Nearly 24 hours after liberating the M-42 Highway leading to Salamiyyah in the Hama Governate, the Syrian Arab Army tactifully retreated the Tabqa Airbase and moved their forces west towards Hama. Approximately 300 soldiers moved out of the airbase, while the aircraft at the base evacuated the heavy armory. Despite the SAA’s success the last six days, the embattled soldiers remained besieged in multiple areas at Tabqa Airbase. Firefights were reported from the M-42 Highway, as clashes continue between Islamic State militants and the Syrian Army soldiers from Tabqa Airbase.
Tabqa Airbase was the last Syrian Army base in the Ar-Raqqa Governate. Its subsequent fall has led to the absence of the Syrian Army’s presence within Ar-Raqqa. The Islamic State now occupies most of the Ar-Raqqa Governate, while the YPG (Kurdish militia) control areas in the north.
Be Civil
This is a Civilized Place for Public Discussion
Please treat this discussion with the same respect you would a public park. We, too, are a shared community resource — a place to share skills, knowledge and interests through ongoing conversation.
These are not hard and fast rules, merely guidelines to aid the human judgment of our community and keep this a clean and well-lighted place for civilized public discourse.
Make it better
Improve the Discussion
Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the discussion in some way, however small. If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
Now the hard part!
Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree
You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That’s fine. But remember to criticize ideas, not people. Please avoid:
Instead, provide reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.