Syrian forces close in on Raqqa as SDF comes under pressure
Syrian government troops captured Tabqa and the Tabqa Dam west of Raqqa and advanced toward the city, signaling a rapid offensive against the US-backed SDF. The army also seized oilfields in the northeast and, amid clashes, the SDF withdrew from Deir Hafer, prompting U.S. calls for restraint. Kurdish authorities meanwhile issued a decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language, highlighting widening political shifts as Damascus seeks broader control over northeastern Syria.