248 men from the province of Raqqah have received training and joined the US-backed Syrian Democratic Fores (SDF). These fighters will participate in an operation aimed at capturing Raqqa city from ISIS terrorists.
المئات من المتطوعين من أبناء محافظة #الرقة العرب والكرد يلتحقون بحملة “غضب الفرات” لإنقاذ مناطقهم من ظلم مرتزقة #داعش#قسد#دير_الزور pic.twitter.com/vZjZCRimea
— قوات سوريا من الجبهة (@QSD_Jabha) May 18, 2017
The SDF has also trained more than 50 men from the province of Raqqah as security forces. The task of this force will be to secure the province of Raqqa after capturing it.
تتأهب “قوات الامن الداخلي الرقة” التي تتكون من أبناء و بنات #الرقة للتخلص من مرتزقة #داعش pic.twitter.com/w05sfn9aLr — قوات سوريا من الجبهة (@QSD_Jabha) May 18, 2017
Meanwhile, warplanes and attack helicopters of the US-led coalition carried out 11 airstrikes on positions and vehicles belonging to ISIS in Raqqah city and in the vicinity of Tabqah. They also destroyed oil sites and facilities of ISIS in Albuqamal, Al-Hawl and in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city.
According to local sources, a number of ISIS militants defected in the city of Raqqah on Thursday. ISIS security forces conducted a search campaign to arrest them and managed to catch a majority of them.
In Tabqah, technicians were able to repair the sixth gate in the Euphrates dam (the Tabqah dam) and opened it with the aim of lowering the water level in the Al-Assad Lake.
#الطبقة مهندسي #سد_الفرات بدعم من قوات #قسد يفتحون بوابات السد لتخفيف منسوب المياه في البحيرة ملاحظة السد كان مهدد بالانهيار تحت سيطرة #داعش pic.twitter.com/RrjVgzbotX
— قوات سوريا من الجبهة (@QSD_Jabha) May 18, 2017
It is worth mentioning that the dam was threatened with collapse during the ISIS takeover after being targeted by the US-led coalition with several airstrikes.
1) deliberately draining lake Assad is going to harm the drinking supply of Aleppo and irrigation of farmland just west of the lake. This is all Syrian controlled territory. Our soon to be controlled territory.
2) recruiting Arabs around raqqa is going to challenge the invading Kurdish forces. They will not die as canon fodder just to be enslaved by Kurds. Give them guns, and they’ll kill Isis, then Kurds.
On 1. : If SDF did cause a small (one or two feet) inundation of Raqqah, that is very smart once they assault Raqqah. The tunnels will be flooded and the assualt will be much easier. As far as I know the level of the lake is hardly affected, so what are you talking about.
On 2. : Kurds are not invading Raqqah, SDF, partly kurdish, is assaulting Raqqah and IS. Arabs are volonteering to join, are being trained and armed. They get rid of the Islamo fascists, gain freedom and gaind independence from Assad the butcher.
Seems like a good deal.
They would be better off by getting rid off american fascists, now that the amis have a foothold there it will never be a peaceful region.
Even without the US, whenever was the region peaceful?
At least for the last 5.000 years, it has been one war after the other in that region. Some of the oldest books in the world are full of the wars of that region (Trojan wars, Odyssee, Gilgamesh, Bible, clay tablets 5.000 yo etc etc)
Yeah sure, european countries have been fighting among themselves for centuries, why not have another war in western part of europe, we’ll sponsor it, grab popcorn and see how you will slaughter each other in order to proove who’s more democratic and what not, let’s do it, should be fun, pretty sure that other countries will enjoy watching it too, we’ll even bring HD camera’s and record it all, could start our own series on Netflix.
Nah. The next big war will be between China and Russia over Siberia.
Keep on dreaming Fartson…
Western Europe was never the cradle for all three religions now was it? Don’t worry about Europe it will eventually reach that point with all the pesky invaders be sent back by force.
I couldn’t care less about europe, what you do in your own countries is your business, i wouldn’t even think of europeif it wasn’t trying to put it’s nose in places it doesn’t belong.
It’s not about religion, it’s about you supporting wars for your own gain and i said let’s do the same to you, next time you might think twice before getting into places where you do not belong
If they did not support them someone else would. Without backers there would still people be fighting no excuse for denial about that middle east will always be hell hole. I guess we are lucky that the turks and Iranians or Saudi haven’t gone to full scale war because they are being held back by the masters. They all hate each other over RELIGION and what group of race they belong to.
Not on a large scale, now that they have sponsors they can go and deal a proper damage to each other while the west will quietly steals their resources
The mideast was the the cradle of the three abrahamic religions (Isreal for two and Arabia for one).
Thank you for your encouragement.
For the time being though, it is the rest of the world watching the MENA.
MENA has had wars for the whole of their history, just like most of the world by the way.
Mine was not a criticism but a fact of life and history.
The MENA, and the world in general, has ever fought. It is therefore pointless to blame it on the US as the US has only been involved in the world stage as a major power since say 1918.
They had wars and the west continued to fuel them and make it worse, last time i checked countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria and some other had a pretty decent thing going before a nato intervention, sure there were quarrels but not total destruction like they have now. You want to tell me that you want to transform those countries to proper democratic ones ? I don’t see how, when keep supporting opposing groups and pitch them against each other. Let’s be honest, you’re here for cheap and free resources, nothing but a parasite.
Aleppo and Aleppo province rely on pumps to draw water from Lake Assad since it sits at a much lower elevation. The lake has to get seriously low before Aleppo’s pumps start sucking air. There are water distribution canals near the dam that flow down to lower elevations. The lake level needs to be kept at a certain level to keep the high water from running over their flood gates. The dam operators maintain levels by running water thru the dynamos and by opening floodgates when needed.
Right.
Defectors? Who can they defect to inside Raqqa? Perhaps this bunch caught wind that they were suspected informants for the SDF during the current ISIS witch hunt so took off while they had a chance?