Rebels refute rumors saying Al Qaeda plans to explode Euphrates Dam

Rebels refuted rumors saying that the State of Iraq and The Levant had planted landmines in the Euphrates dam, northeast Syria.

The rumors, which have been circulated by sources associated with ISIL, seek to undermine rebels' volition and to sow terror in the hearts of the region's people,’’ a rebel fighter say to Zaman Alwasl.

For 20 days, the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the nascent Mujahedeen Army, the Islamic Front has been engaged in fierce fighting with ISIL in rebel-held areas.

The Euphrates Dam is the largest dam in Syria and is an important source of electricity. If the dam breaks, thousands of people, if not millions, could lose their lives in the civilian areas surrounding the dam, opposition say.

Months ago, Syrian opposition group rang alarm bells when Assad’s Air Forces dropped explosive barrels on the Euphrates Dam, activists also warned of a huge catastrophe.

The Euphrates Dam was completed in 1973. Since then, the dam was considered as ''a blessing for the Syrian people'', for it has in it more than 11 billion cubic meters of water, opposition Coalition said in statement.

The conflict is estimated to have killed around 150,000 people and displaced millions more.