also meant to block any advance on Raqqa by the Syrian Arab Army from the west.
On 24 March, SDF spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed announced that they had reached the Tabqa Dam and were fighting ISIL at its entrance. The assault on the dam was spearheaded by SDF fighters who were supported by US special forces personnel. It was also reported that the SDF had captured eight villages to the southwest of Tabqa city. ISIL's Amaq News Agency outlet meanwhile claimed the SDF had withdrawn from the dam. Jabhat Thuwar al-Raqqa claimed online that the SDF had captured the Tabqa Airbase; however, Al-Masdar News stated that the SDF's open room had stated that the claim was completely fabricated.
On 26 March, the SDF captured two villages to the east of Tabqa. It was also reported that ISIL was shelling the surroundings of Tabqa Dam with heavy weaponry. On the same day, ISIL claimed that Tabqa Dam was on the verge of collapse and that all the floodgates were closed. The dam was reported to have become inoperable, which ISIL claimed was due to US-led coalition bombing and artillery strikes, though the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) stated that the actual reasons were unknown, adding that ISIL still held its main building and turbines. That day, US aircraft had dropped three 2,000 pound bombs against the towers attached to the dam, causing critical equipment to fail and the dam to stop functioning. One of the bombs failed to detonate. The dam almost failed as the floodgates were rendered inoperable, but an emergency ceasefire coordinated between the Islamic State, Syrian government, and the United States let engineers make emergency repairs before the dam collapsed, which could have potentially killed thousands of civilians.
The SDF however denied that it had been hit, while the RBSS (Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently) group stated that ISIL was informing fleeing civilians that the dam was safe. Additionally, the coalition stated that the Tabqa Dam was structurally sound, and that the dam had not been targeted by any airstrikes. They also stated that the SDF controlled an emergency spillway at the northern part of the dam, which could be used in the event of an emergency. On the same day, SDF spokesman Talal Silo announced that the SDF had stormed the Tabqa military airport, and had taken 60-70% of it. They later announced that they had completely captured the Tabqa Airbase, following a 24-hour battle. ISIL fighters stationed at Tabqa Airbase were reported to have withdrawn northward to Tabqa city. Additionally, SDF forces captured two villages near the airbase during the advance.
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Battle of Tabqa
The Battle of Tabqa was a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) military operation against the Islamic State (IS) to capture and secure the Tabqa Dam, Tabqa (al-Thawrah), Tabqa Airbase, and the surrounding countryside during the 2016–2017 Raqqa campaign of the larger Rojava-Islamist conflict of the Syrian civil war. The SDF assault began on 22 March 2017, and resulted in the capture of Tabqa and the Tabqa Dam on 10 May 2017. The SDF was supported by the United States-led CJTF–OIR coalition during the battle.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, seeking to capture Raqqa city from the Islamic State, positioned themselves around the city as part of the second phase of their regional campaign. However, as part of this, they encountered ISIL forces dug in around the Tabqa Dam, west of Raqqa. Because of the dam's fragility and strategic importance, the SDF could not immediately advance on the dam, and there were concerns it could break and cause flooding. ISIL had previously threatened to open the floodgates if the dam was attacked, which would destroy many villages downstream.
In late January 2017, it was reported that a number of ISIL militants were hiding inside the structure of the Tabqa Dam with senior militant leaders–who used to be "very important prisoners" wanted by the US and several other countries–in order to deter a possible CJTF–OIR coalition strike on these targets.[citation needed]
As part of a series of probing attacks in January 2017, US special forces crossed the Euphrates in amphibious raids, including a raid by a combined SDF-U.S. special forces contingent on the Tabqa Dam and the nearby city of Tabqa (al-Thawrah).[citation needed] Following the raids, ISIL counterattacked the SDF positions, but the counterattacks were largely repelled.
On 22 March, the SDF began an assault to capture the Tabqa Dam, Tabqa (al-Thawrah) city, and the Tabqa Airbase. Five hundred SDF fighters and additional US soldiers of the CJTF–OIR were airlifted by US V-22 Osprey helicopters across the Euphrates river and Lake Assad and were dropped on the Shurfa Peninsula to the west of Tabqa city. US air support assets and artillery units from the United States Marines supported the assault. SDF and US forces also landed on the Jazirat al-'Ayd Island (or Peninsula) to the west of Tabqa Dam, capturing it as well. The airlift of forces behind enemy lines was described by Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon as a large high-priority offensive and announced that the advance had cut off the highway linking the Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa Governorates. He added that around 75-80% of the attacking force consisted of Arab fighters, with the rest being Kurds in the YPG and the YPJ. Four towns were also seized as part of the landings and it was believed that the dam and general area were held by hundreds of ISIL fighters, many of them foreign fighters. The SDF stated that the advance was also meant to block any advance on Raqqa by the Syrian Arab Army from the west.
On 24 March, SDF spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed announced that they had reached the Tabqa Dam and were fighting ISIL at its entrance. The assault on the dam was spearheaded by SDF fighters who were supported by US special forces personnel. It was also reported that the SDF had captured eight villages to the southwest of Tabqa city. ISIL's Amaq News Agency outlet meanwhile claimed the SDF had withdrawn from the dam. Jabhat Thuwar al-Raqqa claimed online that the SDF had captured the Tabqa Airbase; however, Al-Masdar News stated that the SDF's open room had stated that the claim was completely fabricated.
On 26 March, the SDF captured two villages to the east of Tabqa. It was also reported that ISIL was shelling the surroundings of Tabqa Dam with heavy weaponry. On the same day, ISIL claimed that Tabqa Dam was on the verge of collapse and that all the floodgates were closed. The dam was reported to have become inoperable, which ISIL claimed was due to US-led coalition bombing and artillery strikes, though the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) stated that the actual reasons were unknown, adding that ISIL still held its main building and turbines. That day, US aircraft had dropped three 2,000 pound bombs against the towers attached to the dam, causing critical equipment to fail and the dam to stop functioning. One of the bombs failed to detonate. The dam almost failed as the floodgates were rendered inoperable, but an emergency ceasefire coordinated between the Islamic State, Syrian government, and the United States let engineers make emergency repairs before the dam collapsed, which could have potentially killed thousands of civilians.
The SDF however denied that it had been hit, while the RBSS (Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently) group stated that ISIL was informing fleeing civilians that the dam was safe. Additionally, the coalition stated that the Tabqa Dam was structurally sound, and that the dam had not been targeted by any airstrikes. They also stated that the SDF controlled an emergency spillway at the northern part of the dam, which could be used in the event of an emergency. On the same day, SDF spokesman Talal Silo announced that the SDF had stormed the Tabqa military airport, and had taken 60-70% of it. They later announced that they had completely captured the Tabqa Airbase, following a 24-hour battle. ISIL fighters stationed at Tabqa Airbase were reported to have withdrawn northward to Tabqa city. Additionally, SDF forces captured two villages near the airbase during the advance.
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