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On November 19, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias restored control over the border city of al-Bukamal after a week of intense fighting with ISIS terrorists there. The Russian Aerospace Forces actively supported the SAA advance.
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General, Qasem Soleimani, was also filmed in the city. Earlier, the Hezbollah-linked TV channel Al Mayadeen claimed that Soleimani was a commander of the entire al-Bukamal operation.
According to the Hezbollah media wing in Syria, about 150 ISIS members had fled al-Bukamal through the Euphrates River. Some of them reportedly surrendered to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
On the same day, the SAA Tiger Forces advanced further along the western bank of the Euphrates. Government troops captured the villages of Kashmah and Salihiyah and besieged ISIS units in the area between al-Mayadin and Kashmah.
The SDF captured the town of Shu’aytat and the nearby points on the eastern back of the Euphrates. Pro-government sources claimed that the SDF was able to do this thanks to a deal with local ISIS members, led by Abu Talhat al-Mohajer.
In northern Hama, the SAA entered into the villages of Shakhtir and Abu Dali and Balil Hill, which had been controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and its allies. An intense fighting is ongoing.
Pro-HTS sources claimed that militants destroyed a BMP-1 vehicle and a battle tank of the SAA during the clashes.
In Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, clashes continued between the SAA and Ahrar al-Sham in the Armored Vehicle Base where government troops re-established control over the command section and the section 446. Thus, the SAA reversed the key militant gains in the area.
In southern Syria, the SAA entered into the villages of Kafr Hawar, Bayt Sabir, Baytima and established control over them. HTS militants had withdrawn from the area thanks to the SAA actions and protests of the locals.
Israel responded to the SAA operations with two shelling incidents from its battle tanks. The first took place on November 18. The second was reported on November 20. The SAA suffered no casualties. Tel Aviv is upset that the Syrian government is restoring control over the areas previously seized by militants.
Well the ‘moderate head chopping’ in syriaq franchise has failed for team chaos, we await with awe their next counter move. But really, this six year blood letting has cost team chaos a lot so they are mad as hell and won’t take it lying down. Evil putin and the barrel bomber of his own people are still standing…Who must go?..the barrel bomber in sochi with evil putin high command is a terrible image to behold for team chaos…our condolences…to team chaos.
Saudi Arabia and Israel replace Syria with Libanon as their next victim
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/11/20/neo-saudi-arabia-and-israel-replace-syria-with-lebanon-as-their-next-victim/
BBC confirms the US-led coalition is part of the problem in Syria rather than any solution
https://ahtribune.com/world/north-africa-south-west-asia/syria-crisis/2011-bbc-us-raqqa.html
US Cuts Aid to Free Syrian Army Due to Disappointment Over Syrian Army Gains?
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201711211059301826-us-syria-fsa-unit-dissolution/
“The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has recently dissolved one of its units, which was fighting near the Syrian city of Al Tanf, Al-Hadath News reported, citing its military sources in the FSA.
The information was also confirmed by the websites of some Syrian military groups which cited one of the fighters of the dissolved units as saying that 180 militants have been dismissed and paid $2,000 each.
“We now see that Daesh (ISIS) and other similar armed units are being defeated on all the fronts while the Syrian government army is steadily advancing. The US now needs a new tool for its military operations,” he told Sputnik.
The expert further surmised that “the US decision to dissolve the FSA unit wasn’t done for the sake of the fight against terrorism.” What the US is intended to do however is to “unleash a new spiral of tension” aimed at undermining peace talks in Geneva and Astana and at disrupting the first congress of Syrian peoples which is being held in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.
“Washington is now supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as it is almost its last ally in the north of Syria. First, they have close connections with the Kurds. Second, they pose themselves as a secular organization and oppose the Syrian government. And third, they are able to take control of the north of the country and break up Syria,” he explained.
Hussam Shueib also pointed out that SDF have proven that they can take Daesh’ place, for example, in Raqqa. Therefore the US is not creating a positive image of SDF through its mass media, claiming that it is quite a numerous force which has “genuine representatives of the Syrian peoples in its ranks.”
The SDF, however, are not being welcomed either by Syrians or by the Syrian Kurds. Nevertheless, the US is pinning its hopes on these forces, expecting them to be able to fight against the Syrian army and its allies, he concluded.”
latest re HNC-seems promising
note “most irreconcilable” opponents of Assad have gone—somewhere “useful’ hopefully………..
“MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. The formation of a single delegation for direct talks with the government tops the agenda of the Syrian opposition conference, which began in Riyadh on Wednesday. The Al Ekhbariya TV channel broadcast the event’s opening. According to the information available, the forum participants will elect new members of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which will express the interests of the entire Syrian opposition.
Riyadh II (the first conference was held on August 21-22 – TASS) was convened after the resignation of HNC Chief Coordinator Riyad Hijab and a group of the most irreconcilable opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. According to Al-Arabiya, 10 officials, including Mohammed Sabra and Khaled Khoja, have left the committee.
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Russian and US presidents discuss Syrian crisis — Kremlin
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday commenting on the move that the resignation of Hijab and his supporters would make it possible to unite the disparate internal and external opposition on a reasonable, realistic and constructive basis.
Representative of the Cairo group, Firas Al-Khalidi, told the al-Hayat pan-Arab newspaper that the conference participants would agree on a policy document to rely on while holding talks with the government delegation at the eighth round of peace talks in Geneva scheduled for November 28. According to Al-Khalidi, the discussion will center around two issues, namely, the fate of President Bashar al-Assad during the transition period and the constitutional reforms.
The Riyadh II conference will bring together 144 delegates. Of these, 22 will be delegates from the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, 21 from the armed groups, 14 from the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCC, a leading internal opposition group), 10 from the “Cairo” group and 7 from the “Moscow” one. About 70 participants will have independent delegates’ status.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and Russian Presidential Envoy on Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, will take part in the consultations.
More:
http://tass.com/world/976841
Liberation of al-Boukamal foils Israeli-US project
http://sana.sy/en/?p=118873
US-led coalition has not given up the double dealing with terrorists
in Syria, Russian diplomat
http://sana.sy/en/?p=118692
Armed groups violate de-escalation zone agreement and targeted Dwailaa
and Jaramana areas with rockets
http://sana.sy/en/?p=118840
Rouhani: Syria’s future will not be in hands of foreign powers
http://sana.sy/en/?p=118998
Moscow: Shelling chancery in Damascus will not affeckt Russian resolve
to eradicate terror hubs in Syria
http://sana.sy/en/?p=118763