https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-december-29-2017-militant-defense-collapses-near-abu-dali/
On December 28, government forces liberated the villages of Ad Dajaj, Tamat al-Khalifah and Mushayrifah and reached the southern vicinity of the militant-held village of Abu Dali.
Abu Dali is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and is one of the key militant defense points in the area. If Abu Dali falls into the hands of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the militant defense may collapse in the entire area east of the town of Morek.
Clashes in the area continued on December 29.
On December 28, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that their fighters had advanced on the ISIS-held town of Hajin in the province of Deir Ezzor. According to the SDF, 15 ISIS members were killed and a vehicle and motorcycle of the terrorist group were destroyed.
The US-led coalition announced in an official statement released on December 27, that on December 23 it and Maghawir al-Thawra (MaT) launched a military operation against ISIS in the Hama desert around the al-Tanaf base.
MaT fighters secured several caves, which had been used by ISIS to store weapons, explosives and communications equipment around al-Tanaf. The coalition revealed that ISIS had used these positions in the Hama desert to move to and from the Euphrates Valley.
The US-led coalition statement confirms that ISIS maintains a presence in the al-Tanaf area right under its nose, just as Russia and the SAA had claimed on many occasions.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the “tremendous firepower” of the Israeli Air Force and sent a warning to Iran and the Palestinian movement Hamas. The prime minister once again claimed that the Israeli leadership “will not allow the forces of the Iranian army to establish themselves in Syria in order to harm us.”
According to experts, the US and Israel are in close coordination to limit the Iranian influence in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. However, so far, their activity has only led to the growth of the Iranian role in the region.
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Lavrov seems to be totally cluless and is in fact defending american and the british terrorists.
All because russia had no guts to use s400.
” actions with the terror group.
On November 14, BBC reported that the US-led coalition and its Syria allies had stroke a deal allowing around 250 IS militants and about 3,500 members of their families leave the city of Raqqa in October. Russia has no evidence to prove the involvement of the US-led coalition in the militants’ evacuation from Raqqa but this issue should be looked into, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said commenting on the BBC report on November 16 th “
@Socho. Why not offer your advice to the “totally clueless” Lavrov direct, instead of via Saker V? And don’t you think the Foreign Minister of Syria might also like advice on how to choose Allies? Meanwhile, back in Syria:
“Afrin is also under protection by Russia and Syria, erdogan going nuts, his buddies Muslin Brotherhood/al Qaeda in Idlib dying by the truck load while their defensive lines are collapsing all over southern Aleppo.
Syria is playing for the long run, President Assad is being well advised, Syria slowly will emerge very strong. After al Qaeda in Idlib and few other places (Quneytra etc..), north and NE Syria will return back to the homeland in full.” — Canthama in Syrian Perspective, 4 hours ago.
Update from military analyst Canthama on SyrPer 15 hours ago:
“As anticipated early yesterday, the Tiger Forces have declared full liberation of Abu Dali (very critical crossroad) and as expected and anticipated yesterday a domino sequence of liberation happened after securing Abu Dali, in fact NATO backed al Qaeda is in disarray, they can not hold the frontline nor has time to stabilize it with the powerful combination of air strikes, targeted artillery/missile shelling and storm troopers. Today it was fully liberated plus about to be liberated: Abu Dali Nasiriyah Hamdaniyah Tal MAraq. ….
Very important to note that the other axis have not been started, there will be multiple axis popping up soon, which will spread thin all rats inside NATO backed Jihadistan, and it will be like a castle of sand, once a certain momentum is reached, the collapse will be fast and sound, like it happened in 2 months time in the battle for eastern Aleppo.
Stay tuned, today and tomorrow will be busy day.
The Zionist’s Islamist forces face very depressing coming weeks and months in Idlib/Norht Hama. Their chances not be obliterated totally trends – purely mathematically speaking – towards 0.0%. That this is a poor rate goes without saying – even for cannon fodder.
But for the time being, the sudden, ‘incomprehensible’, complete collapse of Israel’s favorite terrorists in Beit Jinn, just 10 km form Israel’s border, is much more humiliating, frustrating, enraging. And simply unfair, I guess.
This guy is good on Syria, and he publishes in English, French, and Arabic – perhaps he might like to publish sometime?
Russia is imposing new Rules of Engagement in Syria on Israel and the US:
https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2017/12/30/russia-is-imposing-new-rules-of-engagement-in-syria-on-israel-and-the-us/
Indeed, Elijah is one of the best. Invaluable insider sources from the whole region, reliable info, great judgement, clear standpoint and a very nice guy too.
Yes, a good read and well written.
Interesting that Russian military is embedded in Syrian forces to deter Israeli attacks.
However, given the numbers of Russian Jews there it could likely appear as simply Russian expat Jews vs Russian (others).
Netanyahu looks ready to fall on domestic corruption issues and Erdogan has issued the ‘Assad curse’ so he’s likely to exit stage left in due course. 2018 looks to be a somewhat interesting year.
If the full sovereignty of Syria is on the Russian agenda (as stated) then the liberation of the Golan Heights from Zionist occupation will be an interesting game to watch.
The writer presses the Empire’s sore-corn — that of the self reserved right to make the rules.
Likely all events in near future will be centred around Putin’s re-election in early 2018.
Let’s quote Elijah:
“… Valery Gerasimov, who said that “Russian advisers, trainers, intelligence service officers, artillery personnel, and all other various Russian military units have been integrated into every single Syrian combat troops, brigades, units, and even small battalions”. Gerasimov stressed that “all military and combat plans are agreed in partnership with the Syrian army. ”
therefore:
“… any Israeli attack may endanger a Russian or several Russian officers working side by side with the Syrian army, as the Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov revealed. Israel won’t be able to bypass the new Russian equation because, if Israel hits the attacking forces, it may put Tel Aviv in conflict with a superpower, Russia, and draw it into the Hezbollah/Iran – Israeli conflict.”
So Israelis attack Syria, some of those Israelis being Russian Jews, and kill some Russians, and Russia attacks Israel, and US/Trump/Kushner/Neocons have a fit, and we have a WWI scenario with nukes in Armaggedon Land. Great way to start the New Year.
Tiger Forces blitzing their way through Al Qaeda defenses in Idlib, rapidly approaching Khan Shaykhun. Writes Canthama:
“Lets keep in mind Khan Shaykhun has been NATO backed al Qaeda terrorists HQ for years, this is the place they hold impressive US supplied weapon warehouses and is the very place that the CIA/MI6/Mossad and Turkish MIT created the false flag CW in 2017 that Trump used to attack the Syrian base which killed 9 innocent civilians.”
General: Syrian Army Thwarts Israeli Plan to Control Mutual Border
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201712301060436889-syrian-army-israel-plan-control-mutual-border/
“On Saturday buses arrived in the villages of Mugr al-Mir and Mazaria Beit Jinn in the so-called ‘Hernon Pocket’ to transport the fighters of al-Nusra Front to Idlib and Daraa governorates. The pocket extended into government-held territory southwest of Damascus from the IDF-occupied Golan Heights. According to a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) military strategic analyst, Brig. Gen. Heitham Hassun, the move will help liberate the southwestern part of Syria from terrorists.
“This will allow [the SAA] to free the entire southwestern region of Damascus from terrorists,” Brig. Gen. Hassun told Sputnik Arabic. “It is especially important to take under the SAA’s control [the territories] north of the province of Quneitra, which the Israelis had planned to manage with the assistance of the militants. Now, by retaking Mugr al-Mir and Mazaria Beit Jinn, the army will be able to conduct an operation to liberate all the terrorist-controlled areas adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights.”
The local government managed to strike a deal with the al-Nusra jihadists through intermediaries on joining the program of reconciliation and establish a ceasefire regime in the area. The victories of the SAA, which allowed the government forces to gain control over the dominant terrain, contributed to the success of the talks.
According to the military analyst, residents of local villages are making every effort to facilitate the advancement of the Syrian government forces. For instance, they provide information to the SAA about the location and the numerical force of jihadists.
Brig. Gen. Hassun said that, for its part, Israel is providing the extremists with intelligence concerning Syrian government troops. Additionally, the Israelis continue to supply weapons to terrorist groups and provide fire support if necessary, the military analyst underscored. It appears that Syria’s southern neighbor is unwilling to give up its plans for this part of Syria, the brigadier general suggested.
Meanwhile, according to Sputnik’s source, on Friday the Syrian government forces expelled terrorists from the Abu Dali settlement in the north-east of Hama province.
Located on the border between Hama and Idlib, the settlement was used by the terrorists to disrupt the supplies from one city to another.”