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The Syrian Army announced Saturday it has expanded control across the Raqqa countryside, entering multiple towns and villages while advancing closer to the city of Tabqa and tightening pressure on the strategic Tabqa military airbase.
Army units seized the city of al-Mansoura and the Hajanah military camp near Tabqa as part of continued deployments west of the Euphrates River, according to statements carried by Alikhbariah TV. The Operations Command said advance units are now approaching the outskirts of Tabqa city after taking control of the village of Rajm al-Ghazal and entering the town of al-Ghanem al-Ali in the Raqqa countryside.
The advances come amid the withdrawal of YPG/SDF terrorists from areas west of the Euphrates. YPG/SDF elements have begun leaving Tabqa in convoys following heavy clashes with Syrian Army forces in the area.
As the Syrian Army's operations unfolded, U.S. Central Command issued a statement calling on the Syrian government to cease offensive actions in areas between Aleppo and al-Tabqa. Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said his command welcomes ongoing efforts by all parties in Syria to prevent escalation and pursue resolution through dialogue.
"We urge Syrian government forces to cease any offensive actions," Cooper stated, emphasizing that aggressively pursuing Daesh and relentlessly applying military pressure requires teamwork among Syrian partners in coordination with US. He added that a Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors is essential to peace and stability across the region.
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Army units entered the towns of Henideh and al-Safsafa, along with the villages of Abu Assi and al-Jabali in the Raqqa countryside, the Operations Command said. The army also took control of the town of Zur Shammar east of Raqqa and is advancing toward Sabkha, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
Earlier Saturday, Syrian forces secured control of the al-Rasafa area and its historic citadel in the southern countryside of Raqqa, along with seven surrounding villages. The army said the advance has further tightened pressure on Tabqa Military Airbase, which it described as a primary base for PKK terror group operations.
The Syrian Army also announced it had taken control of the town of Dibsi Afnan and established full military control over the cities of Deir Hafir and Maskanah in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
The developments came as Mazloum Abdi, ringleader of the YPG/SDF group targeted by the army's military operation west of the Euphrates, stated that groups would withdraw to regions east of the river starting at 7 a.m. local time.
In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the YPG/SDF's integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
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