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Warplanes operating under the US-led coalition carried out airstrikes against a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) convoy advancing along the Al-Tanf-Damascus-Baghdad international road. The airstrikes targeted Syrian forces in Al-Shuhaimi area, 50 km from the town of Al-Tanf located at the Syrian-Iraqi border.
The airstrikes destroyed two battle tanks, and damaged a Shilka vehicle, several pickups and trucks. Six SAA fighters lost their life and 3 were injured.
The US-led coalition said that the airstrikes were “warning shots” against Shiite militias. However, Shiite militias operation at the Al-Tanf road don’t have tanks or Shilka vehicles and there were many pictures and videos showing the presence of elements of the SAA in the area.
The US airstrikes on government forces are a clear signal that Washington are seeking prevent the Syrian government from taking control over the border and to build a buffer zone between Syria and Iraq that could establish an alliance in the near future.
Meanwhile, Jaysh al-Thuwar, a US-backed Free Syrian Army group, claimed that its militants have attacked the SAA and prevented it from approaching the Al-Tanf area. Earlier this week, a representative of Jaysh al-Thuwar, said that the target of the Free Syrian Army and the US-led coalition is to capture the city of Deir Ezzor.
Recently, Jaysh al-Thuwar received 20 technical vehicles as well as some TOW missiles and mortars from the US-led coalition, claiming that it will be used in the battle for capturing Al Bukamal.
From its side, the SAA transferred significant forces from Homs and Damascus to Suweida including tanks and 130 mm artillery pieces. It was also announced that the National Defense Forces in Suweida will participate in the operation.
Government forces, led by the Syrian Arab Army’s Tiger Forces, have been advancing against ISIS terrorists in the eastern part of the province of Aleppo. Following the previous advances, the Tiger Forces got control over the villages of Wadi Muwayih, Jub al-Ali, Tal Hasan, Nafiyah, Atirah and Mazyuna. In coming days, government forces will continue their operation against ISIS in the area aiming to isolate the ISIS stronghold of Maskanah.
248 men from the province of Raqqah have received training and joined the US-backed Syrian Democratic Fores (SDF). These fighters will participate in an operation aimed at capturing Raqqa city from ISIS terrorists.
The SDF has also trained more than 50 men from the province of Raqqah as security forces. The task of this force will be to secure the province of Raqqa after capturing it.
Meanwhile, the SDF has the captured villages of Thoul Nail, Hamrat Ghanam, Annadah and Tall Zaidan and advanced on the villages of Hamrat Buwaytiyah and Raqqah as Samra in the Raqqah countryside.
It is high time the Russian air force makes it clear to the USAF and Israel that the skies over Syria are closed to them. Let them announce it publicly and then shoot down a few if they trespass; the whole world is sick and tired of the effing US & its vassals and their crimes; Enough!
Haven’t you realized by now that this is not going to happen?
By now I now the Russians do not threaten but act. All we can do is wait and see.
Russia hasn’t used any anti-aircraft to this point. I think they will only protect their own forces.
“Russian paratroopers and special forces arrived in the Al-Sweida Governorate of southern Syria this week, following the U.S. attack on a pro-government convoy near the Iraqi border-crossing…”
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-forces-arrive-southern-syria/
To the naysayers – Russia is reacting…..watch this space…..
This is where Spetznaz get action against SAS, US, Jordan, Israel “below the radar” and none in Western press will comment
Absolutely! Syria is a sovereign country and should be treated and respected as such. Trespassers ought to be warned and shot if necessary.
All the above comments are correct. It seems that the US can fly around bombing at will yet it is never challenged militarily.
I read that this latest attack caused the deaths of dozens of civilians. No sooner do the persecuted Syrians get rid of a group of terrorists in one location than America bombs and murders dozens of them.
It absolutely leaves me speechless that nobody fires back at them. With the knowledge that they are untouchable why wouldn’t the US continue this policy? Safe, risk-free and never ending . They are being incentivised to continue murdering Syrians by being allowed immunity from retaliation.
Today we hear words of outrage and then it will be overlooked til the next time a few days from now.
The partition of Syria is being chrystalised, since Russia started making deals and compromises with the U.S. De – Escalating Zones in fact are No – Fly -Zones for Russia, and I can’t agree more with Marcus. He Said “It seems that the US can fly around bombing at will yet it is never challenged militarily.”
U.S. outsmarts Russia. They use these deals to CONTROL others. That is why Russia (and anyone else) should have avoided them as much as possible.
The US would probably accept the partition of Syria as long as the Sunni-controlled portion allows oil and gas pipelines to transverse to Turkey and beyond to Europe. Russia would, of course, object.
Time for Russia to show some muscle. They should also go to the UN and accuse the US of illegally occupping Syria.
ad hominem sentence removed … mod-hs
It is blatantly obvious US is violating international law in Syria – it does however control 60% voters of the Permanent Members of the Security Council
US and its proxies are testing Russian air defences. They flew a spy plane near Kalingrad following two F-35s to test Russian radars. They do the same over Syria.
Neither side can afford a “fail”. It is US superiority in numbers of aircraft over Russia that is it only key strength. In May 1940, the ONLY advantage Germany had over France and Britain was number of aircraft – in all other respects it was evenly matched.
Russia does not want to give everything away to US probing attacks
There is an interesting article on this American airstrike: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/us-syria-airstrikes-why-bashar-al-assad-militia-convoy-iraq-border-training-camp-rebels-a7744091.html
Robert Fisk (excellent British reporter, living in Beirut) states that the USA Military want to install a ‘buffer zone’ between Iraq and Syria. To hinder that planned Iranian gas pipeline of course, for their Saudi and Qatari masters.
It would be interesting when the Syrian forces would have the means to shoot a few American planes out of the sky. The presence of the US forces is illigitimate with international law and even their own Constitution.
But hey, who cares there. The US Congress is the biggest sleeper cell in their nation.
Lets be honest here and imagine you are the evil psychopathic Western Zionist USA…..
If I was the USA, I would absolutely destroy the Syrian Arab Army, any chance I would get.
I would bomb Hezbollah too and Iranians in Syria.
I would escort Jordanian, Saudi and any other planes who want to join in on the fun to go bomb Syrians, Hezbollah and Iranians everyday…..
Because…..well, the Russians are not going to do anything…..its not like they were actually serious about “safe zones”…..they would never risk WWIII for safe zones.
And its not like the Syrians have any kind of technology that can counter my air force.
And the nuclear armed Chinese are sure as hell not going to do anything, they are too busy producing my products.
So as a US Zionist alliance, I would bomb the crap out of SAA, Iranians, Hezbollah, and those pesky Iraqi militias who want to join up with their brothers in arms who are trying to get rid of my rebels and terrorists……who do they think they are, I freed them from Saddam, Iranians and Iraqi Shia should be thanking me for their freedom right ?
“If I was the USA, I would absolutely destroy the Syrian Arab Army, any chance I would get.”
I agree – my point exactly, though the US doesn’t need to go all in. Bear in mind that the empire’s aims in Syria are simply destruction. The most striking feature of western foreign policy is it’s sheer malevolence – a war on humanity in effect.
And there certainly seems to be little point in talking about de-escalation zones and so on when the US shows nothing but contempt for human life and international law knowing full well that any “rules” and laws don’t apply to them and as we can see here they are right .
I do not believe however that if US planes were shot down WW3 would start.
I must admit that I have grinned reading your supposes evil neocon thought.
However, there’s a catch.
You also have to sell the story at home. I don’t think Russia can afford to idly let it happen, when NATO forces are piling up at the Russian borders, parading and drilling for invasion.
And the Americans will have difficulties selling casualties and shot down planes – for what? The MSM will lie as usual, like the information minister of Saddam Hussein (‘There are no Amerivans in Bagdad’, remember?), but when the body bags come through and families are hit, it will be hard to hide the facts.
Remember that in the eighties of last century, both the IDF and American forces were thrown out of the Lebanese civil war. In that time more than 30 militias were shooting at each other. They were shelling US Navy ships. A suicide bomber blew up an American military headquarter, killing hundreds of people.
I think of a Congressional hearing of Pentagon generals last year. A general was asked whether an American imposed no-fly zone over Syria was possible. He answered that it would mean a direct confrontation with Russia, and that he was not in the position to take that kind of decision. More important was his body language. I saw fear in his eyes.
The UK has its military operating in Syria without a parliamentary debate, which is illegal.
There is no parliamentary debate because parliament has been suspended due to campaigning for a General Election on June 8th.
As matters are unfolding and the government cover up of both Establishment and State sponsored paedophilia is unraveling, there is every chance that war criminal Prime Minister May will lose the election despite, just like Hilary Clinton before her, she is far ahead in the polls!
The only certain way that May can be elected now is if Russia kills the illegal British forces on the ground in Syria and there by arouses the British public’s wrath.
Russia is all too aware of this which is why it is trying to restrain Hesbolah, Iran and the Syrians from attacking as they are.
There will be no serious Russian response until after the election is finished sometime later than June 10th.
The Russians know this, the British know this, and the US lackeys of the British Establishment know this.
I guess the only reason that the commentators on here are not aware of this is because they do not watch UKColumn News, the only news service that uses fully verified information in its daily news broadcast.
But then I imagine you probably believe the British government are subservient to the US, and other fairy stories told by the private owner of the Bank of England, who also owns one third of the Fed and runs the CIA as his private fiefdom!
American dancers, British choreography.
If the dancers do really well, they may get peerage and get to kiss the Queen’s behind, in hopes that the masses will see, and in turn kiss theirs.
Ah, “nobility”. A chain of disgusting, morally compromised fools.
All built on conflict, fear and slavish submission.
Rush in, get “tough” and take the Deep (at its deepest and oldest, it is Anglophile to the core…..) bait …………… or patiently refuse the bait.
If May goes down, that’s a bigger victory.
I tend to think you are right, Pirouette. Russia and China are dealing with a Schizophrenic Empire.
The main battle is going on inside its troubled, divided brain
Will the evil Mr Hyde be given the opportunity to instantly take over the tug of war and identity crisis inside its brain, or will the good Dr Jekyll more slowly let the beast brain exhaust its tricks, and then subdue that psychopath within?
Neighbors of the Empire appear to be giving the doctor some time. It’s always been too risky to just tackle Mr Hyde or punch him in the face. He’s wielding an axe and thinks he owns the planet.
The good doctor (saner mass consciousness) just began waking up a short while ago. You have to give him some time to wake up more fully, before Mr Hyde traps you into over-reacting and uses the opportunity of your exasperation and impatience to slap on scores of millions more red white and blue starred and striped bandannas over the eyes of dumb,groggy America and completely subdues the good doctor, once again:
http://www.whatonearthishappening.com/images/stories/woeih/welcome/woeih-circles.png
When playing your hand against the Empire, and hearts are trumps, you must carefully finesse, more than once, before you lead trumps. I am beginning to suspect that Donald fully realizes this and that he has to take a few more tricks, before he can possibly “make game”.
In this case, Dummy Deep State Mr Hyde refuses to lay his hand down, as the game of Bridge prescribes, says the bid is still his, and insists that Donald be dummy and lay his down.
How’s that for a mixed metaphor??
Events may be coming to a convergence in Eastern Syria between the western coalition criminals and the SAA according to this article here (see: http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/05/no-such-thing-as-russia-halting-our.html ). An unnamed Syrian source confirmed, “… that new agreement between Syria, Iran and Russia about making further efforts against ISIS in sparsely populated regions of Syria between Palmyra and the Iraqi border has been reached.”
I hope this translates to mean Russia will provide daily operational close air support for the SAA, otherwise the U.S. will continue to attack Syrian assets moving on the ground. We could be hearing about combat air encounters between Russian aerospace forces and the American aggressor in the near future.
The players understand we are approachimg Armageddon. Who has placed his tents between the holy mountsin and the sea.? September this year Virgo is clothed by the sun with the moon at her feet and twelve stars crown her head and the gestation of 42 weeks end.
A Rosh Hashanah unlike any since 3 BC.
And Jerusalem torn in two along a line extending north to south with the adoption of a two state solution.
Eschatalogical drivers focus moves to destroy Damascus with fire.
And the souls crying out from under the alter are heard.
Great and terrible is the day of the Lord.
With the establishment of the Russian initiated de-escalation zones the Syria conflict has entered a new, decisive phase. A look at the map helps.
All four de-escalation zones are in the population-dense, Western heartland of Syria. Now that these areas are contained and 90% pacified, ten-thousands of SAS soldiers are freed up and can be reassigned to new tasks, primary in the sparsely populated, but strategically and economically crucial South, East and North-East of the country. A game-changer.
The SAS’s advance to al-Tanf – more a border post than a village where Syria, Jordan and Iraq meet – seems to be the real red line for the Zionist invaders, therefore the recent airstrike. Tanf is not part of any de-escalation zone, all one finds here are oppressively high temperatures, desert and the Baghdad – Damascus highway. Go figure!
The Zionist raiders’ assault on Syria was not better planned than those on Afghanistan, Iraq, or Libya, which is understandable, because whenever the City of London, Vatican, Washington DC axis makes a move, everybody hides behind bushes, pre-emptively.
No such luck for the Zionist crusaders in Syria. Once Putin said to himself “enough is enough” the lack of war-gaming the rape of Syria with a Russian surprise involvement proved to be a mission-critical mistake.
After spending hundreds of $ billions, through a dozen and more proxy nations, hiring, who knows, maybe 200’000 mercenaries of dubious backgrounds, age and qualifications from Algeria to China, MI6-Mossad-CIA has very little to show, Turkey looks miffed, the House of Saud battered and Trump seems in no mood to save the day by pulling a white rabbit out of the hat.
Meanwhile, the SAS and party are further advancing on al-Tanf, as do the Iraqi militias from the their side.
How goes the old saying? “When the Kurdish card is your best card, you are in deep trouble.”
@_smr. I think that’s a realistic analysis, and I suspect it comes from somebody near enough to have followed events in Syria closely but far enough to take a broader perspective. I would only add an obvious rejoinder to Harry_Red, who seems to me to have been watching too many Hollywood blockbusters: It was only on the screen that Rambo, armed only with bow and arrow and a bowie knife, killed ten thousand Vietnamese and a giant Russian. In real life the entire US nation threw a million soldiers, a billion bombs and a trillion dollars into its self appointed war against that little bunch of yellow commie devils – and lost.
Norwegian Force Deployed At Al-Tanf Border Crossing At Syrian-Iraqi Border
https://southfront.org/norwegian-force-deeployed-al-tanf-border-crossing-syrian-iraqi-border/
Is this the beginning of a Stand-Of between East (Brics) and West (NATO)?
Good article by Elijah J Marnier re this subject on Russia insider today………..somehow I feel
that there will be a confrontation…note recently usa is refunding the rebranded rebels around Idlib area…plus Jordan been amassing troops tanks on south border last couple weeks…are they setting up a false flag or provocation in oder to instigate a pincer movement north and south to divide Syria East and west one wonders to allow coalition trips in north west to gain ground and strengthen….interestingly enough Daily Mail uk carrying article how Isis has recruited scientists to experiment and perfect use of chemical weapons in their stronghold of Mosul university it has been discovered……..
Lavrov on US At-Tanf airstrike: Illegitimate, illegal, and violation of sovereignty of Syria
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/05/lavrov-on-us-at-tanf-airstrike.html
There are some interesting comments.
Yes, I agree, that is a concise and totally on-point article, from which I now quote:
“At the Pentagon they were saying that the blow was struck on a column that entered the “conflict prevention zone,” where there were armed groups supported by the United States.”
As _smr noted in a post above, the de-confliction zones are well away to the west, to protect densely populated areas in Syria, not the almost-barren desert border regions. The lies have become so blatant that – as others here have noticed – this sort of thing is a clear indication of desperation.
Also, what’s with this “US-led coalition” drivel? As if anybody in the “coalition” can do anything without explicit US military approval.
What is most interesting in Syria is what is NOT happening. The Russian approach in the ME has been to slowly cauterize the bleed created by the anglo/zionists and their vassal tools.
The bombing at Al-Tanf demonstrates just how desperate the US is. They can only take pot shots and turn and run. Anything else would mean a flurry of SAMs and direct confrontation with a competent motivated army. That simply is not the US occultist style – if they fight back turn and run – same goes for the iof.
As for the assortment of mercs that the US has hired in south eastern Syria – they will take the money and promptly surrender to the SAA when the fan starts spinning and splattering at the zionists.
At this point Syria is just a holding point for the US – desperately working for the occultists to keep the combined forces of the resistance from rolling on Tel Aviv. It all feels like the last days of Saigon – the denial by the MSM, the desperate ineffective bombing runs and of course the banksters trying to bribe the Russians out. Just like Vietnam with their Chinese backers the Russians will not sell out Syria – unlike the US which has no nationalist elite – the Russians do and know that they will be next after Assad.
The big picture is the coming collapse of the israeli entity – a demise that is not lost on the Russians which would welcome the support of many of their Russian emigres back to the fold. A solid group that has suffered the harsh racist reality of the jewish/not jewish enough state.
The usa military is simply israel’s enforcer. The tuppence regime has made that more than clear. What the zionazi boy buggers want, pence, and his retarded sidekick, trump, as pr trumpet, are tasked to provide.
Trumpet, trump, who’d of figured… ;D It’s not like rightwingerss don’t boast of their base servitude to massa as the be all and end all of all their varied problems.
This is what pindo politics is all about – servicing the israeli massa.