U.S.-backed Syrian militias said they temporarily halted military operations near the Tabqa Dam on the Euphrates Monday to allow engineers access to carry out work.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish militias supported by the U.S.-led coalition, has been battling ISIS near the dam west of the Syrian city of Raqqa, part of campaign to capture the militants' stronghold.
The United Nations warned this year of the risk of catastrophic flooding from the dam, Syria's largest, which is at risk from high water levels, deliberate sabotage by ISIS and further damage from air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition
