The extremist group Islamic State captured a major air base in Syria in the northeastern province of Raqqa, driving out regime forces and gaining full control of an entire province for the first time in the country’s civil war. The takeover of the Tabqa air base on Sunday follows setbacks in neighboring Iraq, where U.S. airstrikes since Aug. 8 succeeded in beating the group back in several areas in the north. The base had been the last foothold for forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Raqqa. Islamic State fighters over the past month drove regime forces from the headquarters of the Syrian Army’s 17th Division and another base for the 93rd Brigade of the same division. The loss of the air base […]