Syrian War Report – January 28, 2020: Maarat Al-Numan Is Liberated
On January 27 evening, units of the Syrian Army continued their operation in southeastern Idlib. Government troops liberated Hamidiya, Bseida, Maasaran, Tal Al-Shih, Maziyan and several other villages. By this advance, the army fully besieged Maarat al-Numan from the northern, southern and eastern directions.
According to pro-government sources, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants are not planning to defend the encircled city for a long time. They are actively planting mines and IEDs in the area. Therefore, even if militants withdraw from Maarat al-Numan via the remaining corridor, government troops will not be able to secure the city immediately.
On January 28, government sources claimed that the Syrian Army had already entered Maarat al-Numan. However, government forces still have to remove IEDs and fortify their new positions.
The Syrian Army offensive in southeastern Idlib is ongoing under the nose of the Turkish observation post near Maarat al-Hat. In the event of further advances by the army, the observation post will likely be encircled by Syrian forces. This will be the third Turkish observation post that faced this fate. The previous two are located near Surman and Morek.
Pro-opposition sources blame Turkey for the recent setbacks of al-Qaeda-linked groups. According to them, Ankara conspired with Moscow in order to undermine the so-called Syrian revolution. They also claim that the redeployment of members of Turkish-backed militant groups from Syria to Libya undermined the defense of Idlib. On January 26, the Libyan National Army, a rival of the pro-Turkish Libyan Government of National Accord, claims the number of Turkish-backed fighters that were prepared to be deployed to Libya was over 8,000. Earlier, reports appeared that at least 2,400 Turkish proxy fighters had been already sent to Libya.
Another hot point of the battle for Greater Idlib is western Aleppo, where the 4th Armoured Division is engaged in an intense fighting with militants. Local sources say that the Aleppo advance is a diversionary strike designed to drew attention of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leadership from Maarat al-Numan and contain reinforcements that it can send to southeastern Idlib.
“In the event of further advances by the army, the observation post will likely be encircled by Syrian forces. This will be the third Turkish observation post that faced this fate. The previous two are located near Surman and Morek.”
Erdogan warns Syria that he will launch his military against them if the Turk’s outpost is struck.
White Helmets have entered the battle zone again, reportedly trying to set up a false flag chem attack so the US and EU/NATO will attack the SAA.
Clearly, Russian military is closely controlling the battlefield, vigorously bombing in support of the Syrians, carefully de-conflicting in behalf of the Turks.
Russian and Syrian special forces have been masterly in waging this Idlib and Aleppo warfare.Collateral damage has been very minimal, though the aerial war has brought some of the heaviest bombing and missile strikes against al Nusra and ISIS fighters.
Konashenkov in top form:
Russian Defence Ministry Says Pompeo’s Concern over Russian “Attack” in Syria Hypocritical
https://sputniknews.com/world/202001291078170928-russian-defence-ministry-says-pompeos-concern-over-russian-attack-in-syria-hypocritical/
“The Russian Defence Ministry has decried US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s assessment of Russia’s operation in Syria, saying that it was hypocritical of him to refer to it as a ‘large-scale attack on Idlib’s innocent civilians’.
“As of the morning of 29 January, as a result of defensive actions and fightback, Syrian government forces near the Idlib de-escalation zone borders destroyed or captured eight “innocent” tanks, more than 15 “innocent” infantry combat vehicles, 49 “innocent” wagons with large-calibre weapons, eight “innocent” jihadi vehicles, four “innocent” UAVs and dozens of artillery-type weapons of various calibres”, the official representative of the Russian defence ministry Igor Konashenkov told journalists on Wednesday.
“The State Department preaches and voices its concern about the alleged suffering of civilians only when terrorists suffer a crushing defeat and Syrian citizens are finally liberated”, Konashenkov said.
He added that it hardly comes as a surprise that Washington gave tacit support to the coordinated offensive of the forces that Pompeo called ‘civilians’ but which had weapons and artillery belonging to Jabhat al-Nusra*.
“The State Department also published similar hypocritical tweets when Syrian cities that are now rebuilding themselves such as Aleppo, Palmyra, Hama, Homs, Douma, Dera’a, Suwayda, Quneitra and Deir ez-Zor were liberated, unlike Raqqa that was wiped off the map by US airstrikes”, he concluded.”
White Helmets Plotting False Flag Attacks in Syria, Captured Jihadist Militant Confirms
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001291078169985-white-helmets-plotting-false-flag-attacks-in-syria-captured-jihadist-militant-confirms/
“The Syrian military has captured a militant who provided them with corroborating evidence that the White Helmets were preparing possible false flag chemical attacks in northern Syria. A video of the militant’s interrogation was provided to media by the Russian Defence Ministry’s Centre for Syrian Reconciliation.
https://ria.ru/20200129/1563994395.html
The militant, a man named Abu Hamza, revealed in the video that he was responsible for guarding warehouses in the town of Kafer Hamra in the northern Aleppo countryside. There, he said, he recently saw the arrival of “people from civil defence,” that is, from the “White Helmets.”
“I don’t know what was stored there. Some time ago some people arrived in a minibus and loaded boxes with grey tanks and boxes with rocket parts and shells. They also took filming equipment,” Hamza said.
The militant’s testimony comes in the wake of reports Tuesday that over 40 White Helmets activists had arrived in the village of Einata, Idlib province, with fears that the activists may be preparing to stage a false flag chemical attack.
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001281078163545-over-40-white-helmets-employees-arrive-in-idlib—human-rights-activist/
On Monday, the Russian MoD reported, citing intelligence, that militants and remnants of the White Helmets were planning to stage a provocation involving the use of chlorine gas against the civilian population to provoke a Western response. According to MoD spokesman Maj. Gen. Yuri Borenkov, two chemical laboratories in the towns of Akrabat and Selhab in Idlib province were being used to synthesize the chemicals, with specialists working in these labs receiving training in Europe.”
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001271078154278-white-helmets-militants-plan-provocations-to-accuse-syrian-government-of-chemical-weapons-use–mod/
With that type of info, if true, targeting for Russia/SAA should be very easy.