US military to occupy Tabqa Airbase as part of agreement with YPG

YemenExtra

M.A.

According to Kurdish sources, the US military is to found a presence at the Tabqa Airbase in Raqqa Governonate as part of an agreement reached with the leadership of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

The range to which American forces will develop their stationing at Tabqa Airbase stays open to speculation. Some sources claim that the US will conduct this deployment in order to deter pro-government forces from challenging the YPG’s occupation of the Tabqa region, whilst other sources report that the US will even operate military aircraft from the base in the alleged fight against ISIS.

On June 29, photos (see below) released of Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the Coalition against ISIS, visiting Kurdish authorities in Tabqa city. This visit is believed to be tied to the agreement which will allow US forces to station themselves at Tabqa Airbase.

Tabqa Airbase is the sight of a massacre perpetrated by ISIS in 2014 against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). In this massacre, at least 100 surrendered SAA soldiers were executed by the terrorist group.