Syrian Rebels Seize Important Hydroelectric Dam in North

Rebels Claim 10 Children Killed in Cluster Bomb Attack in Damascus Suburb

Syrian rebels continue to expand their gains in the north of the country today, having captured the Tishrin Dam, an important hydroelectric dam on the Euphrates river. The Free Syrian Army (FSA), which led the attack, apparently seized large amounts of ammunition from the dam’s defenders.

50 miles east of Aleppo, Tishrin Dam is the newest of three hydroelectric dams on the river and produces roughly 5 percent of Syria’s annual electricity usage. Its capture adds to Syrian rebel holdings along the Turkish border.

Syrian military efforts in the north are mostly centered on keeping Aleppo from falling, while relying on air strikes against rebel bases elsewhere in the region. Rebels say attacks on bases along the Turkish border “may have something to do with increased weapons movements from Turkey.”

And while fighting today mostly centered around the north, rebels also claimed 10 children killed in the village of Deir al-Asafir, a suburb of Damascus. The rebels say a playground in the village was attacked with cluster bombs, but the Red Cross says they haven’t been able to confirm the incident.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.