Continuing with their efforts to expand in the area northwest of the ISIS capital city of Raqqa, US-backed forces from the Kurdish YPG are attacking targets in and around the town of Tabqa, in particular trying to gain more control of the area around the large Tabqa Dam.
ISIS has been issuing statements over the past several days warning about the condition of the Tabqa Dam, saying that airstrikes around the area, along with increased water, are raising the risk of a catastrophic failure that would lead to major flooding.
The Tabqa Dam is some 50 years old, initially built by the Soviet Union, and there was serious concern about the condition of the Dam for some time. US officials, however, insist that the dam is perfectly fine, and is in no danger of having any problems.
Dams in remote areas of Iraq and Syria have been a recurring concern, with the US position seemingly that the dams are always in terrible danger if they are in control of a rebel forces, but are always totally sound so long as US-backed groups control them.