Levant crisis - III

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Aug 2017 12:39

they took off from either kuweires or jirrah airbase with the tiger himself giving final briefing. neatly done and caught the ISIS napping.

i could see 2 ka52 helis in pix. fully night capable and fast CAS birds.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Aug 2017 15:29

https://twitter.com/syria_hezb_iran/sta ... 8758984704

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Aug 2017 17:16

UlanBatori wrote:
how many men do you need and how many artillery and c3i assets to properly close a 60km gap ?
If u have Bredators on call, all u need is an outpost of 2 men on every hillock 5 km apart, with 10 man mobile detachments every 10 km apart, hain? If there is a breakout in force, Gen. Vodkov's merry bands can efficiently finish them off. Dust clouds are unavoidable, IMO and can be seen by day or moonlight. Only no-moon nights are good for sneak-outs, and infrared goggles should work fine even then.

the plan

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Aug 2017 17:17

it will free up a lot of forces for the last phase of the war if this pocket can be crushed. the perimeter is very long. all of these can then move to resafa and sukhnah fronts.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Aug 2017 17:27

probably another month to clean up the poo poo.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 15 Aug 2017 18:06

Singha wrote:they took off from either kuweires or jirrah airbase with the tiger himself giving final briefing. neatly done and caught the ISIS napping.

i could see 2 ka52 helis in pix. fully night capable and fast CAS birds.

I am not certain the Chopper were Ka-52 or Mi-24 ....The anti-Tank ops were classic stuff , 3 of the 4 tanks fired on by Heli Launched ATGM did not knew they were under attack , the 4th one was a moving target.

Absolute pitch dark ops must be a good experience.

Saw what looks like armed version of Mi-8

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 15 Aug 2017 22:18

In Syria shot down a fighter Syrian Air Force

The MiG-21 fighter of the Syrian Air Force was shot down by a group of insurgents during a military operation, Al-Masdar News reported.

"Usud al-Sharqiya, a group supported by the United States, reported that the MiG-21 fighter of the Syrian Air Force was shot down in the eastern part of Suwayda province in southern Syria," the report said.

According to the publication, the pilot was able to eject, the rebels are engaged in his search.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Aug 2017 23:27

http://tass.com/defense/960294/amp

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 16 Aug 2017 01:21

Singha wrote:it will free up a lot of forces for the last phase of the war if this pocket can be crushed. the perimeter is very long. all of these can then move to resafa and sukhnah fronts.

What is the blue pen line? Seems well behind the orange perimeter. True, reducing that perimeter would free up a lot.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Aug 2017 07:18

Blue line was front before latest advances

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Aug 2017 09:09

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ru ... y-officer/

AMASCUS, SYRIA (6: 15 P.M.) – Russian forces stationed at Hmeimim Airbase in the Syrian coast held a special ceremony to honor one of the most renowned Syrian Army officers.

Brigadier General Suheil al-Hassan is the commander of the widely-feared Tiger Forces; one of the Syrian Army’s elite formations that proved highly effective in several battles across the country.

In honor of his courage, commitment and military supremacy, the Russian Forces have so far awarded al-Hassan several medals. Today’s ceremony, according to sources, is dedicated to celebrate the daring air landing mission led by al-Hassan himself, which took place a few days ago in the eastern countryside of Raqqa.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 17 Aug 2017 17:00

PetoLucem: 30 km left to close the first encirclement.

pralay · Post by **pralay** » 17 Aug 2017 17:12

^no, only 6km left for encirclement of uqairbat pocket near husaiya
http://syriancivilwarmap.com/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Aug 2017 18:33

this is another map from Lucifuge Rofocale‏
@rofoca_lucifuge

RuN helped a bit with cruise missiles today

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Aug 2017 18:34

Emmanuel‏ @EmmanuelGMay Aug 15
#TalAfar : Positions of #ISF /#PMU /#Peshmergas ag. #Daesh around Talafar pocket The liberation's operation has started acc @IraqiSecurity

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Aug 2017 18:37

Rami‏ @RamiAILoIah Aug 10
More
US NBC News report from #Philippines: #ISIS fighters holding Marawi city & killing government troops were trained in #Saudi..

video here https://twitter.com/RamiAILoIah/status/ ... 6981564416

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Aug 2017 21:27

First pocket formed isis surrounded in east hama

https://twitter.com/civilwarmap/status/ ... 2642875392

Second pocket may be soon

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Aug 2017 21:34

Some say still 5km to go but its close and they have momentum

Remaining bandits are gathered on hills near al kwam where second trap is closing pincer

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Aug 2017 23:04

https://twitter.com/souria4syrians/stat ... 4144917504

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 18 Aug 2017 06:38

Apparently the SAA crossed the Euphrates and hit the ISIS at Saker Island near D-e-Z. Looking at the map, Saker island is a big place (as big as D-e-z city) bounded by the full Euphrates on the north/east side and a small channel going around it on the south/west to south/east.

If the SAA takes Saker Island and controls the full river there, then D-e-Z is right next door.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 08:25

they had lost saker island over 2 years ago. used to be vicious fighting on it earlier. from the video it was deserted when they went in broad daylight.
footage shows a mine being planted at a bunker so gives the isis some food for thought where all the other mines are laid. then they sneaked back in the boat.

there was no fighting, just laying IEDs.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 08:25

The'Nimr'Tiger Souria4Syrians 6h6 hours ago
More
Rough Map: This is likely the real front line in Hama-Homs-Raqqa axis after today's SAA victories. Not 100%

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 08:31

Jobar is being pounded with elephant rocket to root out the roaches

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 08:32

sakr island foray video here https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sy ... and-video/

its overgrown with tall elephant grass or sugarcane type crop

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 08:33

a bunch of militias allied to Govt are advancing east along the jordan border, rolling up the FSA and pushing them toward al tanf

no USAF air attacks yet so far ...

a ISIS large attack @ humaymah near T2 was beaten back with ATGMs - this time the militias were ready to fight - must have phoned PMU for pro tips.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 08:35

taking advantage of the chaos in hama pockets the tigers have reportedly restarted their moves in SW Raqqa and captured more POL fields. the russians have built a new 200x200m concrete helipad south of tabqa perhaps as a FARP for their and syrian attack helis.

the alligators will have a good time hunting daesh in the open deserts at night around DEZ and Mayadin. they can respond a lot more quickly & cheaply than sending a couple of planes from Hymenim. Khan would spend 500 mil keeping up a chain of fighters from carriers and refuelers.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 14:04

lebanese army (supported by US) and syrian army have jointly reached start point of anti ISIS drive near Baalbek on the border.
usa has donated some hummers and bradleys. hezbollah will not participate in this offensive.

this is adjacent to arsal barrens which hezbollah cleared out and remnants bussed to Idlib.

this is last remaining 'rebel' area on the syria-lebanon border.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 14:07

zoomable map here
http://syria.liveuamap.com/

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 18 Aug 2017 14:22

Syrian army encircles terrorists near strategic city of Akerbat

Military & Defense August 18, 9:05 UTC+3
The last route the militants used for supplies of weapons near Akerbat is under fire

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Assault units of the Syrian military with support from the Russian Aerospace Force within a few recent days have provided full control over the opposing heights near Hisayah and es-Savannet, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"Due to the successful operation of the Syrian military, the last route the militants used for supplies of weapons, ammunition and other assets near Akerbat is under the fire control of the Syrian military," the Russian military said.
In the attempts to flee the encircled town of Akerbat in Hama countryside, the terrorists in small groups take cars, buses and armored vehicles to head for Deir ez-Zor, which for IS (Islamic State - outlawed in Russia) after the defeat of Iraq's Mosul remains the last big stronghold in Syria.

"In order to prevent the militants' escape from the encirclement into Dei ez-Zor, the Russian Aerospace Force continue the round-clock air reconnaissance with use of drones to reveal and destroy the armored vehicles, off-road vehicles with heavy weapons and the cars the terrorists are using," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

http://tass.com/defense/960886

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 18 Aug 2017 14:34

^^^^ This is same as Uqayribat.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Aug 2017 20:01

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/ ... europe.php

aq publishes a note on how to derail trains

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 00:04

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 10:55

https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1/stat ... 0397754368

video of tigers shaheen unit marching on al kwom few days ago

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 10:56

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 12:56

tiger suheil hassan is given a ceremonial sword by the russians
https://twitter.com/mod_russia/status/8 ... 7851510785

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 19 Aug 2017 12:58

Saudi masterplan to "regain" Iraq! This will lead to an eventual direct confrontation with Iran (who would not like to abdicate their dominance in Iraq to the Sunni Saudis) and the majority Shiite people of Iraq. Saudi "rebuilding" would mean a Wahaabi agenda for Iraq which would meet resistance.Paving the way for another round of conflict?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... -arab-fold

Saudis in talks over alliance to rebuild Iraq and 'return it to the Arab fold'
Pact would give Saudi Arabia a leading role in rebuilding war-torn country, and allow it to shepherd Iraq away from its rival Iran
Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Riyadh
A visit by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to Riyadh last week further thawed relations. Photograph: Ryan Carter/AP

Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent
Friday 18 August 2017 05.00 BST Last modified on Friday 18 August 2017 05.31 BST
Iraq and Saudi Arabia are negotiating a new alliance that would give Riyadh a leading role in rebuilding Iraq’s war-torn towns and cities, while bolstering Baghdad’s credentials across the region.

Meetings between senior officials on both sides over the past six months have focused on shepherding Iraq away from its powerful neighbour and Saudi Arabia’s long-time rival, Iran, whose influence over Iraqi affairs has grown sharply since the 2003 ousting of Saddam Hussein.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia have long been considered opponents in the region, but a visit by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to Riyadh last week and a follow-up trip to the UAE further thawed relations which had already been much improved by high-profile visits between the two countries.

The arrival in the Saudi capital of Sadr – a protagonist in the sectarian war that ravaged Iraq from 2004-08 and who has enduring ties to Iran – highlights a new level of engagement which could see Riyadh play a significant role in the reconstruction of the predominantly Sunni cities of Mosul, Fallujah, Ramadi and Tikrit.

“This visit was an important step in ensuring that Iraq returns to the Arab fold and is supported in doing so by friendly partners,” said the former Saudi minister of state Saad al-Jabri. “This necessitates limiting Tehran’s continued attempts to dominate Iraq and spread sectarianism. Broader engagement between Riyadh and Baghdad will lead the way for enhanced regional support for Iraq, especially from the Gulf states. This is essential after the capture of Mosul from Isis and as Iraq looks towards national reconstruction.”

Sunni areas of Iraq have borne the brunt of the three-year US-led war against Islamic State, which has been largely successful. Isis no longer controls any city; it is confined to a series of towns in the north-west and throughout Anbar province.

But it is thought it will cost more than $100bn (£78bn) to rebuild Iraq, and the four Sunni cities, as well as three mainly Sunni provinces, are central to hopes of national reconciliation in a country where more than two-thirds of the population are Shia.

As Iraq moves towards national elections early next year, the prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, and Sadr have both said the re-enfranchisement of Sunnis – who lost privileges and status after the fall of Saddam – must be central to rebuilding plans.

“It is also worth noting that Sadr’s visit had a practical aspect and led to some immediate benefits, from the reopening of border crossings and support for internally displaced people, to the potential appointment of a new ambassador and the opening of a consulate in Najaf,” said Jabri. “These are clear signs that there is a concrete desire to recreate a strategic relationship between the two countries of mutual benefit.”

In Baghdad, where attitudes towards Saudi Arabia have been openly hostile throughout the war on Isis, rhetoric blaming Riyadh for the jihadist insurgency has softened recently.

Saudi Arabia to open border with Qatar to let pilgrims attend hajj

“The relationship is growing now more than ever and this is due to the new US administration helping Saudi Arabia and the Gulf rebuild its relationship with the rest of the region,” said Abdulbari al-Zebari, the head of the foreign relations committee in the Iraqi parliament. “We welcome any foreign or regional funding. This would be a really smart move on behalf of the Arab countries and foreign countries.”

Baghdad and Riyadh had not exchanged ambassadors for 25 years until the ill-fated return of a Saudi envoy in 2015, which prompted a vitriolic series of allegations about responsibility for Iraq’s insurgency and the broader regional chaos. But over the past year, Abadi and the Iraqi president, Fuad Masum, have visited Riyadh, and the Saudi foreign minister has travelled to Baghdad.

“This is a new beginning, a new page of Iraqi Saudi relations,” said Ihsan Al Shameri, the head of the Political Thought Centre in Baghdad. “It was troubled and on edge in the past, especially during [the former prime minister] al-Maliki’s rule. Now that the Saudis have found a non-sectarian political figure in Haider al-Abadi, they are willing to work together. They are no longer focused on a Shia-Sunni rift. Moreover, Iraq wants to ‘return to the Arab fold’ and the window to the Arab world is Saudi Arabia.

“This funding now to rebuild the country is an act of goodwill and their way to show solidarity with the Iraqis knowing we are going through tough economic times.”

Senior officials in Riyadh, which has set itself an ambitious economic and cultural reform agenda, see opportunity in rebuilding the Sunni areas of Iraq as part of broader moves to curb Iran and assert the kingdom as a post-Isis force.

“The situation in Iraq matters to the entire region, in security, economic and political terms,” said Jabri. “It is therefore natural for the Saudi leadership to seek foreign policy avenues to support Iraq at this critical moment. This visit is a clear step in that direction. Muqtada al-Sadr is a respected leader with significant influence. He understands that Iraq’s future lies within the Arab world, and has repeatedly expressed concern about Iran’s growing influence in Iraq.

“Iraq will certainly need significant regional and international support with reconstruction, particularly of cities such as Mosul, Fallujah and Ramadi. Set against the backdrop of a reinvigorated Saudi foreign policy and the importance of the historic Saudi-Iraqi relationship, I would not be surprised to see significant Saudi investment in reconstruction efforts in addition to regional and international leadership on the issue.”

Additional reporting: Nadia al-Faour

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 14:20

Ending the isis in east hama will free up 200 tanks and 3000 men for fighting in the east front

This is both vital and eliminates threats from behind the forces already in east

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 14:52

600 isis were hiding in rugged hills now caught between saa and lebanese army in 120 sq km

Since morning various long haired unwashed cannibals are driving to saa checkpoints to surrender and get bus ticket

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 20:59

tired, unwashed and aeging, these dregs of ISIS are crawling out from caves and under rocks on the lebanese border to surrender
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/vi ... -reporter/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Aug 2017 21:00