ISIS Captures Major Syrian Airforce Base

ISIS appears to be the most effective predominately Muslim army in the Middle East at the moment. They've captured Tabqa airfield in Northeastern Syria.

Tabqa airfield – home to several warplane squadrons, helicopters, tanks, artillery, and ammunition bunkers – is the third military base in the area to fall to the extremists since last month. Those victories are part of the Islamic State group's aggressive push to consolidate its hold on northern and eastern provinces, while also expanding the boundaries of its self-styled caliphate straddling the Syria-Iraq border. (....) Tabqa is the latest in a string of bases to fall to the Islamic State group as it strengthens its hold over a vast swath of territory in northern and eastern Syria. Last month, the extremists overran the sprawling Division 17 military base in Raqqa, killing at least 85 soldiers. Two weeks later, they seized the nearby Brigade 93 base after days of heavy fighting.

The group's trademark brutality was on full display after those victories. They killed army commanders and pro-government militiamen, decapitating them before putting their bodies and heads on display. The Observatory reported similar acts following the fall of Tabqa Sunday.

Let's hope for the sake of my gas tank that they don't set their sights on Saudi Arabia.

posted by BenK at 09:33 AM

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