TISHRIN /Syria/, November 18. /TASS/. The Syrian government forces have taken control over the second-most powerful Tishrin hydroelectric rock-fill dam (Aleppo Province), spokesperson for the Russian command of the armed forces in Syria Boris Fomichev told reporters.

On November 18, the Russian military police will launch patrolling operations in the area surrounding this facility of strategic importance.

The Tishrin Dam is situated 90 km away from Aleppo and was built on the Euphrates jointly by Russian and Syrian engineers 20 years ago. As the civil war in the country erupted, it was captured by Islamic State militants who controlled the facility for a long time. The government forces managed to kick them out of the region paying a price of heavy losses. Currently, the dam supplies electricity to the provinces of Raqqa and Aleppo, its installed capacity is 630 MW.

"Now, it [the dam] is liberated thanks to efforts and bravery of the Syrian people. The power plant was liberated as well as adjacent territories. It is now back up and running, it is supplying electricity to the Raqqa and Aleppo Provinces. People are working as normal, there is no terrorism here," Fomichev said.

The Aleppo Province’s electricity supply is of critical importance as its capital is an economic and industrial center of the country. The Syrian authorities are currently making every effort to restore it.

In mid-November, the Syrian government forces took control over the largest dam in the country - Tabqa Dam (Raqqa Province) that was previously in the terrorist domain. Before the war, the dam was supplying electricity to a significant part of Syria.