Kurdish Militia Hands over Strategic Dam in Northern Syria to Damascus Forces

TEHRAN (defapress)- The predominately-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) surrendered control of the strategic Tishrin Dam in Northern Syria to the Damascus troops a day after it retreated from the key town of Manbij to be replaced by the Syrian army.

News ID: 74651

Date: 30 December 2018 - 13:00

The Arabic-language website of Sputnik reported that the army took control of the Tishrin Dam in Eastern Aleppo on Saturday afternoon after the SDF forces withdrew from the region.

It further pointed to the deployment of army men at the dam and its nearby regions, and said the Damascus forces came in control over Tishrin as part of the Manbij agreement with the SDF.

The dam is 33 km South of the town of Mabij, 115 km East of Aleppo city and 80 km away from the border with Turkey.

The Dam, which was seized by the terrorists in 2015, is the main source of power generation in Aleppo province.

The Syrian Armed Forces' Headquarters announced in a statement on Friday that the Damascus forces entered Manbij in Aleppo province and hoisted the country's national flag over the key town.

The statement by the Syrian Armed Forces' Headquarters came after the Syrian Democratic Forces asked for the deployment of the government troops.

The Syrian Army entered Manbij town after the People's Protection Units asked the Syrian Armed Forces to enter the strategic town.

SDF Spokesman Ceyhan Ahmad also confirmed the Syrian Army's arrival in Manbij town.

The local sources in Northern Syria announced that the Ankara-backed militants are fortifying their positions around Manbij in a bid to attack the strategic town concurrent with US troops' withdrawal from there.

Manbij is in a critical situation after US President Donald Trump declared US forces' withdrawal from Manbij town.

In relevant development on Thursday, residents of Manbij called on Damascus to deploy army forces in the strategic town in Northeastern Aleppo.

The Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper quoted Mojib al-Rahman al-Dandan, the representative of Manbij in the Syrian parliament, as saying on Thursday that as Damascus and the SDF are holding talks on deployment of army forces in the town, the residents are also strongly pressuring the officials to this end.

He added that after US President Donald Trump's declaration of withdrawal of American forces from Syria, the US army retreated from Manbij to Tishrin dam, noting that Manbij residents want immediate deployment of the Syrian army in the town.

Al-Dandan, meantime, said that the SDF leaders are also involved in internal differences as some intend to leave Syria for France and call for the establishment of a no-fly zone and some others want talks with the Syrian government.

He underlined the possibility for the imminent deployment of the Syrian army forces in the region, and said given the strategic importance of Manbij which is the main route to the Forat (Euphrates) dam, the army will be able to liberate all areas in Eastern Syria after regaining the region.

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