Tag "Syria"
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-february-5-2018-su-25-shootdown-marks-new-round-of-escalation-in-idlib/ On February 3, militants shot down a Su-25 warplane of the Russian Aerospace Forces with a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD) over the village of Khan al-Sabil southwest of the city of Saraqib in the province of Idlib. Originally, Jaysh al-Nasr, a militant group that had been supplied with US-made TOW anti—tank missiles, claimed that its members had downed the warplane. Later, the media wing of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-february-2-2018-militants-defense-collapsed-in-eastern-idlib/ The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) captured the town of Bulbul as well as the villages of Ali Kar, Za’ra and al-Ham from Kurdish YPG forces in the area of Afrin. According to pro-Turkish sources, over 24 YPG members were killed in the recent clashes. Pro-Kurdish sources claim that 20 members of Turkey-led forces were killed. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said that
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-february-1-2018-tiger-forces-break-militants-defense-in-eastern-idlib/ Government forces, led by the Tiger Forces, achieved a major breakthrough against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) in the province of Idlib. Government troops liberated over 15 villages, including Mushayrifah, Tall Sultan and al-Tuwaym. This advance pursues two goals: to liberate the remaining militant-held area in southern Aleppo and to prepare an advance on Saqrib. Meanwhile, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies started
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-30-2018-sdf-sends-reinforcements-to-afrin/ On January 29, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Tiger Forces fully secured the town of Abu al-Duhur in eastern Idlib after a series of clashes with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda). Meanwhile, pro-militant sources reported that the Syrian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Forces started conducting airstrikes in the area of Saraqib in a move described as a preparation for
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-29-2018-turkish-forces-capture-key-mountain-in-afrin/ The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) used their advantage over Kurdish YPG/YPJ forces in the area of Afrin and captured Bursaya Mount, Qastal Jundu and Yazibagh. Additionally, the TAF and the TFSA entered the area of Kevire Kerr Mountain where an intense fighting was reported. On other fronts, the YPG/YPJ was able to repel attacks by Turkish forces. The Turkish General Staff released
https://southfront.org/jabhat-al-nusra-history-capabilities-role-syrian-war/ History Jabhat al-Nusra, originally Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-ahli ash-Sham min Mujahideen ash-Shām fi Sahat al-Jihad or “Victory Front for the People of the Levant by the Mujahideen of the Levant on the Fields of Jihad”, was founded in January 2012, when military operations between the government forces and groups of armed Syrian opposition were in full force. Jabhat al-Nusra arose with the direct support of the Iraqi cell of al-Qaeda,
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-26-2018-turkey-threatens-to-attack-manbij/ On January 25, ISIS units attacked positions of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the villages of Kishmah and Ghuraybah in the province of Deir Ezzor. According to the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq, ISIS killed several army soldiers and destroyed two battle tanks with anti-tank guided missiles. However, the terrorist group did not overrun the SAA defense and was forced to retreat. According to the Syrian state-run media, 25
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-25-2018-syrian-army-prepares-to-clear-abu-al-duhur-pocket/ The Syrian military is deploying reinforcements to northern Hama and eastern Idlib reportedly preparing to launch a military operation to clear the militant-held pocket there. According to pro-government sources, additional units of Liwa al-Quds and the Qalamoun Shield Forces have already been deployed there. The liberation of the pocket will allow the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies to eliminate the ISIS threat in the area and to
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-22-2018-abu-al-duhur-liberation-operation-olive-branch/ On January 20, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) officially launched a military operation in the area of Afrin and started conducting massive artillery and airstrikes on positions of Kurdish militias there. “‘Operation Olive Branch’ has been started on Jan. 20, 2018 at 5 p.m., in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region to establish security and stability on our borders and region, to eliminate terrorists of PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh [ISIS], and to
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-19-2018-syrian-troops-almost-closed-eastern-idlib-pocket/ On January 18, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Iranian-backed militias liberated the village of Qaytal fom Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) in southern Aleppo and almost closed the eastern Idlib pocket. Late on the same day, ISIS reportedly captured thirty villages, including Rasm al-Dhaba, al-Muwaylah, abu Ajwa, Muakar Shamali, Huma, Najm Al-Zuhur, Umm Qurun and Rasm Arira, in northeastern Hama and southwestern Aleppo from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
[This article has been written for the Unz Review] Informationclearinghouse recently posted an article by Darius Shahtahmasebi entitled “Israel Keeps Bombing Syria and Nobody Is Doing Anything About It”. Following this publication I received an email from a reader asking me the following question: “Putin permitting Israel to bomb Syria – why? I am confused by Putins actions – does Putin support the Zionist entity, on the quiet like. I
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-16-2018-syrian-army-repelling-hts-and-isis-attacks-in-eastern-idlib/ The situation in estern Idlib is rapidly becoming more and more complicated for government forces as both ISIS and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) are simultaneously pressuring the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies. On January 15, ISIS captured a dozen villages southwest of the Abu al-Duhur airbase and conducted several hit and run attacks on government troops in the areas of Uwayjat Qana and Rasm Khushuf. Separately, clashes
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-15-2018-syrian-army-liberates-dozens-villages-in-southwestern-aleppo/ Russian forces eliminated a group of militants, which conducted the mortar attack on Hmeimim airbase on December 31, 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on January 12. Russian forces used the 2K25 Krasnopol 152 mm laser-guided artillery munition to eliminate the group, according to the ministry. The ministry added that the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) uncovered a fixed-wing drone assembly and storage workshop in Idlib province. The workshop
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-12-2018-militants-counter-attack-in-southern-idlib-ends-in-disaster/ On January 11, so-called “moderate opposition” groups operating in Idlib declared an official start of the operation to assist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) in its effort to counter the ongoing advance of government forces in the area of Abu al-Duhur. Faylaq al-Sham, Nour al-Din al-Zenki, Jaish al-Nasr, Jaish al-Nukhba, Ahrar al-Sham, the Turkistan Islamic Party, the Free Syrian Army’s 2nd Army were
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-11-2018-syrian-army-launches-final-push-to-capture-abu-al-duhur/ On January 11, the Tiger Forces, the Syrian Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) launched a final push to recapture the strategic Abu al-Duhur Airbase from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in southern Idlib. Government forces reached the airbase on January 10 after capturing the villages of al-Baiyaiyah, al-Dabshiyah, Zafr Sagheer, Zafr Kabeer, Bayaa Kabeera, Bayaa Sagheera, Um jorah, al-Buwyti, Rasm Ayed and Um Jareen. Since then, intense
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-9-2018-russian-forces-disrupted-drone-attack-by-militants-on-its-bases/ On January 8 and 9, government forces re-captured over a dozen villages in southern Idlib, including Zifr Kabir, Zifr Saghir, Harmala, Burtuqanah, Ajjaz and Jahman from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda). In total, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the Tiger Forces and their allies have liberated over 400km2 in southern Idlib since the start of 2018. On January 8, the Turkistan Islamic Party
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-8-2018-syrian-army-liberates-large-area-key-town-in-southern-idlib/ Last weekend, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s defense collapsed in southern Idlib. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the National Defense Forces (NDF) and the Tiger Forces liberated the important town of Sinjar and the nearby villages including al-Nasiriyah, Jabal al-Kafi, Lubaida, Hawa, Sheikh Barakeh, Umm Mweilat, Tell Amara, Rasm Saaed, Kafrayya and Mutawassitah. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) did little to defend its positions in the area but released a statement accusing
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-5-2018-militants-retreat-from-more-villages-in-southern-idlib/ On January 4, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Tiger Forces, backed up by the Russian Aerospace Forces, captured the villages of Rsm al-Abid, al-Fhail, Rubaida, Msheirfeh, al-Qasr al-Abyad, Rabeeah Musa, Haqiyah and Umm Rjaim Hill in southeastern Idlib. According to pro-government sources, at least 7 militants were killed and a vehicle was destroyed during the SAA advance. On the same day, the Sham Legion reportedly destroyed a
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-january-4-2018-russian-forces-suffer-casualties-in-khmeimim-shelling/ The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the National Defense Forces (NDF), the Tiger Forces and other pro-government factions, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, have achieved a notable progress against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) in southern Idlib. Government troops have liberated the villages of Rajmel Mashraf, Umm Sehrij, Dreibiyeh, Mashrafat al Khanazir, Ard az-Zurzur, Sham al-Hawa, Umm al-Khalakhil, Qulayat at Tuwaybah and Niha
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
