Race to reclaim vital Syrian dam before it collapses

US-BACKED forces in Syria are rushing to retake its biggest dam from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil), amid warnings that it could collapse within 30 days.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were air-dropped by the US just south of the Euphrates river last week in an effort to secure the Tabqa Dam. They inched nearer yesterday, retaking a strategic air base close by.

The dam, which has been in Isil hands for two years, was put out of service last Sunday by fighting.

Water levels behind the structure have now risen enough to put it at risk of collapse.

Isil issued a statement ordering residents of Tabqa and nearby Raqqa to leave, blaming US air strikes.

And the United Nations has also warned that damage to the dam, which supplies electricity to much of Syria, could lead to “massive scale flooding” across Raqqa and three other major Syrian cities downstream.

The jihadist group has released images of what it said was damage to buildings at the dam.

However, the US-led coalition said: “The dam has not been structurally damaged to our knowledge and the coalition seeks to preserve the integrity of the dam as a vital resource to the people of Syria.”

SDF forces do control a spillway to the north which can alleviate pressure on the dam if needed.

But Haytham Bakkour, an engineer at the dam for 10 years, said the situation was “critical” and he warned that unless it was made safe for staff to get in to manoeuvre the floodgates, there could be a “critical overflow” within 30 days.

The US airdropped hundreds of SDF fighters just south of the Euphrates river last Wednesday in a bid to secure the dam before it suffered any further damage.