Syrians celebrate liberation of Tabqa from YPG/SDF terrorists

By Cagri Kosak and Serdar Dincel

TABQA, Syria/ISTANBUL (AA) - People in the strategic city of Tabqa in Syria's Raqqa governorate took to the streets on Sunday to celebrate its liberation from the YPG/SDF terrorist organization.

Dressed in traditional attire, residents drove along Tabqa’s streets carrying Syrian flags, while many, including children, gathered in Tabqa Square.

“Thank God, we are happy about the liberation of Tabqa. May God grant victories to the Syrian army," Hussein Haji Omar al-Ahmed, a resident, told Anadolu.

Another resident, Abdullah Shlash, said: “We are pleased with the victory. We welcome the security forces and the army. The people here are demonstrating their joy."

He said they were oppressed under the control of YPG/SDF terrorists. “We were under pressure."

People were unable to move and go anywhere, he said, stressing that "there was always a curfew" and voices were suppressed.

"Look at how happy the people are. The regime has now fallen," he said.

Another local celebrating expressed hope that other parts of Syria would also be liberated from the terror group, saying “we were only breathing,” referring to the oppression they experienced.

Mizar Azad, another townsman, meanwhile, was glad that the group's oppression in the region has now ended.

Describing the group's control in the area as “no different from Assad’s oppression,” Azad said: “With the entry of the Syrian army into the region, we returned to Syria. Previously, we were under occupation.”

Citing the army’s Operations Command, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) announced that the army had fully secured control of Tabqa.