The Syrian Defense Ministry announced army control over Mansoura Dam, formerly Baath Dam, between Tabqa and Raqqa, along with towns of Ratla and Al-Hamam in Raqqa countryside, positioning forces less than 5 km from Raqqa's western entrance, as stated by SANA and reported by QalaatAlMudiq between 8:46 PM and 9:15 PM UTC on January 17, 2026. This marks the third strategic facility seized from SDF today after two oil fields, according to QalaatAlMudiq. Syrian army columns began entering Tabqa city, per WKSI1994 on X. A Syrian military source told Al Jazeera the army is deploying reinforcements to Deir ez-Zor province, while SANA confirmed proximity to Raqqa. Clashes occurred in Raqqa's Thieves Neighborhood and near the military hospital in central Raqqa, where the Raqqa Military Hospital, known as Children’s Hospital and a private SDF facility, was evacuated, as reported by Raqqa_SL on X during the period. In Deir ez-Zor, Abu Hatim Shakra's 86th Division passed east of the Euphrates, according to BarracudaVol1 on X, and Kudeyran was captured, per the same source. These developments follow Syrian army advances in Tabqa city, including seizures of Ayed prison and Al-Zwaiqat neighborhood earlier on January 17, as previously reported.
