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Syrian government forces have liberated a large area from ISIS on the western bank of the Euphrates. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Tiger Forces have captured the villages of Ajrama, al-Safsafah, Ksu Umm Saba, al-Jahlah, al-Dwair, Wadi Abu Jasim, Surat al-Kshma, Subaykhan, Gharbiyah, Suwaydan Shamiyah, Dabyan, Musallakhah and the nearby points, according to pro-government sources.
Now, the Tiger Forces are developing momentum in order to link up with their counterparts advancing from the direction of al-Bukamal.
The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that at least 7 SAA soldiers, a battle tank and a bulldozer were destroyed during ISIS counter-attacks in the area. However, the terrorist group was not able to stop the SAA advance.
In southwestern Aleppo, an intense fighting was reported between the SAA and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) in the villages of Rajm Sawan, Hajara and al-Rashadiyah. Pro-government sources speculated that this was a start of the widely expected the SAA operation to establish control over the Abu al-Duhur Airbase. No official confirmation of these claims are available yet. It’s unlikely that the SAA and its allies launch any significant military operation in southwestern Aleppo before the full liberation of the western bank of the Euphrates from ISIS.
In northern Hama, ISIS cells expanded their control in the so-called opposition-held area and captured the villages of al-Judaydah, Madabah, Abu Khanadiq and the nearby points.
The Syrian Military Intelligence has seized a large shipment of weapons en route to the militant-held part of the Eastern Ghouta region, near Damascus. The shipment included 15 Soviet Malyutka and its Iranian copy, Raad, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) as well as 3 Soviet-made Konkurs ATGMs, 2 Russian-made Metis-M ATGMs and a French-made MILAN ATGM. 3 disassembled Soviet-made R-60 air-to-air missiles, dozens of US-made M72 LAW, Soviet-made RPG-22, RPG-26, and Czechoslovakian-made RPG-75 anti-tank rockets were also captured.
Additionally, the seized shipment included explosive belts, mines, explosive materials and a huge amount of drugs like marijuana and Captagon tablets.
On November 22, the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey met in the Russian city of Sochi to discuss the situation in Syria. According to the joint declaration, “the three presidents expressed support to the intra-Syrian dialog with the participation of representatives from all segments of the country’s society” and “urged representatives of the Syrian government and opposition speaking in favor of sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian state to take constructive part in the Syrian National Dialog Congress in Sochi in the near future.” The sides also discussed the de-escalation zones and other important issues of the conflict.
The meeting has clearly shown the new reality appearing in the Middle East, which the US-Israeli-Saudi block will have to accept.
Confusing report from Sputnik.
Moscow, Cairo Opposition Delegates Abruptly Quit Riyadh Meeting on Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711241059383818-syria-opposition-riyadh-meeting/
“Nimrud Suleiman from the Moscow platform said that he was unaware of the reasons behind the decisions of the representatives to leave the meeting, adding that he had left it due to “political and ethical reasons.”
RIYADH (Sputnik) — In addition, leader of the Moscow platform has also told Sputnik on Thursday that the representatives of Moscow and Cairo platforms of the Syrian opposition had left the meeting of the Syrian opposition movements in Riyadh.
“The delegates from the Moscow and Cairo platforms have left the Riyadh meeting,” Qadri Jamil said.
On Wednesday, about 150 delegates from different groups and platforms of Syria’s opposition gathered in the Saudi capital to form a unified opposition and to agree on a document for discussion with Damascus.
Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has praised the Riyadh’s work on uniting the Syrian opposition, adding that Russia will “support the efforts that Saudi Arabia is taking in this direction.”
Meantime, Sputnik has obtained the text of the final communique, in which the opposition representatives had demanded Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave and had criticized Tehran’s role in the Syrian conflict.”
The Americans seem determined to keep tormenting Syria:
https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2017/11/23/a-us-buffer-zone-in-north-eastern-syria-and-a-land-bridge-from-tehran-to-beirut/
“The United States established a new rule of engagement in the east of the Euphrates, informing the Russian forces that it will not accept any ground forces (the Syrian army and its allies) east of the Euphrates River and that it will bomb any target approaching the east of the river even if the objective of the ground forces was to pursue ISIS.
Thus, the US is establishing a new undeclared no-fly-zone without bothering to deny that this can serve ISIS forces east of the Euphrates and offer the terrorists a kind of protection. Moreover, the US-led international coalition air bombing against ISIS has reduced noticeably.
With this US warning, it is clear that Washington is declaring the presence of an occupying force in Syria, particularly as the presence of the coalition was linked to fighting ISIS as previously announced. Today ISIS has lost all cities under its occupation since July 2014 in Iraq and before this date in Syria. Therefore there is no legal reason for the presence of the US forces in the Levant.
By becoming an occupation force, the US troops expose themselves, along with the proxy Kurds operating under its command, to attacks similar to the one in Iraq and the one in Lebanon in 1982 during the Israeli invasion.
Indeed and as expected. But remember, in the age of Putin, most of Zion’s silly schemes to harm Syria, Hezbollah, Iraq, Iran, Russia, China, North Korea have back-fired one after the other gloriously.
Or more bluntly, seeing Zion burying its head even deeper in the sand is actually a sign of hope for humanity. The self-chosenites are still mad with rage and act accordingly – like headless chicken.
Two important updates worth mentioning:
“… by the end of this weekend the Syrian MoD will most likely declare all area west of the Euphrates ISIS free.
The TFs are now few kms to join with the allied forces north of al Bukamal, few small villages left.
There is still fight in a key town near Mayadin, which ISIS there is resisting fiercely, it is the last town near Mayadin to have a battle, actually for over a month, its name is as Asharah.
Meanwhile, all the desert triangle area from Palmyra-Sukhanah-Deir ez Zour, T3-T2 and the Euphrates have been basically cleaned, it was not declared totally ISIS free since some places have not been reached to confirm no ISIS there, but it is considered a safe area.
There is no clear strategy for the SAA to cross the Euphrates in pursue of ISIS, it seems a certain agreement is in place for the SAA not to cross the Euphrates, at least by now. This issue is creating internal struggle among many in the SAA, but the the top down direction seems clear and must be respected.
All in one, by the end of the weekend, most likely, a very large area will be considered ISIS free and many thousands of troops will be re directed to other fronts.”
“… eastern/northeastern regions are not the priority at the moment.
The SAA will attack with force al Qaeda through out the country.
The oil fields in eastern Euphrates will go no where, it badly needs re investment to be productive again, current production is pathetic, maybe 5-10% of the original volume, mostly manually. All the fields require experts to run and to fix them, and only the Syrian Government can provide that.
Hasaka/Raqqa are the top wheat Provinces of Syria,they still are, but the remaining Provinces are catching up, mostly eastern Aleppo and southern Raqqa.
We all have to realize the US is not there to put a single dollar to help the locals, there won’t be US money to re start the oil fields, nor any effort to de mine major cities or field,there won’t be food trucks arriving to feed the people, the US is there simply to delay the Syrian economic recovery and the return of the Status Quo.
The local people know that, should the US delay in leaving Syria, the occupiers will be easy targets.”
The US has lost credibility all over the ME, the US is antagonizing with the Turks very badly, the US is positioning as a Syrian enemy, and the US is not running freely with cash, they will cut back, they will reduce their presence and they will find themselves evaluating the cost to stay vs leave, they will understand, sometime in 2018 that it is time to go. Geneva talks are starting soon, and if it goes on national reconciliation, then the US will be the first to jump ship.
Syria has played with time for 7 years and did not disappoint, it will be all good in the end.”
The israeli bum toy trump up to his usual zio-govno:
US Proposal on Syria Rejected by OPCW Executive Council – Moscow
https://sputniknews.com/world/201711241059415284-us-syria-rejection-opcw/
“According to Moscow, the US tried to pass an “extremely tough anti-Syrian resolution.”
“An extraordinary session of the OPCW’s executive council ended in the Hague […] during which the US tried to pass an extremely tough anti-Syrian draft resolution, which resulted in long-term diplomatic battles eventually resulting in the US having to withdraw its draft document because it did not get the necessary number of votes,” Mikhail Ulyanov, director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik on Friday.”
Russian Strategic Bombers Strike Daesh Targets in Northeastern Syria – MoD
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711251059431848-russian-strategic-bombers-daesh-northeastern-syria/
“The Russian Defense Ministry has announced the strikes by six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers on Daesh targets in Northeasern Syria.
The airstrikes hit terrorists’ strongholds, a number of militants and some armored vehicles with means of reconnaissance confirming the targets’ destruction.
This is the third aerial operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria this week.”