Syria: Army moves towards Kurdish-held areas; capture key military airport

Syrian authorities forces moved into Kurdish-held areas of bluish Syria connected Saturday, taking respective towns and triggering clashes that person shaken a tentative governmental statement aimed astatine restoring cardinal power implicit the country. This follows weeks of hostility and dense warring earlier this period betwixt authorities troops and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led radical backed by the United States. Syria’s service said it had taken power of the Tabqa subject airdrome successful Raqqa province, which had antecedently been held by Kurdish forces, arsenic reported by AFP. Raqqa became a planetary awesome of the warfare aft the Islamic State radical captured it successful 2014 and declared it the superior of its self-styled caliphate.

The metropolis was severely damaged during the US-led run that defeated the radical and has since remained nether SDF control, with a tiny US subject beingness nearby. Since Bashar Assad was removed from powerfulness past year, Kurdish authorities person been reluctant to spot their forces nether the caller government’s command. Talks connected integrating Kurdish subject and civilian bodies into the post-war Syrian authorities person continued for months but person precocious stalled.

The renewed warring has accrued interest successful Washington, wherever officials fearfulness a wider struggle betwixt Damascus and Kurdish forces could undermine efforts to forestall an Islamic State comeback and enactment US troops successful Syria astatine risk. The authorities beforehand came hours aft SDF fighters withdrew from positions eastbound of Aleppo. The pullback followed a decree issued connected Friday by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa affirming the rights of Kurdish Syrians, a determination seen arsenic an effort to easiness tensions aft authorities strikes successful the area. However, the calm was short-lived. Both sides accused each different of breaking the understanding, and clashes rapidly spread. US officials urged restraint arsenic unit escalated. The caput of US forces successful the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, called connected Syrian authorities troops to “cease immoderate violative actions” adjacent Aleppo. Separately, US peculiar envoy Thomas J. Barrack Jr. met Kurdish leaders successful bluish Iraq arsenic Washington sought to forestall a broader confrontation. Fighting was reported successful aggregate towns and villages arsenic authorities forces said they were advancing done oil-rich areas toward the strategical municipality of Tabqa, which lies astir 30 miles from Raqqa. At slightest 24 civilians person been killed successful 5 days of fighting, with thousands forced to flee. The clashes people immoderate of the deadliest unit since Syria’s civilian warfare ended successful December 2024, erstwhile al-Sharaa’s rebel conjugation overthrew the Assad regime.