(Zaman Alwasl)- Islamic State fighters on Sunday have captured al-Tabqa airbase in Raqqa province after 4 days of fierce fighting with forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad, media outlets and pro-IS activists say. “IS fighters are celebrating in Raqqa city after capturing Tabqa airbase. They are shooting in air. Mosques calling Allahu Akbar, Akhbar TV reporter Jenan Moussa said. Raqqa has become the first governorate without any Assad regime presence, activists say. The airbase at Tabqa, some 40 km (25 miles) east of the city of Raqqa in northeast Syria, represents the governments last foothold in an area otherwise controlled by IS. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 200 fighters of IS that has seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq were killed and wounded during the fierce fighting with Assad’s troops. On Friday, Syrian government forces have sent reinforcements to an air base being attacked by Islamic State militants in northeast Syria where no fewer than 30 of the radical groups fighters were killed on Thursday, Reuter said. In recent weeks, IS has taken three Syrian army bases in Raqqa, expanding its arsenal by 20 long-range artillery guns and least 22 tanks, a Western official said, basing the analysis on images posted online, according to Reuters.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 12:54:17 +0000
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