The People’s Protection Units (YPG) intend to establish control over the town of Tabqa and a hydroelectric station, located there on the Euphrates River.
Photo: safa.ps
The People’s Protection Units (YPG), also known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in mainstream media, consisting mainly of Kurds, are going to establish control over the town of Tabqa and a hydroelectric station, located there on the Euphrates River, the Izvestiya newspaper reported on Tuesday. The combat actions are conducted within the framework of an operation to encircle Raqqa, which is considered as the capital of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
As Abd Salam Ali, a representative of the Democratic Alliance, a Syrian Kurdish party, told Izvestiya, the YPG intends to knock the IS out from Tabqa town and a dam, located there.
According to Ali, “the battle is currently taking place to the north-west of Raqqa, which is considered as the capital of terrorists. On December 25, there were armed clashes in the area of the Jaabar Castle, [located on the coast of the country’s largest reservoir, Lake Assad].” He also noted that now the YPG moves towards Tabqa and has a task to knock IS terrorists out from there. In this way, the troops are just 45 km from Raqqa. After the establishing control over Tabqa, the YPG will continue to move to the east in order to encircle and close the ring around the capital of terrorists. Ali also added that the next stage will be storming of the city, which will be implemented only by Arab units of the YPG.
At the same time, the representative of the Democratic Alliance added that the YPG can act freely without fear that terrorists will blow up the dam, as in this case, the formed water flow would washed off the city of Raqqah.
The YPG announced the launch of the operation to liberate the city from terrorists on November 6. The operation was dubbed Wrath of the Euphrates. A specially established Coordinating Council commands the military actions. The US air power supports the advancing troops from the air.
Ever since the US/kurds have secured turkey is making zero progress in Bab, they have resumed their advance on ISIS. Officially, it was stalled over a dispute between Syrian rebels and kurds over who will raise the flag over raqqa. The kurds are now promising not to claim the city and have been rejoined by Syrian rebels. The assault renewed in Dec 13th. According to the kurds, they ran over 60 villages unopposed by ISIS.
http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/f0808e04-4e24-4b65-8daa-7e6cd41b367b/Raqqa-battle–Kurdish-led-forces-approach-Tabqa–liberate-villages
ISIS abandoned without a fight. Including yesterday’s skirmish, ISIS managed just two engagements with the kurdish offensive against their capital since it began.
Compare this to their fierce defense of Bab, where they haven’t retreated since November.
Compare this to their large attack on Palmyra Dec 10, assault on Tiyas airbase (began Dec 15) and attack on easy Homs (Dec 22).
The kurds will claim tabqa and raqqa. The Syrian rebels are badly needed canon fodder for their assault. After the battle, the Syrians will be too weak to protest.
ISIS retreated from jarabulus all the way to al bab largely unopposed too, or you forgot that too? Wait till they get to tabqa and raqqa, then we speak again. Its not gonna be easy to throw them stinkin rats out of their capital
Put this on earlier thread, anyone know if YPG/SDF forces have intent/capability to cross over to right bank ? and mount a concurrent advance on TABQA airbase, dam and further to railway bridge, Thawra base and Ba’ath Dam. Vital to cut the supply routes out of Raqqa (road/rail/power/water lines) to stop Dai’ish replenishing/re-inforcing. Raqqa will be a tough nut to crack from the north (left bank) only.
US just claimed hit on Dai’ísh base at Thawra,( ” Near Ar Raqqah , nine strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed six VBIEDs, three tactical vehicles, a bridge, a fighting position, and a supply cache ” – ex CJTF OIR twitter website) location on map is close by N4 road junction shown as Al Mansurah. This is good news because this base is HQ for the deployed defending units on the right bank of the Euphrates for Tabqa Dam, Tabqa Airfield, Ba’ath Dam. Putting on my battalion S2/S3 hat for a minute any chance of a co-ordinated night crossing (no moon) of Lake Assad by SDF with some US/FR CAS ? or has Dai’ish delayed thru this latest counter-attack ? BTW Tabqa dam cannot be “blown”up, it is a massive earth dam, side on profile is like a trapezium, base 512 m, top 20 m, height 60 m, slope 13.7 deg or 1:4 (roughly, see Wikipedia etc links for Tishreen/Tabqa/Ba’ath system) Ba’ath dam can be clearly seen on SF map at water/irrigated zone interface midway Al-Khatuniyah and Al-Mansurah. Dai’ish can cause damage to superstructure/turbine plant and can flood downstream by blowing open all sluice gates and slipways on both dams but only until the water volume in Lake Assad reduces to 11 cubic kilometers +/- (that is below the level of the turbine inflow gates ) Although the winter rains have started Lake Assad levels will not peak until late spring so this, plus the nasty Turks failing to meet their obligation to supply the entire Euphrates river system with 16 cubic kilometrs/yr means the hydro can only run 4 of 8 turbines at best. Anyway, while I always took these threats very seriously, I don’t think these nihilist nutjobs can cause a major catastrophe downstream. Their ability to defend Raqqa is another matter, they are favored by the weather and wonderful defensive terrain to their north plus being located entirely on the left bank their rear is protected by the riverline and high cliffs along the right bank with just two road bridges to guard. If they could fill the Ba’ath Dam reservoir they should be able to flood all the irrigated zone downstream and past Raqqa – this certainly should be a tactical defensive option which makes sense to me.
Arab units of the YPG? Lol they mean arab units of the SDF …. if they even really exist