Erdogan’s forces continue their bloody battle for peace and prosperity for al-Qaeda groups in the Syrian region of Greater Idlib.
On March 3, Turkey shot down an L-39 warplane of the Syrian Air Force in eastern Idlib. The warplane, which was carrying out strikes on al-Qaeda militants, crashed near the town of Maarat al-Numan. One of the ejected pilots landed in the militant-held area and was killed. On the same day, Turkish media released videos showing drone strikes on the Syrian Army convoy supposedly moving near Maarat al-Numan and the destruction of an alleged Pantsir air defense system of the Syrian Air Defense Forces near Saraqib.
Additionally, a large Turkish military column consisting of M113 and ACV-15 armoured vehicles, Leopard 2A4 battle tanks and ALTIGNAN air defense systems entered Batbu village in the northern part of Idlib. Pro-Turkish sources also claimed that the Turkish military will soon deploy Hisar air defense systems to the region in order to put an end to the constant aggression of the Syrian and Russian air power against peaceful al-Qaeda members and their Turkish supporters. Thus far, al-Qaeda members and the Turkish Army are on a ‘tactical retreat’.
In eastern Idlib, Erdogan’s forces lost the villages of Jawbas, Tarnaba, Dadikh and Kafr Battikh west of Saraqib. Units of the Syrian Army also advanced on the town of Afirs aiming to fully secure the M4-M5 crossroad area. In southern Idlib, the Syrians cleared the villages Kafr Mus, Kawkabah, Amqiyah and Fulayfil of Turkish-led forces. On top of this, the Syrian military shot down 3 Turkish combat UAVs. One of them, the Bayraktar TB2 crashed near Saraqib. According to pro-government sources over 150 militants were killed or injured in recent clashes with the Syrian Army. Taking into account the scale of the ground clashes, this number is likely overestimated.
However, such claims are a weak shadow of the statements of the Turkish Defense Ministry which is ‘neutralizing’ thousands of Syrian soldiers and hundreds of pieces of military equipment in its statements on a regular basis.
On the morning of March 3, the Turkish military claimed that that during the past 24 hours Turkish-led forces had destroyed a warplane, a UAV, 6 battle tanks, 5 howitzers and artillery pieces, 2 air defense systems, 3 armored combat vehicles, 5 armed pickups, 6 military vehicles and an ammunition depot belonging to Syrian forces. The defense ministry also claimed that 327 Syrian soldiers were “neutralized” during the same period.
On the evening of the same day, when Erdogan’s forces withdrew from another batch of positions, a Turkish soldier was killed and 9 others were injured, so the defense ministry made another Twitter offensive to compensate the setbacks. It said that 299 Syrian soldiers were ‘neutralized’, and 9 battle tanks, 8 artillery pieces and rocket systems and 2 military vehicles were recently destroyed. Thus, the Turkish-claimed number of “neutralized” Syrian soldiers since the start of Operation Piece Spring just reached 3,183. It doesn’t matter if the Turkish military announces that its forces have destroyed a Syrian carrier strike group ‘Al-Assad’ near Tartus or shot down a dozen Russian-supplied Su-50 fighter jets or even neutralized a detachment of Iranian Rembos, the result will be same –the invincible Turkish forces make no gains on the ground.
Meanwhile, Moscow once again announced that Russia is not planning to cease anti-terrorist efforts in the Idlib region and called Turkish claims about ‘millions’ of refugees fleeing the Syrian anti-terrorist operation in Idlib fake.
Gotta hand it to the Turks, their twitter offensive has indeed been quite successful… not only did they “neutralize” over 5,000 Syrian soldiers, but they even killed the Brigadier General Suheil and a coup is on-going in Damascus! Can you believe it?
Their twitter offensive is going so well, in-fact, that the Syrian Army has successfully expanded their buffer zone around Saraqeb and recaptured the village of Afes, despite being under Turkish artillery fire. Word on the street is that they will re-take the village of Neyrab, followed by Sarmin.. if they can keep the momentum going.
Gotta hand it to the Turks though, their imaginary victories sure are convincing…
All joking aside, the SAA needs to start destroying the positions from which Turk artillery is being used against them. The RuAF could do it but I guess they’ve been given strict orders not to kill Turks directly. A pity. The Syrians will have to do it themselves, which shouldn’t be too much trouble, once the decision is taken. The strike yesterday which killed 2 Turk solders and injured 9 more was reportedly conducted by a Syrian Tochka-U ballistic missile against an enemy HQ where the Turk soldiers were embedded with the jihadists. If the Turks keep up their aggression, there will be a lot more where that came from.
Anonymous
The preposterous claims made by the Turkish military on their “success” is meant for domestic political consumption, no matter that the same are hilarious. However, this cheap political rhetoric is not working. Bodies of dead Turkish soldiers are being brought back to Turkey, the injured are filling hospitals and according to the latest reports, there is no mood in Turkey for any war. Worse, there has already been one brawl inside the Turkish Parliament between Erdogans supporters and members of the opposition. If Erdogan is wise, he will make a deal with Russia and Syria and withdraw his military back to Turkey. After that he can concentrate on the economic situation, which is none too rosy.
According to al Jazeera, the brawl began when an opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader effectively accused Erdogan of being a chickenhawk. That is, a warmonger who sends the kids of the poor to fight their dirty wars while their own and other rich kids find ways to to evade active combat.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/brawl-turkey-parliament-mp-criticises-erdogan-200304162054642.html
“Ozkoc called Erdogan: “dishonourable, ignoble, low and treacherous. He also accused the president of sending the children of Turkey’s people to fight while Erdogan’s own offspring allegedly avoided long-term military service.”
ftmntf
Military service in Turkey can legally be avoided by using the military tax. What this means is that rich families can pay to have their sons avoid military service. This of course means that the sons of poor families end up in the military. This can hardly be good for morale.
Well, the L39 is a czech built trainer, about a 30/40 year old design, prolly used for reconnaissance, CAS(???) purposes. Very likely not equipped with modern systems of any sort. That an F16 can take it down with ease is a given.
RIP for the murdered crew.
One of the pilots did die, however, the other pilot survived, after being rescued by a special forces team ~2km behind enemy lines.
Thank God.
As for the other aircraft losses, both pilots survived in each case and made it back to Syrian territory in both cases.
Hopefully luck will continue to stay with the Syrian air force. It’s one thing to lose a plane, but much worse to lose an experienced and trained pilot.
I have heard news that Russia recently equipped the Syrian Army with air-to-air missiles to be used on their MiG-29’s in order to counter the Turkish F-16 fighters. We shall see if this news is true or not and whether or not it will bear fruit when the next time a Turk F-16 fires on a Syrian aircraft, they get hit with a little “something” in return…
No doubt the Russians are furious at Turkey and doing everything they can to support the Syrian military and help counter this flagrant aggression. Thank God for mother Russia.
Do the Syrian airforce not have any modern combat aircraft? i am sure the Russians could train the Syrians and help them build a modern airforce.
Unfortunately the Syrian air-force is definitely under-equipped.. I mean, they are using trainer planes (L-39’s) to conduct close air combat support missions. Such aircraft are completely incapable of defending themselves from hostile air attacks, and according to my understanding, don’t even have flares.
The Syrian Air Force does have some modernized Su-24’s, Su-22’s, and other aircraft, but overall, not very many of them. Not enough of them to afford risking them get shot down, anyway. Hence why they use the L-39’s, they’d rather lose one of those than lose a brand spanking new Russian jet, which might not be replaced right away.
The unfortunate reality is that the Syrian air force isn’t really equipped to engage the TAF, which has a modernized NATO-supported air force in direct air to air combat. That can be left to the Pantsirs, S-300, etc. The Syrian Air Force is quite effective at providing close air support, however, even after 9 years of war and attrition.
It should be noted that not a single Turkish F-16 has dared to penetrate Syrian airspace since the start of their operation. Clearly their ground-based air defenses are doing their job. Every time the Turk F-16 shot down a Syrian jet, the missile was fired from Turkish airspace and guided by the equivalent of Turkish AWACs aircraft to the target. The life of an F-16 fighter won’t be very long if they cross into Syrian airspace, which means the Turks are forced to carry out relatively limited attacks from their own airspace.
It’s well known that Russia replaces every tank, BMP, helicopter, and artillery piece that the Syrian army loses. But replacing modernized Su-24’s and the like is another matter entirely, and it isn’t really known how many of those Russia is willing (or able) to replace. It pains me to see the Syrians lose jet fighters here and there, but ultimately, it won’t make much of a difference for the battle of Idlib.. the terrorists are going to be finished off either way, trust me.
The Russians also have many ‘boneyards’ left over from the 90’s era. Thousands of retired (low hour) older ex-Soviet types such as Su-22M-3/4’s, Su-25K’s, Mig-23MLD’s, Mig-29 9-12’s and Su-24M’s, mothballed for long term storage are kept there. Many have been refurbished and provided to the SyAAF. Iran also provided a dozen ex-Iraqi ‘defector’ Su-22M-4’s as replacements from the early loses suffered by the SyAAF during the beginning phases of the Syrian war, before 2015. Hundreds of IRGC-AF’s maintenance/ technical staff are in Syria to help out Syria. Don’t worry, Russia and Iran won’t let the SyAAF down.
Not only are the Syrian combat planes old, the pilots, if you’ve seen photos of them when captured or otherwise identified are very old. The air force wouldn’t qualify for modern. It’s updated on some air frames. Mostly, 30+ years behind the curve.
Even if they had the best planes, it takes years to develop pilots who could fly them successfully in combat conditions of low altitude air support, needed for the Syrian fight against terrorists.
Add MANPADS on the ground as AA and what we see is amazing courage by the Syrians and Russian pilots.
Latest KISS update for those who need it –
Peace is in danger of breaking out March 02 2020:
1) Pentagon has indicated it has “stood down” following Russian unilateral lead to stand down missile attack against rat runs used by US spec ops and CIA in region. Pentagon and Russian military have no wish to be drawn into deep-state provocations and are being very careful around each other.
As a result US Military will no longer support the CIA led deep-state op in Northern Syria (currently being run from Turkey, Cyprus, Iraq, and Israel). They will however remain inside Syria in other areas on “other non-combat security related missions”.
2) CIA now solely involved in supporting Turkish factional combat and logistical ops in Northern Syria without Pentagon assistance. Drone warfare and mercenary led ground combat now only practical solution. Token Turkish forces being as human shields by mercenaries and Turkish outposts used as safe havens by mercenaries. Erdogan not in full control and second CIA led coup being planned.
3) Iraqi Millitias have “stood down” against Pentagon assets and US military peronel inside Iraq due to ongoing Pentagon operations to expose and expel CIA deep-state operations inside Iraq and Iran.
Such CIA actions, which led to the near open conflict between the US and Iran earlier this year, will not be allowed to continue.
4) Pentagon sources leaked to Iran the plan to draw them into attacking several key sites inside Iraq and Afghanistan which were to be used as causus beli for a low-yield “bunker buster” bombardment. Iran has not taken any action whatsoever against Pentagon assets or Military personnel in region since this disclosure.
5) Pentagon sources have distrupted and prevented a CIA and MI6 plan to cause an incident involving Kaliningrad garrison and NATO elements. Nature of planned incident remains unknown.
6) CIA and deep-state have now moved to “plan C” ( plan A was limited war between US and Russia, plan B is unknown) which is bio-terror / bio-weapon.
Coronavirus is NOT, repeat NOT the bio-weapon being used. Coronavirus is a combined vector and psyop to facilitate the selective assasination of targeted individuals. The vector is being used to deliver (or at least cover the delivery by other means) of an engineered bio-weapon.
Iran, North Korea and China have seen a disroportionate number of high profile assinations of key political leaders and military personnel, and even key scientists and bankers by biological agent, too many to be explained away as coincidence or bad luck.
Coronavirus is now being hyped up to allow for certain control-grid preparations to take place under cover of managing a pandemic. Deep-state will collapse global economy by this means if possible because a limited war between US and Russia is very unlikely.
7) Deep state enablers have now been identified and the CIA, MI6, and the MOSSAD have been identified as being the vehicles of all recent and current attempts to force war between the US and North Korea, the US and Iran, and previously NATO and Russia through Ukraine.
Well known Intel linked figures now retiring, having unfortunate accidents, or ironically contracting illnesses as dismantling of deep-state is attempted. Deep-state enablers being removed from other flash points such as Ukraine and Iran.
8) Deep-state now in desperate attempt to maintain power through collapse of the global economy. They are attempting to prevent all travel and commerce and even prevent of the use of cash – under cover of infection control re Coronavirus / Covid-19. This plan may succeed if Bio-weapon attack against China shuts down Eastern economies and leaves control with western establishment in London and Washington. Pysop in play to convince people that cash is “dirty and infected” and electronic payments should be used (which can be switched off at will).
9) New laws to prevent cash purchase of Gold now being suggested or even introduced (Germany leading).
further updates to follow.
@Tired,
“Coronavirus is NOT, repeat NOT the bio-weapon being used. Coronavirus is a combined vector and psyop to facilitate the selective assasination of targeted individuals.”
This comment really strikes a cord as this is EXACTLY what I was going to suggest on Jon Rappoport’s website who has been extensively writing about the corona hoax. I bailed out of it though after writing it up as I thought it was too speculative.
And yet, here you are suggesting the exact same thing.
I posted extensively on JR’s site where I’m firmly in the camp that this whole corona virus is a PsyOp. But it always nagged at me what other purpose it could serve. And that purpose would be to use it as a cover for targeted assassination of people in positions of power, in the target country of the day. And that country of course is Iran, firmly in the cross-hairs of the Anglo/Zionist CIA/Mossad/MI6 Intel cabal. And we KNOW that terrorism is an accepted mode of operation for the Mossad, terrorism in whatever form (including the propaganda).
The Likud party that has been in power in Israel since the 1970’s is of terrorist origin. Look up “Irgun” and it is right there on good ol’ wikipedia. So we have in effect a terrorist party running that rogue state called Israel.
And as you say, this bio-weapon is NOT corona virus (which very likely isn’t real anyway), but something else, it could be anything. The whole corona virus scare is the cover, the cloak.
First they openly killed the Iranian and Iraki military commanders via a direct drone strike. Now they have changed their assassination plot against other targets into a covert action. All the while scaring the global population with their virus hoax which allows them ever greater control over this planet, the Zionist’s TRUE objective.
Kill two birds with one stone.
The virus is obviously real, but just how real?
“The virus is obviously real,”
How do you know that?
Read the articles on Jon Rappoport’s website where he goes at length into how you manufacture a virus hoax. This isn’t the first time.
IMO, it’s not real in the way it is presented by the media propaganda.
Good God, really? It’s not real? The OP was just handing goodies out left and right and y’all lap it up. With a last name like Rap* I don’t trust a word. CIA and Rap* are _one and same_
Lap up what exactly?
No “virus propaganda”, I hope. It tastes bad so I’m told. The masses that really do “lap it up” can maybe – if you’re lucky – confirm this for you.
Oh, and I fail to see how someone’s surname is relevant in your argument.
No matter what you think of Jon Rappoport.
Peace bro’.
People can tell you anything, this virus has a magical way of spreading w/o one even noticing its being spread. The infection rates are unusually high, I could probably go on all day with unique examples about this real virus, but you believe what Jonny says and hardly anything is real the way the media presents it.
This sounds just like the SS going after the SA – or more appropriate even, as in a book by Peter Gorle where he describes how his father witnessed the moment near the end of WW2 when the Wehrmacht told the British that they would take care of the SS – and the British told their own men to stay away from the fighting whilst the Wehrmacht decimated the remaining SS…
What is the source of this?
What is Kiss?
“What is Kiss?”
Keep it stupid, simple.
@Tired,
The problem with your update is that it is full of baloney. Weak fiction mixed with some facts.
Don’t bother with further updates.
@Tired,
Your effort is like Sorcha Faal’s What Does It Mean? crapola.
Vot Tak defined it precisely.
Further to my earlier post – Confirmation is now reaching mainstream media regarding the Coronovirus “cover” for a bio-weapon attack – RT are reporting that an Angry Iranian General called out the US (CIA) for attacking both Iran and China with a bio-weapon under the pretext of a coronovirus epidemic:
https://www.rt.com/news/482405-iran-coronavirus-us-biological-weapon/
Also KISS have released the following update:
Deep State go for broke – literally – to bring about economic collapse (March 04 2020):
1) At least 3 global communication and spy satelleites operated by the CIA (not the US Government but CIA Deep State) have been taken down (suspected by China using a laser weapon, not missiles).
Many sightings of these satellites burning up have been recorded over the last week and reported in mainstream media as “meteors”.
2) Deep State computers now in full control of global financial markets – no Human management at all at JPM and HSBC globally (many personel already sent home under cover of virus). Any Human activity now faces AI countermeasures to control all price discovery and trading limits.
3) Plan being put in place to lock down all bank accounts then introduce sharp negative interest rates to burn through capital and kill liquidity. This plan has been interupted, but not completely prevented, by node disruption and downing of a relay satellite.
4) Pentagon, Russia, and Turkey now formally recognise common enemy. Turkey have relied upon Russia to give them back control of thier own airspace through S400 cover and intercepts of CIA aircraft by Russia over Turkey. Previously CIA and IDF could operate over Turkey without restriction.
5) British and US mercenaries now leaving Syria via protected rat runs as agreed. Hard core Jihadis will now be blocked by Turkey and US in Iraq.
6) Controlled media “talking up” Coronavirus threat for deep state ends.
7) Pentagon source states that the screening for Coronavirus is actually to screen for the bio-weapon “piggy backing” on Covid-19.
This bio-weapon element is the real threat – not Covid-19, but for obvious reasons any talk of a genetically engineered bio-weapon cannot be allowed to gain traction in the mainstream.
The bio-weapon is a deep-state creation and it can be controlled once it is identified – but symptoms are excatly the same as Covid-19, which is in turn very similar to flu, so very hard to distinguish.
8) If the deep state can collapse the economies they have won. This is why there is now a patriot led global effort to prevent war, to prevent bio-weapon pandemic, and to secure the financial markets. Considerable chaos is expected during the counter attack against the deep-state, and at this point the odds are 50-50 who will come out of this on top.
Further updates to follow.
Open an account in Telegram and follow “Colonel Cassad”´s one… It´s THE BEST BY FAR (…imho…)
Kind regards, God bless Russia and Syria, EVER..!
But in Russian right? No english language version?
RT Headline :
Human shield tactics again? ‘Israeli jets’ striking Syria force TWO civilian planes to change course
https://www.rt.com/news/482350-civilian-planes-syria-strikes/
Can you imagine the outrage and fulmination that would come in coordination from European capitals, if say, Iran, pulled a stunt like this, not to mention the emergency news conferences from the White House and the US Congress????
The vileness of this act demands comdemnation from eyeryone.
This was exactly how these historical cowards caused the downing of the Russian Il-20 aircraft in 2018 with 15 Tussian servicemen killed.
At the time Putin should probably have repaid them in kind, in addition to deploying the S300s in Syria.
Because whilst they have avoided endagering Tussian assets, they have continued to pull yjis despicable stunt almost every week.
Selah
The israelis are cowards, israel is a cowardly nation.
Tells it as it is
MOSCOW [SANA] – The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the Turkish regime clearly violates Sochi Agreement reached with the Russian side, and continues to support and arm terrorist organizations in Idleb, noting that the Western allegations and accusations against the Syrian government are false.
Russian Sputnik News Agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying in a statement Wednesday, that “Western countries and the United Nations never care for the grave violations of Sochi Memorandum of 2018 regarding Idleb which have been committed by Turkey and the terrorist groups there which are represented in the increasing shelling of the neighboring Syrian regions and the Russian Hmeimim base and in strengthening the control of terrorists from the so-called (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham), Turkistani Party and Horas al-Din on the region.”
The statement pointed out that “The West’s fake concerns over the humanitarian situation in the Idleb started only after the Syrian army was forced to launch a military operation in response to a new attack by terrorists in early February, when it was able to implement the provisions of the Sochi Agreement regarding the moving terrorist organizations outside the heavy weapons free region,” he added.
Konashenkov noted that these operations have also enabled ensuring the movement of more than 100,000 civilians along the M5 highway between the largest Syrian cities in Aleppo, Hama and the protection of the surrounding residential areas from attacks.
The statement continued that “Meanwhile, Syrian government has been unfairly accused by the West of alleged “war crimes”, “humanitarian catastrophe”, and “flows of millions of refugees” in Idleb and at the same time publishing photographs of a camp near the Turkish border which was established several years ago as evidence that all terrorists in Idleb have become according to Western media representatives of the “moderate opposition”.
The statement stressed that “No one in the West notices the actions of the Turkish side, which, in violation of international law, has deployed a strike force the size of a mechanized division to Syria’s Idleb in order to ‘enforce the Sochi agreements at any cost’, while public threats to destroy all units of the Syrian Army forces and return the M5 highway to terrorist control are viewed by the United States and Europe as ” legitimate right to defense of the Turkish regime.”
It noted that “amid the total cynicism and the West’s fake concerns over the humanitarian situation in the Idleb de-escalation zone, only the Russian reconciliation center and the legitimate Syrian government deliver to the liberated areas all the needed assistance for local residents daily”.
The statement pointed out that all official Russian appeals to the United Nations and Western countries who provide aid through the Turkish borders, and the questions about the destination of that aid which have been delivered to terrorists, rather than the affected people, remained unanswered.
Yara Ismail & Ruaa al-Jazaeri
Plus note
https://www.rt.com/news/482342-turkey-parliament-fistfight-idlib-deaths/
Not all hunky dory there by any means.
Putin seeks advice…consultation…information…cobsensus of public opinion????? Rusdian Security Council met yesterday….
“Along with current issues on the domestic agenda, the meeting agenda covered the developments around Idlib. In addition, the participants discussed matters concerning Russian-Turkish relations, including in preparation for the visit by President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Moscow scheduled for March 5.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.”
This Sputnik article provides a somewhat different take.
Turkish Lawmakers Start Massive Brawl in Parliament After Heated Debate – Video
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202003051078480358-turkish-lawmakers-start-massive-brawl-in-parliament-after-heated-debate—video/
Neither the RT or Sputnik articles provide much useful info, though, and are of very low msm type quality.
Beautiful ”fighting spirit” in the Turkish parliament! These folks seem very able to make a difference at the Syrian border.
To paraphrase Istanbul not Constantinople:
Why does Erdogan’s talk shop go berserk?
That’s nobody’s business but the Turks’
Interesting analysis by Khodarenok. Not as optimistic as the Southfront report at top, though.
On the eve of Putin-Erdogan meeting in Moscow, where is the Idlib crisis at?
https://www.rt.com/news/482341-syria-turkey-russia-idlib/
Russia and Putin are too soft toward Erdogan and Turkey. Too soft.
I am afraid that Syria will have Cyprus syndrome, with Turkey’s permanent presence in large parts of Syria including Idlib.