The Syrian Army on Saturday announced that its forces are advancing toward Tabqa military airport in the western countryside of Raqqa, as part of continued deployments west of the Euphrates River following the withdrawal of the YPG/SDF terror group.
"Our forces are now advancing toward Tabqa military airport from several axes to establish control and expel terrorist PKK militias and remnants of the former regime," the Operations Command of the army told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
The Operations Command added that army units have taken control of the Safyan oil field, the Al-Rusafa junction, and Al-Thawra oil field near the city of Tabqa.
It also issued a warning, saying: "To all SDF elements, whoever seeks safety should move away now; events are accelerating, and those who withdraw now will spare themselves much tomorrow."
The army further said it had published maps of Tabqa and urged civilians to stay away from sites used by "terrorist PKK militias and remnants of the former regime, allies of the SDF," describing the locations as launch points for attacks against Syrians and the army.
Separately, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra urged troops to protect civilians in areas from which SDF is withdrawing and to refrain from harming anyone, regardless of affiliation.
In a statement through US social media company X, Abu Qasra told soldiers: "Be as we have always known you—an example of discipline and commitment—faithful to your responsibility to protect civilians and safeguard their property," stressing the need to prevent any abuses against civilians.
A Syrian army special forces unit thwarted PKK terrorists' bridge bombing attempt and took control of the Shuaib al-Dhikr Bridge west of Raqqa before the group could detonate it, the army's Operations Command said, according to SANA.
In a separate statement, the Operations Command called on the leadership of the SDF "to immediately honor its public commitments by fully withdrawing to the east of the Euphrates and evacuating the city of Tabqa of all military presence to allow the civilian administration to carry out its duties."
The command also urged SDF forces to stop obstructing efforts aimed at stabilizing the area, saying adherence to these understandings is the only path to ending escalation.
Earlier on Saturday, the Syrian Army announced it had taken control of the town of Dibsi Afnan and was moving toward Tabqa in Raqqa province. It also said it had established full military control over the cities of Deir Hafir and Maskanah in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
Following their field deployment in Deir Hafir and the securing of all neighborhoods, units from Syria's Interior Ministry began entering the city of Maskanah, deploying across streets and key facilities to strengthen security control and enforce public order, according to a ministry statement.
The measures aim to protect civilians and secure vital installations, in full coordination with Syrian Army forces stationed in the city, to ensure stability and restore a sense of safety and security for residents, the statement added.
The army continues to expand its control west of the Euphrates River following the withdrawal of YPG/SDF terrorists toward the eastern side of the river.
The developments came as Ferhat Abdi Sahin, a ringleader of the YPG/SDF terror group targeted by the army's military operation west of the Euphrates, claimed that terror elements would withdraw to regions east of the river starting 7 am local time (0400GMT).
In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the terrorist organization YPG/SDF's integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
