If you’re able, and if you like our content and approach, please support the project. Our work wouldn’t be possible without your help: PayPal: southfront@list.ru or via: http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront
Militant groups in the province of Idlib have started an active phase of preparations to counter an expected advance of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the area.
On July 29, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), Jabhat Tahrir Suriya (formerly Ahrar al-Sham), the National Front for Liberation, the Turkistan Islamic Party, Horas al-Din and some other groups created a new operations room to coordinate their military actions against the SAA.
According to pro-militant sources, the operations room unites about 70,000 members of various militant groups. However, this number looks overestimated.
On the same day reports appeared that leaders of Idlib militants and Turkish officials met in the Turkish capital of Ankara to discuss the future of Idlib. Turkey, as one of the main backers of militants in the province, is deeply concerned by the upcoming SAA operation because the defeat of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Jabhat Tahrir Suriya and other groups there will boost positions of the Damascus government and decrease the Turkish influence in northwestern Syria.
In southern Syria, the SAA continued its operation against ISIS liberating the town of Abidin and nearby points east of the Golan Heights. Government forces also advanced on the ISIS-held town of al-Shajarah. If the SAA liberates it, only 4 relatively large settlements will remain in the hands of terrorists there.
Meanwhile, members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Free Syrian Army in the province of Quneitra handed over two upgraded T-55 battle tanks, a BRDM-2 amphibious armored patrol vehicle, a 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer, a M-46 130mm towed field gun and several vehicles armed with machineguns of different calibers the SAA under a previously reached surrender agreement.
On July 28 and July 29, ISIS members carried out two attacks against the SAA in the eastern part of the province of Deir Ezzor. Main clashes took place near the towns of Hasrat and al-Majaudah, in which the SAA allegedly suffered some casualties. However, all the attacks were repelled.
Currently, the Syrian-Iranian-Russian alliance is focused on combating radical armed groups in the southern part of the country. According to Syrian leadership and local sources, as soon as this operation is finished, the SAA will start preparing for operations against the remaining cells of ISIS in the central desert and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led forces in the province of Idlib.
I don´t know why the russian military do not join another additional air force group now in Syria just to put the final nail in the terror coffin.
Half of the air group released from operations last november by Putin would be enough, in a 100 sortie per day schedule, to wipe the militants out to a no return hell in syria.
What political fall out would they fear?
No moderation gestures from Moscow will earn them any empathy from the bloody sucking empire. It is time for them to know that.
Even since the withdraw of some of the air forces (not all), the Syrian government and their allies, including Russian bombing, have been consistently rolling up and liberating one terrorist held pocket after another. The two suburbs in the Damascus area and now this area along the Israeli ceasefire line along the occupied Golan Heights. So far, they don’t seem to have needed any extra help.
The pocket at Idib might be a tougher nut to crack. That’s where all the die-hard terrorists have been evacuating to from these other pockets when they surrender back there. But I’m not sure its beyond the ability of the Syria + allies forces that have reduced the other pockets. I am sure that Assad is capable of asking Putin for help if they feel they need it. I also see diplomatic efforts to collect more allies (Kurds, FSA) for the battle, as well as efforts to get the terrorists to make a deal and thus avoid the battle, thus Russia is definitely helping in those ways.
I also know that Russia has other means of applying force to a battlefield in Syria. Naval fired cruise missiles have been used from as far away as the Caspian, and there are such ships in the eastern med as well IIRC. Russia also used long range bombers flying from bases and Russia and possibly using Iranian air-bases as a refueling/rearming point. Thus, if there is a particular strong point that the Syrians need help with, or if a barrage across known terrorist command centers would help the beginning of the offensive, then the Russian military has tools that can fill those needs.
And of course, not all the planes have been withdrawn from Syria and they have been using close-air-support as a part of the other recent campaigns.
A terrorist in Idlib can not sleep easy without worrying about the Russian MOD applying one of several different means of raining death from above down upon his/her sorry hiney.
China will help Syrian President Assad and Syrians get their whole country back. Too many US backed countries plan to take a part of Syria for themselves to occupy forever! Insane! Must be thrown out as pleasant suggestions mean nothing to US backed thieves.
Israel’s Mini-ISIS Protecting the Stolen Golan Heights Dies in Shame & Infamy.
” As the battle for al Shajarah ended early today with utter defeat of ISIS terrorists (yesterday the village changed hands few times), the collapse of its frontline was almost complete. With al Shajarah victory, it came all the border with occupied Golan Heights, with the liberation of Jariyan and Ma’rbah.
ISIS pocket is reduced to 3 small villages, impossible to de defended since the “front doors” are wide open. Beit Arrah is already on the hook of the SAA and the small hamlet of Qusayr. The only possible futile resistance would come from Al Kuwayyah village, by the Syrian-Jordanian border overseeing the Yarmouk river and the Jordanian town of Aqraba, some reports are saying ISIS terrorists with families trying to flee the area through the mountains toward Aqraba, it will be interesting to see whether the Jordanian army will fight them or embrace them.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=32.728086&lon=35.844955&z=13&m=h
All in one, the pocket is nearly done, a catastrophic defeat for ISIS and its symbol of army and fighting force.” (Canthama)
Softening Up Targets For the Upcoming Battle in Lattakia & Northern Hama.
” Skirmishes already started by the SAA in northern Hama and Lattakia mountains, these ops will continue for awhile as constant flow of fresh troops are arriving daily into several areas. Long convoys arriving in Aleppo city, Abu Duhour airbase, northern Hama and on may spots in Lattakia.
Today, for the 10th+ day the terrorists sent a drone to attack Khmeimin airbase, as usual it was intercepted by the Pantsirs there, this is giving a perfect pretext for RuAF to unleash hell into the Idlib border with Turkey. Jisr al Shughour will be a main target for all the ops in the NW.
We will see a constant crescendo on air strikes into terrorists’ HQ, weapon depots, frontline fortifications and logistics, these air strikes will also be followed by an intense barrage of missiles and artillery in several spots around the frontline, then after few weeks, and after we see many videos of hardware arriving with the TFs and RGs, the main offensive will be kicked off. Not a surprise the timing due to the on going meeting in Sochi.
As mentioned before, there are over 100 villages in the occupied land by the terrorists that already signalled positively toward reconciliation, so like the south, this offensive will be a mix bag of military strikes (mostly by the turkish border with high nbrs of al Qaeda/YIP/Uzbek there, and no doubt in northern Hama, another area rich with al Qaeda.
There is a growing momentum to end the main battles in Syria by late 2018, all over it, so 2019 may focus on rebuilding it.” (Canthama)
Promising Damascus-SDF Negotiations.
” As news are released, the SDC visit to Damascus has been “painted” as very positive, we still lack clear actions after the meetings, only few articles and conflicting press releases, but in few weeks time it is expect clear and visible moves in the direction of unified Syria. A deal was broken in the direction of the Syrian Gov’t Institution to return to return to all Syria and expedite rebuilding efforts, many countries are lining up to help Syria on this endeavour.
Major occupying forces such as US and Turkish may find their way out of Syrian in the next few months, as deals are strengthened all over Syria and battle starts in Idlib.” (Canthama)
“
Very good news: I believe it has been (reliably) reported by more than 1 source in past hour that the whole of the isis pocket in SW Syria has been cleared, now under full SAA control. Praise God for that.
Unknown assailants kill two foreign jihadi commanders in Syria’s Idlib
https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/unknown-assailants-kill-two-foreign-jihadi-commanders-in-syrias-idlib/
“Abu Bakr al-Masri (aka al-Hajjaj); an Egyptian national who serves as a top military commander in Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, was killed when undefined gunmen opened fire at his vehicle on Saraqib-Idlib highway, south Idlib countryside.
Meanwhile, another Nusra-linked field commander called Abu Islam al-Uzbaki (of Uzbek nationality) was assassinated by the same way while traveling on Yakoubyah road of Jisr al-Shughur countrywide.
Idlib is caught in an endless bloodbath whereby assassinations, roadside bombs and infighting kills and injures scores on a daily basis.
This comes amid reports that the Syrian Army is mulling a full-scale offensive to reclaim the southwestern province of Idlib after concluding southwest Syria attack.”
Already outdated…
Last ISIS fighters in Daraa Yarmouk Basin surrender to Syrian Army, will be exchanged for druze captives
All of Daraa province is now under Syrian Army control.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-southwest-syria-offensive-is-over-syrian-army-captures-entire-yarmouk-basin/
Syrian Army artillery is already pounding the shit out of Idlib and massive convoys of tanks and APC’s are now heading in that direction.
Meanwhile, the Kurds are negotiating and seeking to make deals with Damascus.
This war will be over before year’s end. All that’s left is Idlib province, and a few ISIS pockets out in the desert (which will definitely have to be completely eliminated especially after their attack on Suweida.) I expect to see hordes of former Turkey-backed jihadists fleeing either to Turkey or Afrin region.
As for the rest of the territory that is occupied by the joint American-Kurdish occupation forces and Turkey, this well be left to negotiations. And Syria definitely has the upper hand there, as the Kurds feel they have no choice but to work with Damascus as the Americans are quite unreliable.
Ahh, yes, very good. Karma at work. For once, something decent has happened in the world.
The Americans are pushing the SDF into the arms of Damascus and Moscow, as per their agreement with the Trump White House and Israel, amongst others.
The next question concerns Turkey. Will it abandon it’s proxies or move to solidify their control of parts of northern Syria. The test of US-Russia ‘partnership’ will be how they deal with the Donmeh Sooltan. All eyes on Erdogan.