Syrian Civil War: News #5

Car bomb blown up up in Salma with ATGM

more SAA gains north of Kuweiris, IS is on the run. Al Bab may fall quite soon..



And Peto's updated Latakia map
This is starting to get a Debaltsevo aura... depends where they will head now

Its strange given the source but this doesn't accuse one side of committing the 'war crime' in their investigation?

Residents of a besieged Syrian town have told U.N. investigators how the weakest in their midst, deprived of food and medicines in violation of international law, are suffering starvation and death, the top U.N. war crimes investigator told Reuters on Tuesday.

An aid convoy on Monday brought the first food and medical relief for three months to the western town of Madaya, where 40,000 people are trapped by encircling government forces. Another United Nations official who oversaw the aid delivery described on Tuesday how he saw malnourished residents, particularly children, some of whom were little more than skeletons and barely moving.

The U.N. commission of inquiry documenting war crimes in Syria has been in direct contact with residents inside Madaya, the commission's chairman Paulo Pinheiro said in an emailed reply to Reuters questions. "They have provided detailed information on shortages of food, water, qualified physicians, and medicine. This has led to acute malnutrition and deaths among vulnerable groups in the town." he said in the email sent from his native Brazil.

The U.N. inquiry, composed of independent experts, has long denounced use of starvation by both sides in the Syrian conflict as a weapon of war, and has a confidential list of suspected war criminals and units from all sides which is kept in a U.N. safe in Geneva.

"Siege tactics, by their nature, target the civilian population by subjecting them to starvation, denial of basic essential services and medicines," Pinheiro said on Tuesday. "Such methods of warfare are prohibited under international humanitarian law and violate core human rights obligations with regard to the rights to adequate food, health and the right to life, not to mention the special duty of care owed to the well-being of children."

Rebel forces are also besieging the government-held villages of Foua and Kafraya in Idlib province, where U.N. supplies were also delivered on Monday, Pinheiro noted. Islamic State fighters are besieging government-held areas of Deir al-Zor, he added.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN0UP0VM20160113

signs of total collapse... from TOWs to stones... and they upload this on yt too.

Ivan Sidorenko ‏@IvanSidorenko1  3m3 minutes ago
#Syria #Aleppo #SouthernAleppo Kataib Thuwar al-Sham throwing stones at #SAA @Khan Thuman after running low on ammo

and the SANA news from Salma:

KiloGolf wrote:signs of total collapse... from TOWs to stones... and they upload this on yt too.

Ivan Sidorenko ‏@IvanSidorenko1  3m3 minutes ago
#Syria #Aleppo #SouthernAleppo Kataib Thuwar al-Sham throwing stones at #SAA @Khan Thuman after running low on ammo

..............................

Talk about being bombed back to stone age.

☫Plutonium General ☫ ‏@SalafiHeadHunte  55 mins55 minutes ago
soldier at 2:00: " благодарю вас, господин. Путин"

Life imitates video games

'Syrian army wins more trust of Russian allies with recent gains in Lattakia province' says well informed source in Syrian gov't

@Alaa_Ebrahim_tv when asked what "more trust" means source said more advanced equipment, intel and political backing

https://twitter.com/Alaa_Ebrahim_tv/status/687036254530187265

Inaccurate info, deleted...

PapaDragon wrote:
Life imitates video games  

'Syrian army wins more trust of Russian allies with recent gains in Lattakia province' says well informed source in Syrian gov't

@Alaa_Ebrahim_tv when asked what "more trust" means source said more advanced equipment, intel and political backing

https://twitter.com/Alaa_Ebrahim_tv/status/687036254530187265

Makes sense, you can't sell the war to your public if your ally on the ground is useless and demoralized. 3 months ago Russia gave SAA back their morale and only now they proved that they are effective. That is SAA proper. Al Hader doesn't count as it was an Iraqi/IRI-planned and executed op, with lots of non-SAA militia and kit.

PapaDragon wrote:

Wow many reports claim SAA took 70% of Khan Al Assal in #Aleppo, everyone was watching #Salma they missed this

This is not true, SAA did not enter Khan Al Assal, they did took small village between Assal and Rashidin suburbs. Rebels counterattacking this moment.

As i promised here is the new situation around Salma that include troop movement. Also you can see what terrain look like. Also working on finding new software for tactical analysis so i hope maps will be better in future.

Aldin_Aba wrote:........................

This is not true, SAA did not enter Khan Al Assal, they did took small village between Assal and Rashidin suburbs. Rebels counterattacking this moment.

Thanks for correction. Removed post.

Aldin_Aba wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:

Wow many reports claim SAA took 70% of Khan Al Assal in #Aleppo, everyone was watching #Salma they missed this

This is not true, SAA did not enter Khan Al Assal, they did took small village between Assal and Rashidin suburbs. Rebels counterattacking this moment.

Read an interview with a Syrian commander last week in which he said that getting the rebels to counterattack is a strategy.
1. they have to bring in reinforcements
2. are open in large pooled groups for Russian bombers and Syrian artillery
3. Syrians will not attempt a strong defense of the newly taken position
4. Rebels if successful arrive weakened in weapon, ammo and personnel
5. They are then fixed and can be finished off

Old infanteer motto, Find them...fix them...finish them!

South Front update Jan. 13th.

Close up of Salma situation.

Aldin_Aba wrote:Close up of Salma situation.

Great stuff, keep it up
and allow me:

Aldin Abazović ‏@Ald_Aba  2h2 hours ago
#Aleppo #Syria - Situation around Kweires air base. #SAA took control of village Ayn al Baydah.

Ivan Sidorenko ‏@IvanSidorenko1  57m57 minutes ago
#Syria #SyrianArabArmy Colonel Suheil al Hassan #SAA #Tigers_Men #Tiger_Forces #Tiger_Men #رجال_الطرماح #رجال_النمر

That's a shinny new dshk with drum lacking the star. Any ideas who stash this was before? And looks like Soheil is going for duck/goose hunting with the waterfowl camo.

#Syria #Latakia #Lattakia NEWEST Map JUST released by @AboZain6 Eyad Alhosain. #SAA #NDF #Salma #Latakia

A Who Who's in Syria's Civil War from ColCassad;

http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/2567764.html

Reality creeping into MSM

''With Russian help, Syrian army pushes into rebel bastion''

http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-troops-seize-territory-rebels-northwest-120212985.html

Update on the situation around Western Aleppo, information based on geolocation of rebel videos..

Interesting number:

Terrormonitor.org
‏@Terror_Monitor
#Russian Airstrikes Destroyed Around 1,100 Militant Positions In #Syria Since The Beginning Of 2016: Syrian Army. FP
https://twitter.com/Terror_Monitor/status/687137555209392132

E. Ghouta, RuAF blowing stuff up:



It's always interesting how these videos are filled with fit, young, combat-able men. Some wearing military fatigues too and notice the camo'ed SUV. I suspect that these air strikes happen after intel points out where insurgents sleep and live, when not carrying a rifle. They just bomb their "dorms".

More strikes:

EatingMyPeaz ‏@EatingMyPeaz  5m5 minutes ago
MT @LccSy #Syria, Idlib: Russian airstrikes on Maaret Nouman, Ain Larouz, Hantoutin, Saraqeb, Taftanaz town. 13 Jan.
https://www.facebook.com/LCCSy/posts/1296167593743707

Forces loyal to the Syrian regime stand on a street with national flags after Syria's army and allied forces took full control from rebel groups of the strategic town of Salma, in the northwestern province of Latakia, Tuesday. In a breaking news flash, state television reported that the army, backed by the pro-government National Defence Forces militia, had also seized hilltops surrounding the town. | AFP-JIJI

Aldin_Aba wrote:Close up of Salma situation.

+1

#Breaking: #SAA Tiger forces backed by #RuAF have captured #Arran, heading to Al-Bab #ISIS major headquarter

https://twitter.com/Syria_Protector







@Syria_Protector @miladvisor SAA at <8km from Al Bab & SDF are at 8.5 km from Manbij

https://twitter.com/agitpapa?lang=en

PapaDragon wrote:#Breaking: #SAA Tiger forces backed by #RuAF have captured #Arran, heading to Al-Bab #ISIS major headquarter

https://twitter.com/Syria_Protector

@Syria_Protector @miladvisor SAA at <8km from Al Bab & SDF are at 8.5 km from Manbij

https://twitter.com/agitpapa?lang=en

Al Bab is already hit twice by RuAF, I think SAA is actually going for it, at least to reach its suburbs.
I doubt IS has had time to dig in deep there, plus they are fighting in multiple fronts in the area.

#Russia warplanes carried out the 2nd airstrike on #al_Bab
#Aleppo cs #Syria JAN 14
https://twitter.com/AEJKhalil/status/687594895738011648

Both SAA and SDF operations against IS in N. Aleppo look very "symmetrical" to say the least:

SAA has taken Surayb, consolidating ground and on its way to Al Bab

pics here:
https://twitter.com/IraqiSuryani1/status/687666764323393536

Alaa Ebrahim
‏@Alaa_Ebrahim_tv
@Alaa_Ebrahim_tv eyewitnesses say that #ISIS has now restricted civilians movement out of the city
https://twitter.com/Alaa_Ebrahim_tv/status/687403418181353474

IS is starting to keep hostages in Al Bab... how unsurprising.

Race to Al-Bab is on. Norhern Aleppo map update.