Syria Kills Scores of ISIS Fighters in Clash Over Northern Air Base

ISIS Struggling in Attempt to Seize Raqqa Airfield

ISIS fighters attempting to attack the Tabqa air base in Raqqa Province, a key ISIS stronghold, were ambushed by Syrian troops who anticipated the attack and hit them on the road, killing scores.

The death toll varies wildly in different reports, with Syrian state media saying “dozens” and later revising it to “scores,” while Lebanese media were reporting as many as 150 ISIS fighters slain.

Raqqa is ISIS de facto capital city, and they have been trying to mop up the last Syrian military bases in the area recently. The air base seems to be a tough nut to crack, however, especially with the offensives so heavily anticipated.

Syria’s remaining airfields in the nation’s east are all effectively in ISIS territory now, though so far the airfields themselves have not fallen, and the Syrian military obviously has major interests in holding them as long as possible.

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.