The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies are about to re-establish full control of the southern Damascus countryside. The SAA has already liberated the entire district of al-Hajar al-Aswad and the rest of the area from ISIS.
On May 19, the SAA and the remaining ISIS militants reached a temporary ceasefire in the area. On May 20, a number of buses entered the area hinting that ISIS was ready to surrender. On May 21, ISIS members started wihdrawing from the area.
The Syrian state media is ignoring this situation and avoiding to cover the deal because of PR reasons. The same strategy has been repeatedly implemented by the US-led coalition and the mainstream media when the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces were making deals with ISIS in Raqqah, Manbij and Tabqah.
On May 20, locals held a general strike against the SDF to protest the forcible recruitment into the ranks of the group. According to the pro-opposition news outlet Baladi News, SDF security forces, mainly consisting of members of Kurdish YPG/YPJ militias, opened fire at some closed shops and broke into many others in the districts of al-Saraya and Dwairat al-Hadrah.
This development is an example of the current tensions between locals and the SDF in northern Syria. Despite the US-led coalition’s claims that the SDF is a multinational group, the real political and military power in the area is concentrated in the hands of a few Kurdish organizations with the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) posing as a sole political powerbroker.
On the same day, the SDF started another attempt to captured the town of Hajin in the Euphrates Valley from ISIS. According to reports, the attack is supported by warplanes and artillery of the US-led coalition.
Currently, Hajin is the key ISIS stronghold in the Euphrates Valley. About 1,500 ISIS members are believed to be hiding in the town and several villages near it.
Earlier, French troops operating under the US-led coalition reportedly established six artillery batteries to provide fire support to the SDF.
France has recently increased its military presence in the SDF-held area in northern Syria. French forces have reportedly started preparations to establish a new military facility, west of Raqqah. If this is confirmed, it will be the sixth French military facility in the SDF-held area.
The expanding US and French military infrastructure on the eastern bank of the Euphrates clearly shows that the US-led coalition is not going to abandon this area allowing the Syrian government to integrate its by any means.
As to the rest of the Syria, Washington and its allies seem to be abandoning the rest of militant groups, they have supported against the Assad government.
On May 19, an US official told CBS News that the Trump administration will halt its assistance to the militant-held areas in northwestern Syria, which includes the province of Idlib and parts of Aleppo, Lattakia and Hama provinces.
According to CBS News, tens of millions of dollars will be cut from US efforts in northwestern Syria, including projects for “countering violent extremism, supporting independent society and independent media, strengthening education, and advocating for community policing.”
When this is done, the SDF, with separatist intensions, will become the only US tool of influencing situation on the ground in central and northern Syria without direct military actions.
Yarmouk Camp Liberated, Damascus Terrorist Free, the Battle Moves South.
“… First of all my deepest congratulations for the complete eradication of terrorists from the Damascus Province. I trust the hundreds of countries with diplomatic ties with Syria are in the process to return the embassies staff to Damascus, with that Syria will be back strongly from 7 years of NATO/GCC/Israel inflicted war of aggression agains the Syrians.
Syrian forces are now mounting in multiple parts of the southern part of the country, it seems most of the elite Syrian forces will be there, which means support from RuAF and SAAF to this offensive.
Though the terrorist’s fanclubs are bragging that their southern terrorists are not the same as in East Ghouta, Aleppo, Idlib, Homs, Hama etc… LOL, I say: they continue to be terrorists and will be crushed by the SAA during this summer.
There are many villages, actually over 100 that declared good to reconcile, so do not be surprised with quick gains as soon as the Tiger Forces, RGs, Liwa al Quds and other allied forces start their campaign, if Jordan does not close its border, their hospital will be full of rats.
The allied forces are expecting CW false flags in the south, early signs of preparation was already caught up and as soon as the offensive prepping starts, a new false flag will happen.” (Canthama)
Of course, having the Syria elite forces south of Damascus puts them between the Israelis and Damascus should the Israelis flip-flop again and decide they do want a major war after all.
Green Bus Mystery & Upcoming (?) Push for the Jordan Border.
“… The buses with ISIS from southern Damascus have turned out to be a great mystery, info leaked that ISIS families were shipped to Idlib, and that seems to be confirmed, but the few hundreds ISIS that were supposed to go to Homs desert did not confirm, the buses were not spotted moving toward Homs desert at all, but it seems it took a turn to southern Syria.
There is a strange feeling that this is southern Aleppo pocket all over again, where ISIS were herded into an exit linking the pocket and Idlib to fight for their lives against NATO backed terrorists there. A few more days will be needed to confirm this information, so far it is quite cloudy and hard to confirm. It could be the pretext for the SAA to storm Daraa.
2) Have mentioned for long time and even in the past few days that over 100 villages in Daraa have accepted the reconciliation proposals from the Syrian and Russian Gov’ts, and once the offensive get started, the hand over process will be massive and quickly done. Some villages are not even waiting for that, the terrorists and civilians of Nahij in al Lajat region (SE Daraa) just surrendered it and let the SAA in.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=32.932047&lon=36.251450&z=14&m=b
It is expected that all al Lajat area will either surrender or be cut off in the early days of the offensive, this would reduced the frontline a big deal and push the terrorists to a cauldron-corridor between the TFs and Jordan.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=32.863439&lon=36.257629&z=10&m=b&gz=0;362438964;328236340;398254;69239;1277160;0;1826477;1556580;2705383;2097858;2169799;3489832;1730346;3340387;1634216;2845887;741577;2857390;370788;1694810;0;1464415;82397;911220;357055;842046;466918;248082
3) RGs and SAA continue to amass forces in Izza and Thai’lah airbase, reinforcing the point raised above that a cut off of al Lajat region is a given.
Tiger Forces spotted on the move from Homs to the southern front in the past few days.
After al Lajat is cut off and surrender, the offensive will most likely move with strength to clear all the way to the Jordan border, and push to control the 2 border crossings (the old and Najib) and later encircle the terrorists in southern Daraa city in a urban warfare fight.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=32.603519&lon=36.375732&z=10&m=b&gz=0;360227966;323654632;384521;2779590;0;2582985;672912;1500887;2142333;1344541;4669189;0;5232238;1043353;4421997;3178449;3680419;3080196;3446960;3403812;3900146;3912115;3529357;4500922;2609252;4731720;1950073;3819718;1853942;3403812;769042;2513585;370788;2837406
After the above, the battle for al Qaeda and ISIS, under Israel protection will start in Quneytra, SW Daraa, but by them, the M5 will be cleared and trade with Jordan re established. Quneytra will be dealt with but it becomes irrelevant on the war of aggression against the Syrians and can be liberated in a slower pace.” (Canthama)
Why does the Syrian Army need a pretext to take control of a part of Syria?
Those are not ISIS fighters along the Euphrates. They are future members of the US-led “BS Force”.
Nice to know the US has no interest in “countering extremism” or having an “independent media” that might do something inconvenient like do truthful reporting on the next false flag event.
Syrian War Report – May 22, 2018: Damascus Is Secured, Daraa Is Next
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2018/05/22/syrian-war-report-may-22-2018-damascus-is-secured-daraa-is-next/
Its a joy to see that the lessons the US leaned in Vietnam has been all but forgotten. Yet again. Having the populace against you is not winnable. And yet they blunder into it again together with guess who: Yes the French, who comfortably has forgotten Dien Bien Phu, and Algiers too btw.
The Arab people in the YPG controlled areas will not bow to the YPG either, ancestral land can only be conquered if you are Israel, all other will eventually get kicked out. Once the Sunni’s find out that the Shia’s are a much more forthcoming opponent than the Evil empire, and when the YPG discovers that they have again been misled, the party starts, and a lot of US servicemen will never rest in US soil.
The US will then have to ask the Russians to mediate some kind of withdrawal, which the Russians will do- at a price.
Meanwhile Tel Aviv will be whining like a pig that saw the frying pan, because their plans are down the drain.