Syrian Civil War: News #5

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

Very fast developments. Check this one out:

SAA Reporter
‏@Syria_Protector
#Breaking: #SAA Tiger Forces impose control on Ajouziyah, Abboudiyah, Miltaffah Northern #Kuwaires Airbase. #ISIS

KiloGolf wrote:

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

Very fast developments. Check this one out:

SAA Reporter
‏@Syria_Protector
#Breaking: #SAA Tiger Forces impose control on Ajouziyah, Abboudiyah, Miltaffah Northern #Kuwaires Airbase. #ISIS

Included those already.

SAA has now taken Deir Al Fardis (not in maps yet). Note the rail track too.
The S. Hama/N. Homs insurgent enclave is split to two.

Villy Yohanen
‏@AlKurdi015
@lummideast @AEJKhalil Regime troops take Deir al-Fardis
https://twitter.com/AlKurdi015/status/687729728699129858

Looks like RuAF is working the night on Sheikh Miskin.
This morning there was a photo of 5 rebel MBTs about to deploy there. I would guess at night MBTs are visible to hit by RuAF.

‪#‎Daraa‬ Russian warplanes launch three air-strikes at night on ‪#‎Sheikh_Miskeen‬ city in the western suburb.
https://www.facebook.com/LCCSy/posts/1297083250318808

Some serious pushes are going on. RUAF working around the clock and all.

Russia airdropped 22 tons of aid in Deir-ez-Zor with Il-76.

http://lenta.ru/news/2016/01/15/syria/

KoTeMoRe wrote:Some serious pushes are going on. RUAF working around the clock and all.

I noticed. Jihadist defenses are not holding too well and supply lines seem to be gone from what I can tell. SAA upped their game too. We had rumors about units being trained and equipped by Russia for something big and it seems things started rolling these days.

Looks like we now know exactly what VKS was doing for past 3 months...

I agree with you folks. It looks like all those that whined or gloated about minimal results on the ground after RuAF intervention (or those saying IS was not bombed) got it wrong. The timing is not unreasonable. It took 3+ months to destroy the very structures and instruments that gave the insurgency the edge: supply lines, HQs, communications, finances and leadership.

Right now all anti-SAA groups are mainly loosing ground, all over Syria. Morale is low on FSA & co. while SAA/NDF and others know a world power is behind them. Hinds operating as they did in Palmyra, Hama and Homs, cruise missiles launched from the Caspian and Med, strategic bombers doing their thing, supply of new vests and helmets, few TOS and T-72B. It all adds up to the average morale of the SAA conscript and NCO, as well foreign fighter.

Peto's article on SouthFront

FORECASTING SYRIAN FORCES’ ACTIONS IN ALEPPO PROVINCE



Written by Peto Lucem exclusively for SouthFront

On Sept.15, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) commenced an offensive aimed at breaking the two year siege of the Kuweires airbase located in the eastern Aleppo countryside. Less than two months later, the Syrian troops, spearheaded by the so called “Tiger Forces”, an elite formation of the SAA and led by Colonel Suheil Al Hassan, broke the siege imposed by ISIS militants and were welcomed by the 300 men strong garrison of the airbase.

Many observers have expected that the SAA will establish defensive positions near the airbase to allow Syrian and Russian airplanes to redeploy to Kuweires. Some also anticipated the army will widen the narrow corridor, which allowed to lift the siege from the embattled airfield. However, everything turned out differently.

continued:
http://southfront.org/syrias-armed-force-advances-in-aleppo/

Syrian T-90 in mud bath

It almost seems like its a race between the Kurds and SAA to grab land from collapsing ISIS held areas.

Its seems the SAA have got many operations going on recently you've got the following:

in the south Sheikh Miskeen and Syrian/Jordan border operations.

Damascus operations

South Hama operations

Northern, eastern, and western operations in Aleppo,

East Homs operations around Palmyra


operations in Latakia including turkish border

quite a lot going on really.

only areas that have went quiet really is on the assault on Qaryatayn and ISIS throwing bodies at Deir ez Zoir

what is a little worrying is ISIS taking land back in eastern homs (west Palmyra) and now attempting to take Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields, main problem that the SAA have is once they take an area they have no real choice to man it with NDF which are basically civilians with a few days of training and lightly armed with small arms and if they are lucky a couple of pick ups armed with 12.7mm or 14.5mm machine guns, so when ISIS concentrate on a small village manned by NDF they actually succeed. There is no real solution really the RuAF and SyAF is already flying day and night and SAA including republican guard/SF are stretched, and Hezbollah, Iranian forces and Iraqi paramilitary units have committed a fair amount of troops. Its a pity China and India haven't committed any troops. So what is the solution????

d_taddei2 wrote:what is a little worrying is ISIS taking land back in eastern homs (west Palmyra) and now attempting to take Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields, main problem that the SAA have is once they take an area they have no real choice to man it with NDF which are basically civilians with a few days of training and lightly armed with small arms and if they are lucky a couple of pick ups armed with 12.7mm or 14.5mm machine guns, so when ISIS concentrate on a small village manned by NDF they actually succeed. There is no real solution really the RuAF and SyAF is already flying day and night and SAA including republican guard/SF are stretched. So what is the solution????

If the price of linking up with Kuweiris, expanding to Hadher, driving north to Al Bab, regaining initiative near Jordan border and completely clearing Latakia province from insurgents, etc. is loosing a couple of villages and maybe a small town here and there.. then it's an acceptable loss. The quality of regained real estate for SAA in the past 3+ months, trumps the quantity (which is less anyway) of those areas some insurgents may gain (i.e. Morek).

I don't think there is a problem for SAA & co. at the moment. ISIS is an insurgent Army like all others, it comprises mercenaries that require money, food, water and ammo to fight. The financial base and combat logistics of ISIS has shrunk to probably less than 50% of what it was last year. They have no money to assault let alone keep what they got, and it's winter, when running a war is probably twice as expensive. They simply can't invade anything and occupy beyond the random village you mention, even their assault towards Sadad failed miserably. Same with the attempt (in coordination with "moderates") to cut SAA road to Aleppo via Ithiriyah-Safira. Now the more forces they commit to assaults, the more they are lead to erosion because whatever they occupy gets pounded back to stone-ages.

Here's an interesting rumor:

Elijah J. Magnier ‏@EjmAlrai 43m43 minutes ago
Information from @AlMayadeenNews saying "#ISIS pulling out some troops from al-Bab toward #Raqqa" while #SAA #Hezbollah r at 7km from d city
https://twitter.com/EjmAlrai/status/688043897696698368

KiloGolf wrote:I agree with you folks. It looks like all those that whined or gloated about minimal results on the ground after RuAF intervention (or those saying IS was not bombed) got it wrong. The timing is not unreasonable. It took 3+ months to destroy the very structures and instruments that gave the insurgency the edge: supply lines, HQs, communications, finances and leadership.

Right now all anti-SAA groups are mainly loosing ground, all over Syria. Morale is low on FSA & co. while SAA/NDF and others know a world power is behind them. Hinds operating as they did in Palmyra, Hama and Homs, cruise missiles launched from the Caspian and Med, strategic bombers doing their thing, supply of new vests and helmets, few TOS and T-72B. It all adds up to the average morale of the SAA conscript and NCO, as well foreign fighter.

Peto's article on SouthFront

FORECASTING SYRIAN FORCES’ ACTIONS IN ALEPPO PROVINCE



Written by Peto Lucem exclusively for SouthFront

On Sept.15, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) commenced an offensive aimed at breaking the two year siege of the Kuweires airbase located in the eastern Aleppo countryside. Less than two months later, the Syrian troops, spearheaded by the so called “Tiger Forces”, an elite formation of the SAA and led by Colonel Suheil Al Hassan, broke the siege imposed by ISIS militants and were welcomed by the 300 men strong garrison of the airbase.

Many observers have expected that the SAA will establish defensive positions near the airbase to allow Syrian and Russian airplanes to redeploy to Kuweires. Some also anticipated the army will widen the narrow corridor, which allowed to lift the siege from the embattled airfield. However, everything turned out differently.

continued:
http://southfront.org/syrias-armed-force-advances-in-aleppo/

The most important goal for Syrian army from Kuweires airbase is to reach Kurd units and with that cut majority of ISIS territory from Turkey.

medo wrote:

KiloGolf wrote:I agree with you folks. It looks like all those that whined or gloated about minimal results on the ground after RuAF intervention (or those saying IS was not bombed) got it wrong. The timing is not unreasonable. It took 3+ months to destroy the very structures and instruments that gave the insurgency the edge: supply lines, HQs, communications, finances and leadership.

Right now all anti-SAA groups are mainly loosing ground, all over Syria. Morale is low on FSA & co. while SAA/NDF and others know a world power is behind them. Hinds operating as they did in Palmyra, Hama and Homs, cruise missiles launched from the Caspian and Med, strategic bombers doing their thing, supply of new vests and helmets, few TOS and T-72B. It all adds up to the average morale of the SAA conscript and NCO, as well foreign fighter.

Peto's article on SouthFront

FORECASTING SYRIAN FORCES’ ACTIONS IN ALEPPO PROVINCE



Written by Peto Lucem exclusively for SouthFront

On Sept.15, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) commenced an offensive aimed at breaking the two year siege of the Kuweires airbase located in the eastern Aleppo countryside. Less than two months later, the Syrian troops, spearheaded by the so called “Tiger Forces”, an elite formation of the SAA and led by Colonel Suheil Al Hassan, broke the siege imposed by ISIS militants and were welcomed by the 300 men strong garrison of the airbase.

Many observers have expected that the SAA will establish defensive positions near the airbase to allow Syrian and Russian airplanes to redeploy to Kuweires. Some also anticipated the army will widen the narrow corridor, which allowed to lift the siege from the embattled airfield. However, everything turned out differently.

continued:
http://southfront.org/syrias-armed-force-advances-in-aleppo/

The most important goal for Syrian army from Kuweires airbase is to reach Kurd units and with that cut majority of ISIS territory from Turkey.

I figure the Kurds and the SAA have reached an agreement. The SAA would take Al Bab, and the Kurds would take Manbij. The SAA could have isolated ISIS without the Kurds by just pushing east past Deir Hafir. The two pronged attack splits the work load, but achieves the same result.

zg18 wrote:Syrian T-90 in mud bath  

Don't think so. That photo supported an article where the T-90 tank manufacturer is defending a warranty case where it is being sued by the Russian MoD for mechanical failures within warranty. They are defending it by stating that the maintenance procedures that were used in the RA were not up to specification. In particular that the gearbox were run with too little oil. Apparently tanks seem to be covered for 10 years against manufacturing faults!

The only place I can find that image is in that bmpd etc article so probably nowhere near Syria!

Good move by the Russian PR operation. Piggyback on the existing humanitarian PR in the West.

An informed source told Sputnik last weekend that the Syrian government had struck a deal with opposition to allow deliveries of humanitarian aid to the civilian population, who have been trapped for a long period of time.

Russian General Staff head Sergei Rudskoi announced the launch of the humanitarian operation at a special briefing in the Russian Defense Ministry. "A decision was made on opening a humanitarian operation by the Russian Armed Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic," Lt. Gen. Rudskoi told reporters.

The main bulk of humanitarian aid will go to the government-held city of Deir Ez-Zor in the northeast. Eastern Syria’s largest city has been under the siege of Daesh militants for months after they cut all supply lines on land.

The Syrian government has been airlifting supplies to Deir Ez-Zor. According to Rudskoi, Syrian Air Force’s military transport Il-76 helicopters have airdropped a total of 22 tons of humanitarian aid.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160115/1033216782/syria-operation-daesh-war.html#ixzz3xMAIeoPy

sputniknews wrote:Syrian Air Force’s military transport Il-76 helicopters

Good lord  

South Front update, looks like the militants are building up their forces to try and take Salma back.





Story about Kurds in one of the villages ISIS are trying to take.

Some new SAA map updates, more gains.

Joene ‏@Gjoene  3h3 hours ago
MAP: Latest situation in the greater #Salma area in #Latakia #Syria after #SAA capture Duwayrikah & Ruweisat al-Nimr

SAA Reporter ‏@Syria_Protector  9h9 hours ago
Breaking: #SAA tiger forces have captured Rasm Asirhan farms

https://v.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/6B3C792DF91299884162496581632_47e08da9f7b.5.1.11595731503059403699.mp4?versionId=IWRkyMiKGGX4xZfAQo5LLZxhkfXLJzZK

"Washington (CNN)The Department of Defense has released declassified video from its January 11 bombing of an ISIS cash depot in Mosul, Iraq, which was first reported exclusively by CNN.

The video, which has no sound, begins moments before a pair of 2,000-pound bomb strikes the building. After the explosion, clouds of cash are seen fluttering in the air and later scatter on top of the roofs of nearby buildings."

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/15/politics/us-bombs-isis-cash-money-iraq/index.html?sr=twCNN01516isiscashmoney735pVODtopVine

KiloGolf wrote:

d_taddei2 wrote:what is a little worrying is ISIS taking land back in eastern homs (west Palmyra) and now attempting to take Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields, main problem that the SAA have is once they take an area they have no real choice to man it with NDF which are basically civilians with a few days of training and lightly armed with small arms and if they are lucky a couple of pick ups armed with 12.7mm or 14.5mm machine guns, so when ISIS concentrate on a small village manned by NDF they actually succeed. There is no real solution really the RuAF and SyAF is already flying day and night and SAA including republican guard/SF are stretched. So what is the solution????

If the price of linking up with Kuweiris, expanding to Hadher, driving north to Al Bab, regaining initiative near Jordan border and completely clearing Latakia province from insurgents, etc. is loosing a couple of villages and maybe a small town here and there.. then it's an acceptable loss. The quality of regained real estate for SAA in the past 3+ months, trumps the quantity (which is less anyway) of those areas some insurgents may gain (i.e. Morek).

I don't think there is a problem for SAA & co. at the moment. ISIS is an insurgent Army like all others, it comprises mercenaries that require money, food, water and ammo to fight. The financial base and combat logistics of ISIS has shrunk to probably less than 50% of what it was last year. They have no money to assault let alone keep what they got, and it's winter, when running a war is probably twice as expensive. They simply can't invade anything and occupy beyond the random village you mention, even their assault towards Sadad failed miserably. Same with the attempt (in coordination with "moderates") to cut SAA road to Aleppo via Ithiriyah-Safira. Now the more forces they commit to assaults, the more they are lead to erosion because whatever they occupy gets pounded back to stone-ages.

Here's an interesting rumor:

Elijah J. Magnier ‏@EjmAlrai  43m43 minutes ago
Information from @AlMayadeenNews saying "#ISIS pulling out some troops from al-Bab toward #Raqqa" while #SAA #Hezbollah r at 7km from d city
https://twitter.com/EjmAlrai/status/688043897696698368

i personally think that ISIS know that their finished in Syria and Iraq and are just biding their time to properly establish there foot hold in Libya, Libya is fragmented and has oil, as well as access to other African countries, i think ISIS plans are to control as much of Libya as they can then start taking on African countries in till they reach Morocco and Tunisia then its a spring board into Spain and Portugal which then gives then access to Europe. Although i think they might have a tough time in Algeria. African countries dont tend to have the best armies and many have large Muslim populations ripe for radicalising and swelling the ranks of ISIS. As for Yemen i think ISIS would really struggle to capture Yemen the Yemen army and the Houthi's are pretty tough to crack i would put them along with as tough as the Taliban to crack, i think ISIS have some deluded plan that they think they can take over Yemen then start to seize Saudi oil fields, which i highly doubt will ever happen with ISIS at the helm. What really worries me is the Libyan people and the people the of rest of Africa don't need this crap there lifes are tough enough without this. Egypt need to pull there finger out as well as other nations to stop this happening the only problem are the terrorist supporting countries in the region fanning the flames.

Erk wrote:
South Front update, looks like the militants are building up their forces to try and take Salma back.

Takfiri filth, come to Sunny (not Sunni) Salma, and catch a few rays...  from laser rangefinders...

Settle your affairs first however, and pray that your virgins will be female...

This be an excellent opportunity for the RuAF & SyAAF to interdict those Salafist terrorist columns while they bring in more of their goat-fucker cut-throats.  The arrivals lounge in Hell is going to be a busy place in the next week.  I hope that Satan has enough Arabic-speaking trustees in his employ to handle the seasonal demand....

Getting a comfy chair, a cold cider and plenty of popcorn...

KiloGolf wrote:Some new SAA map updates, more gains.

SAA Reporter ‏@Syria_Protector  9h9 hours ago
Breaking: #SAA tiger forces have captured Rasm Asirhan farms

Looks like the SAA are heading for Al-Bab via the countryside route rather than through the villages on the main road.

Probably an inevitable but still interestingly timed move by Jordan, watching how things are going and deciding it was now time to join the winning side whilst it still had something to offer. There will probably be some 'Chinese walls' having to be set up by the US/Israel to stop 'their' intelligence leaking to Russia. Another slap in the face of the US strategy.

Jordan has set up a joint war room with Russia to carry out coordinated anti-Daesh (ISIL) military operations in Syria, indicating a turn by the country from its US, Saudi Arabia and Israeli allies, in the face of the increasing volatility of the entire Middle East region. The move by Jordanian King Abdullah II to establish a shared war room with Russian forces will radically change how political decisions are made and how intelligence is shared in the region, Israeli military and intelligence sources told military intelligence commentary website Debka.

Previously, Jordan fought the Syrian President Bashar Assad from a command center shared with the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel, located north of the country’s capital of Amman. Although Jordanian authorities present the new cooperation with Russia as a simple logistical move to coordinate all parties involved in combating Daesh, major military and intelligence efforts will be directed to the new center, military sources claimed. According to Debka, citing anonymous sources in Washington and Moscow, the new war room was set up shortly after the presidents of Russia and the US held phone talks on the issue on January 13.

Jordan will stop providing so-called “moderate” Syrian rebels with their main pipeline, experts noted, adding that opposition groups will also be deprived of funding and other types of assistance from the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

This news may also upset Israel, in light of its long support for the rebels, who had seized large parts in the south of the war-torn country. To the potential discontent of the Israelis, the establishment of the new command center will likely enable the legitimate Syrian army to defeat the rebels in the country.

Since the launch of the Russian air operation in Syria last September, Syrian government forces have recaptured large areas previously lost to various militant groups. Last week the Syrian army regained control of Salma, a town in the coastal Latakia province considered to be a major rebel stronghold since 2012. Troops also advanced in the south of central Hama province and east in Homs, and are currently on the offensive in the southern Daraa province.

“The situation has stabilized, the [Syrian] government is no longer threatened with collapse,” the Jordan Times reported citing Vasily Kashin, an expert for Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160116/1033229615/jordan-russia-war-room.html#ixzz3xPDribVN

#Latakia : #SAA continues to advance in #Salma area.. Duwayrikah, Rweiset Al-Nimr and Touma recaptured.

Aldin_Aba wrote:#Latakia : #SAA continues to advance in #Salma area.. Duwayrikah, Rweiset Al-Nimr and Touma recaptured.

+1

Aldin_Aba wrote:#Latakia : #SAA continues to advance in #Salma area.. Duwayrikah, Rweiset Al-Nimr and Touma recaptured.

More SAA gains in Latakia:

Hassan Ridha ‏@sayed_ridha  1 hr1 hour ago
#SAA also captured Jabal Al-Taroo', Al-Ared Al-Hamra, Ketf Al-Khani #Latakia countryside

In Deir Ezzor IS is launching their own version of the Ardennes offensive.
They captured some ground but battles are ongoing and RuAF is pounding them hard.

Hassan Ridha ‏@sayed_ridha  1h1 hour ago
Update: #IS capture large parts of Al-Baghiliyah district, clashes ongoing, Tel Kroum & Jabal Tharda near AB have reportedly been captured

Also it's not clear if IS has taken Ayyash.

edit: Der Ezzor map