Many reports have surfaced since the fall of Tabqa Airbase, including pictures by the Islamic State media depicting the capture and execution of Syrian Arab Army soldiers at the base. After thoroughly examining the events that took place on August 24th; it left a great deal of ambiguity for the author: why did reinforcements arrive and why did they evacuate the same troops the next day?
The information regarding Tabqa Airbase was not clear and the many reports issued by different news outlets had varying numbers of dead SAA soldiers. Some claimed as many as 500 soldiers were killed during the battle, others as low as 150. According to a source, 34 confirmed soldiers were killed prior to the capture of Tabqa Airbase; another 42 were killed during the evacuation, with 46 soldiers left at the airbase. The 46 were believed to have been summarily executed by Islamic State militants.
How did this happen?
According to a military source, the Syrian Arab Army Central Command deployed Special Forces on August 22nd to assist in securing the M-42 Highway leading to the city of Salamiyyah in the Hama Governate. The SAA was successful in ambushing the Islamic State in the southwest corner of the base, killing a large number of militants in the process.
After news of the SAA’s success; it is believed that Sheikh Ibrahim Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi ordered his men to abandon their posts in east Homs in order to reinforce troops at Tabqa Airbase. Soon, contingents from Deir ez-Zor and Homs poured into the Ar-Raqqa Governate, helping to reinforce the militants in the southeast corridor of the base.
The number of Islamic State fighters was overwhelming, with some reports indicating up to 2,000 militants besieged the airbase at one time. While, it is not confirmed, the Syrian Arab Army Central Command had two choices: evacuate the men from the airbase or stay and fight, risking the possibility of losing more soldiers. On this same day, Syrian State Television filmed the men at Tabqa Airbase, depicting high morale and strong fortifications. Perhaps, unbeknownst to them, the SAA troops were preparing for an early morning evacuation.
The Evacuation:
The plan was set in four waves, allowing for the men to evacuate safely and efficiently from Tabqa Airbase. Approximately 240 soldiers had successfully exited the base, heading west to Salamiyyah on the M-42. Violent firefights erupted during the third wave, as the Islamic State exposed a weakness in the SAA’s defenses on the eastern front. Many soldiers were unable to leave the base, forcing them to take up permanent positions to combat the large Islamic State contingents.
http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/taqba-airbase-fall-islamic-state/