Syrian Kurds seize Raqqa military base from Islamic State

Kurdish-led forces say they captured a military base from Islamic State in Syria's Raqqa province, advancing deeper into territory held by the group.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab & agencies

23 June, 2015

Kurdish fighters earlier took back Syria's Kobane and Tal Abyad from IS. [Getty]

Kurdish fighters and their allies have captured an Islamic State group military base in northern Syria, activists and Kurdish sources have said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Kurdish activist Mustafa Bali said Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units, or YPG, captured the base known as Brigade 93 Monday night.

Bali and the Observatory said Tuesday that YPG fighters and their allies have entered parts of the nearby town of Ain Issa, the last major residential area north of the extremists' de facto capital of Raqqa.

Redur Xelil, a spokesman for the Kurdish forces confirmed the advance to within 7 km (4 miles) of Ain Issa, 50 km (30 miles) north of Raqqa city.

"They have been defeated," YPG spokesman Redur Xelil told Reuters.

Last week, YPG fighters and allied rebel factions captured the Syrian town of Tal Abyad on the Turkish border, in a major setback for the Islamic State group.