The ISIS has claimed that they have seized a large Syrian military base on the outskirts of the city of Raqqa and have beheaded several captured soldiers.

The militants have released several images of captured soldiers being beheaded, following the clashes. The images have been posted on Twitter by the ISIS media cell members.

BBC, quoting Arabic correspondent Rami Ruhayem, stated that the Raqqa base clashes were a major offensive, which dismisses reports that the ISIS militants and Assad government were collaborating.

The Raqqa base, manned by Division 17 of the Syrian army, is said to have been captured by ISIS militants, following an overnight seige that began on Thursday.

It is, however, speculated in the Syrian media that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) made a tactical retreat from the Raqqa base as most of the Syrian soldiers were able to escape the ISIS militants.

#Syria Regime media talk about "regrouping & repositioning" of their forces in #Raqqa's Divsion 17 base — Mark (@markito0171) July 25, 2014

The SAA soldiers is said to have regrouped and, in the meantime, air raids are being carried out in the area.

Citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is an anti-regime group, The Daily Star Lebanon said the ISIS began the attack with two suicide car bombs.

An #IS suicide bomber blew himself up at the walls of Base 17 in an attempt to break in. #SAA repelled the attack. Clashes ongoing. #Raqqa — Peto Lucem (@PetoLucem) July 25, 2014

And following the capture of the base by the ISIS, the Syrian defense carried out 14 airstrikes on ISIS fronts. The report also noted that army helicopters were dropping barrel bombs around the base.

The ISIS assault in Raqqa came a week after the militants took over a gas field in Homs, in an attack that killed at least 200 people, it has been reported.

The militant group, which has captured large swathes of lands in Iraq, has announced its Caliphate in Syria and Iraq. The group wants to establish an Islamic kingdom under the Sharia laws.

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