Fighters pause action near Syria dam held by Daesh

A member of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up of an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, inspect the Tabqa dam on Monday, which has been recently partially recaptured, as part of their battle for the jihadists' stronghold in nearby Raqa. (AFP)

BEIRUT: US-backed forces in northern Syria paused military operations near a dam held by Daesh on Monday to allow engineers to fix any problems after conflicting reports about its stability.
The decision by the Syrian Democratic Forces came a day after conflicting reports over whether civilians had begun evacuating the nearby city of Raqqa — the extremists’ de facto capital — due to concerns about the Tabqa dam on the Euphrates River.
Some activist groups opposed to Daesh have said residents are seeking higher ground, fearing that the collapse of the dam could cause severe flooding, while others said people were remaining in place.
Conflicting reports are common in areas controlled by Daesh, which bans independent media.