Posted on 03/23/2017 7:14:53 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with their Syrian Arab Coalition fighters, launched a multi-pronged offensive behind enemy lines on Wednesday to liberate the Tabqah Dam in Syria from ISIS. Apache helicopters, U.S. Marine artillery and special operation troops were part of this operation to drop SDF fighters near Tabqa.
“The Coalition supported this offensive with air movement and logistical support, precision airstrikes, Apache helicopters in close air support, Marine artillery, and special operations advice and assistance to SDF leadership,” the US-led coalition said in a statement.
“Over the last four months, the Coalition has conducted more than 300 airstrikes around Tabqah and near Raqqa that have killed hundreds of enemy fighters, destroyed more than 200 fortifications, and more than 50 ISIS vehicles,” the coalition added.
“It takes a special breed of warrior to pull off an airborne operation or air assault behind enemy lines,” said Col. Joe Scirocco of the coalition against ISIS. “There is nothing easy about this – it takes audacity and courage. And the SDF has that in spades.”
Seizing Tabqah Dam will isolate Raqqa from three sides and give the SDF the strategic advantage and launching point needed for the liberation of the city. The area is critical to ISIS’s ability to import and harbor foreign fighters, export terror, and is ISIS’s last link to territory west of the Euphrates.
Tabqah Dam has been used as an ISIS headquarters, a prison for high-profile hostages, a training location, and for external terror plotting since ISIS took control of the location in 2013.
“The SDF and their local Syrian Arab Coalition fighters, have proven to be the most effective ground force against ISIS in Syria – and they are proving that once again with this daring operation,” said Scrocca.
Tabqah Dam is a key element of northern Syria’s economy, agriculture and way of life, and its destruction by ISIS could lead to a severe humanitarian crisis. The US-led coalition said it will take every precaution to ensure the dam’s integrity.
“It is the SDF on the ground, putting their lives at risk, and violently engaging the enemy,” said Scrocca. “And it is the SDF, like the Iraqi Security Forces, who are making the sacrifice so that other Coalition nations do not continue to suffer the threat of ISIS terrorism inside our own borders.”
“This operation demonstrates the close relationship between the US military and SDF fighters,” Washington-based analyst Nicholas A. Heras, Bacevich Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), told ARA News. “A special operation, the air drop would not have even been attempted by the US military if the Americans did not have complete trust in the capabilities of the SDF.”
“Further, by supporting the SDF to seize Tabqa Dam, one of the most important and strategic infrastructure projects in all of Syria, the US military is sending a signal that through the SDF the United States intends to increase and maximize its leverage on all actors, local and foreign, in the conflict. Contrary to Turkey’s preference, the U.S. is stating that there is no future settlement in Syria without the SDF,” Heras concluded.
Brave men undertake such bold acts. General Mattis must be proud of his soldiers and the Kurdish allies we support.
I was tempted to post some photo's I saw, but am cautious and will wait a few days till the dust settles to widely project those. They are on web, but this is an early stage of the battle which we must win as quickly as possible.
OK, I evidently did not check. Sorry Admin please remove.
I’m quite frankly a bit relieved that some are picking up on this. For a time it appeared I was then only one posting ME news from foreign sources.
KOM news is great.
ARA has been pretty good.
ARN is Damascus source that is good and bad. (accurate or prop)
I did see a number of good photos on Twitter of the Air Assault raid on the Dam.
And this morning a video of them preparing to use a ferry to move men and equipment across the Euphrates to where they air dropped Special Ops across the river.
And then the map of the day showed the encircling with opposite side of river taking place. Game is on.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7nCzySWsAEJVI5.jpg
Later
What is this?
The second of fourth time this dam dam has been "captured...?"
No, the dam was captured yesterday morning. There was a headquarters, training area, town, and a prison associate with it. The dam was critical because of the hydro power facility and the dam allows irrigation for the farming. Major issue if destroyed. This has been a concern from the beginning, somewhere around the first of February. I have battle maps for Raqqa that date back to 2-11-17.
Part of the dam is an earthen dam and part is concrete structure with power plants. Then a lot of surrounding sites. They were all in control of ISIS in this isolated pocket from beginning. They had been reported to have set charges on the dam and if attacked would blow it up. So that threat had to be neutralized.
Remember, Raqqa was a large town. Somewhere around 240,000 people before ISIS captured it. The site furnished power to a large area.
15 hours go-> https://twitter.com/melisaraimmo/status/844992562071027716
Mar 22 -> https://twitter.com/melisaraimmo/status/844738316750770176
Mar 22 map -> https://twitter.com/AraratKurd/status/844636729567068160
Now in defense of the reports from there:
These are not Network idiots that are reporting the news. Little people with cameras in a real battle.
The little I see from US news sources is absolute crap. I saw one last night that was from NPR and they used a reporter in Turkey for feed, it was nothing but propaganda for Erdogan. Absolute lies. I saw a little blurb from CNN yesterday and it as not credible at all. The only news and photos that are real is coming from a very few freelance guys who are embedded with the YPG.
If you like I can send your some other photo links or we can talk on freepmail and I will tell you how to find them on Twitter. Most of it is coming from there. Quality is all over the board but it is real not fake news (some foreign propaganda too, mostly from Turkey)
Here is some earlier photo journalism done by a freelance writer named Joey. Excellent photography. And it captures some of the nature of the YPG and YPJ forces. These are simple tough people.
https://joeyl.com/blog/all/post/welcome-to-raqqa
Over the past almost 3 years I have come to know a few of them well. I really like them. They are not like us, but are good people. (rare in the middle east)
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