Levant crisis - III

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 13 Jun 2017 13:39

WikiLeaks Retweeted
Kenneth Roth‏Verified account @KenRoth Jun 9

Yet the Saudis convinced Trump that Qatar is the problem. #SnowJob

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 13 Jun 2017 13:41

Singha wrote:Very neat and good looking for modest budget unlike the overkill and waste of the khan as in al udied, bagram etc..it fits our use case.

Iaf could quietly send a study team to hymenim to observe the logistics and planning aspects with an eye to future. We will have to pull our weight in mid east and africa or concede to cheen.

IAF might be as well , feedback and lessons learnt from Su-30SM operational deployment would find its way into IAF which uses identical ac in MKI

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Jun 2017 21:09

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sy ... eir-ezzor/

saa is on verge of taking over arak , they have surrounded the place from the hills and tanks are going in over the plains.

if the daish pull out of arak, they might fall back 40km up the road to a one street hamlet called sukhnah. looking at google earth i find it hard to believe the claims of it being a "stronghold" . it looks to have no prepared defensive positions unlike arak and its near twin village the T3 pumping station.

the syrian units are badly undermanned is obvious.....the palmyra front alone consumes some 200km of frontage on 3 sides all of which must be looked after by observations posts, checkpoints, logistics, strike units and QRTs....... so Arak etc do not get more than a batallion for the right and a few penny packet tanks and IFVs.

a properly run IA brigade would catch these daish by the scruff of their necks and roadkill them. just 18x155 of a arty regiment could pound the crap out of these isolated daish "strongholds"

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Jun 2017 21:56

syrians are claiming the tigers made a long advance yesterday across the desert and have reached a town called resafa on the khanassir to raqqa highway which will cut off ISIS in that region

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Jun 2017 21:58

https://www.google.co.in/maps/@35.59393 ... 5586,9.78z

NDF‏ @NatDefFor 6h6 hours ago
#BREAKING
Tiger Forces has liberated al-Rusafa - Rajm Askar-Bir Anbaj-Abu Thawra and Jib Abud #WesternRaqqa

its the same area where the earlier bull run to tabqah in 2016 ended in a disaster as ISIS hit them from all sides with SVBIEDs and routed the desert hawk and other allied column.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Jun 2017 22:03

video released by tigers of fighting on the edges of raqqa border

https://twitter.com/Syria_Protector/sta ... 0923865088

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Jun 2017 22:05

a positioning like this might develop as the daish is chased out of salamiyah-khanasir belt eastwards with tigers waiting near raqqa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Beda_Fomm

only way left is to hightail it across the hills north of palmyra and head for where else but toward DeZ

DeZ is the minas tirith/kurukshetra of syria - all forces good and bad are heading for a final showdown on its dusty plains.... Zahreddine is Faramir

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 07:29

more repub guard force sent from latakia to palmyra to build up numerical strength

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/re ... offensive/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 07:33

Brasco_Aad‏ @Brasco_Aad 3h3 hours ago
More
Replying to @Brasco_Aad
Brasco_Aad Retweeted غانم الدوسري
SAUDI LEAKER: SAUDI ARMED FORCES ON MAXIMUM ALERT IN SAUDI'S EASTERN PROVINCE.

ATTACK ON QATAR COULD BE IMMINENT

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 07:35

https://twitter.com/warsmonitoring/stat ... 4448996352

a couple of videos ... first isis drops a shuttle bomb near a unit of russian contractors in palmyra...then there is a fight with ISIS bodies lying all over, the pissed off russians go around double tapping the dead and swearing in russian.

looks like no POW policy from here on out.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 10:02

ancient romans roads . north africa and levant were settled by euro elites and farmers. gradually islamised after rome fell away. cleopatra's ptolemy dynasty was greek in origin dating to a post alexander ruler.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 10:03

Le carabinier map

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 10:07

Yusha Yuseef‏Verified account @MIG29_ 14h14 hours ago
West #Raqqa CS || SAA Tiger forces Arrived to Ithria - Rasafeh - Raqqa Road
Reoprter + Info @MIG29_

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 11:36

https://twitter.com/sayed_ridha/status/ ... 4013230080

Syria mod announces the fall of arak and t3. Should have more news in next few hrs.

If true...the gates to the desert zone are open from the north...a long service road and pipeline leads from t3 to t2

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 15:13

Leith Abou Fadel‏Verified account @leithfadel 1m1 minute ago
T3 is liberated.

Leith Abou Fadel‏Verified account @leithfadel 3h3 hours ago
Sukhnah is going to be a really tough battle. Da'esh is going to put up heavy resistance and the tribal fighters there are loyal to them

^^^^ that is why muh humble suggestion was not to batter head against enemy at this "stronghold"..instead

follow the service road through the desert, parallel to the pipeline from T3 to T2. its in middle of nowhere. maybe 10 daish and their goats live there. string them up and establish a logistical base there, let the "shia militants" currently establishing a new border crossing parallel to Al tanf also march up there. from there march to the euphrates and make landfall south of DeZ.

for sukhnah
- bring in the backfires and platypluses loaded for bear and pound the crap out of them
- flank it from the south side and block their routes to tabqah and DeZ with checkpoints.
- put pressure on them from the north via tiger forces
- bring in the backfires and platypuses and pound the remaining crap out of them

do not let them escape to march back to the river and raise hell there , that phase is now over and ISIS must be surrounded, cut off and killed outright just as the Iraqis are doing in mosul and tal afar.

circus has got to end sometime and next 6 months is it.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 15:26

https://www.google.co.in/maps/@34.84305 ... a=!3m1!1e3

the NH that passes through sukhnah. the oil and weapons facilities bear the black scorch march of prior bombings.
but the beauty of heaps of rubble and ghost towns is they can serve over and over as protective positions.

syrians will have to first locate the ISIS strongpoints and take them out with RuAF and tochkas before pressing home a night attack to increase FUD and push the defenders into waiting fire traps on the roads leading away.

a drone and helicopter base needed in T2 to observe things over a wide area
https://www.google.co.in/maps/@34.37636 ... a=!3m1!1e3

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 15:29

as with all armchair zhukovs I have a clear plan for the tiger force also, but will refrain from revealing it until i see them make that judo move.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 17:10

video released by al furat agency - abu seifullah al shishani drives to meet his 72
https://twitter.com/SaladinAlDronni/sta ... 4077050880

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 19:41

Hassan Ridha‏ @sayed_ridha 2h2 hours ago
Replying to @sayed_ridha
Syrian Arab Army & allies finally liberate Arak village + T3 east of Palmyra and can now push towards Hulayhalah + Sukhnah

forces to exploit this break were enroute from Latakia yesterday....so well timed move that.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 19:43

essentials of a well spoken desert fighter - a large bottle of water and a kornet/metis

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBqPnOxVYAA2SFo.jpg

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 19:45

tigers have swung around the SDF and cut off a large ISIS area in the khansir deserts

hassan ridha twitter

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 19:48

chess moves to control the vast desert areas post-war
a well armed and salaried paramil like our BSF.
the iraqi PMU is already i believe salaried from federal govt and answer to the PM
no surprise the IRGC advisors are in the thick of things.

Hassan Ridha‏ @sayed_ridha Jun 13
Service will not be compulsory and is voluntary, Syrian PMU will be used to rival SDF recruitment of Arabs in the Jazeera

A unified Arab tribal force will be crucial for the Syr Gov to control Jazeera/Euphrates region amid reaching Iraqi border & desert advance

Iranian affiliated commanders who are part of the PMU in Iraq are also assisting in formation of the Syrian PMU

Syrian Gov in Hasakah assigns 'Ali Hawas Khalif' of the Tay tribe of forming a Syrian PMU, recruitment base is mainly Arab tribesHassan Ridha added,

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 19:53

*cough cough*

Ivan Sidorenko‏
@IvanSidorenko1

#Syria #Raqqa Raqqa Activist say "Tens of boats are carrying ISIS fighters and the jets are not spotting them Someone explain this"

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Jun 2017 20:00

these are the "exploitation cavalry" meant to pour through any gaps and engage the enemy in depth. or to provide local superiority at select points to break the line.

al masdar news
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/re ... offensive/

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (1:00 A.M.) – On Tuesday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) sent one of its most elite contingents to the Palmyra frontier in a bid to dislodge ISIS from the Syrian desert and eventually link up with a besieged government garrison in Deir Ezzor.

Traveling all the way from Latakia, most of the 103rd Brigade of the Republican Guard was transferred to the Palmyra region, increasing the total number of SAA soldiers and allied paramilitary fighters stationed in eastern Homs to roughly 50,000 soldiers, a massive fighting force which outnumbers the Islamic State at least 10 to 1.

These specific Republican Guard soldiers were trained by Russian special forces back in 2014 and have gathered battle experience from fighting jihadist militants in the mountains of Latakia since then.

vinod · Post by **vinod** » 14 Jun 2017 21:04

Singha wrote:Brasco_Aad‏ @Brasco_Aad 3h3 hours ago
More
Replying to @Brasco_Aad
Brasco_Aad Retweeted غانم الدوسري
SAUDI LEAKER: SAUDI ARMED FORCES ON MAXIMUM ALERT IN SAUDI'S EASTERN PROVINCE.

ATTACK ON QATAR COULD BE IMMINENT

I'm struggling to find validation from other sources on this news.

Does anyone else have any other info on this?

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 15 Jun 2017 04:44

on the other hand recently in eastern province which is rich in oil is dominated by Shia, there has been massive unrest. this area is being cleared of Shias one by one and old heritage structures being demolished, this has resulted in Shia militias blowing IED mubaraks here and there resulting in loss of several Saudi soldiers including a major..it could be related to that.
There is no news of apparent invasion of Saudi into qatar...with 10 000 soldiers of US inside Qatar that looks difficult.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Jun 2017 07:41

What did 3k us soldiers do in incirlik while the base was blocaded and dozens of turkish pilots incl the base commander arrested? Sit in place and do nothing. Al udied will close its gate and stand down.

Meantime the houthis have bagged a saudi ammo ship with a night asm strike. Huge oil or ammo blast

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 15 Jun 2017 07:50

Do the Turks and Qataris have any fundamental objections to arming Houtis? Seems like the BEST way to get back at the KSA and UAE.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 15 Jun 2017 10:32

"Staggering loss of civilian life ..." tx to US led air strikes,says the UN! But where are the massive media protests,embedded journos,etc. who swarm the battlefield when collateral damage by Russian or Syrian forces allegedly take place? Then every half-starved dog or cat in the street-is interviewed live,if not eaten up already by starving civvies tx to ISIS! The hypocrisy of the champions of the western media is simply appalling.War crimes indeed.
And this is only Raqqa,what about what's happening in Mosul?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... qa-says-un

'Staggering' loss of civilian life from US-led airstrikes in Raqqa, says UN
War crimes investigators say US-backed campaign to reclaim Syrian city from Islamic State has led to at least 300 deaths
Men patrol next to destroyed buildings at Raqqa on 11 June.
Kareem Shaheen in Istanbul
Wednesday 14 June 2017 14.14 BST Last modified on Wednesday 14 June 2017 22.00 BST

UN war crimes investigators have denounced a “staggering loss of civilian life” caused by the US-backed campaign to reclaim Raqqa, the de facto capital of Islamic State.

The independent commission of inquiry tasked with investigating violations of international law, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria said the intensification of airstrikes by the US-led coalition had led to the deaths of at least 300 civilians in the city.

The Raqqa operation began last week with a ground assault by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an umbrella group comprising Kurdish and Arab militiamen armed by the US and supported by coalition airstrikes.

They have already pushed into Raqqa from the east and west, reportedly approaching the old city walls. Citizens have reported intense combat in areas of the city.

Civilian deaths from US-led strikes on Isis surge under Trump administration

“We note in particular that the intensification of airstrikes, which have paved the ground for an SDF advance in Raqqa, has resulted not only in staggering loss of civilian life, but has also led to 160,000 civilians fleeing their homes and becoming internally displaced,” Paulo Pinheiro, the chairman of the UN commission of inquiry, told the human rights council in Geneva.

Karen Abuzayd, an American commissioner on the independent panel, said: “We have documented the deaths caused by the coalition airstrikes only and we have about 300 deaths – 200 in one place, in al-Mansoura, one village.”

The civilian cost of the campaign was highlighted last week when footage emerged of coalition planes deploying white phosphorus in the city, which is home to tens of thousands of civilians, prisoners of war, enslaved Yazidi women, and a few thousand Isis militants.

“The imperative to fight terrorism must not, however, be undertaken at the expense of civilians who unwillingly find themselves living in areas where Isil is present,” Pinheiro added, using an alternative acronym for Isis.

Human Rights Watch urged the coalition separately on Wednesday to exercise great caution when using white phosphorus, saying it could cause “horrific and long-lasting harm” in crowded cities such as Raqqa, and that such powerful incendiary munitions should never be used in populated areas.

The use of white phosphorus drew strong condemnation last week, and raised concerns that the coalition was not taking adequate precautions to protect civilian lives.

While the success of the campaign would free civilians in Raqqa from the yoke of Isis, many face the prospect of death by coalition airpower or because of their use as human shields by the militants, a common tactic in their defence of their stronghold in Mosul across the border.Eighteen per cent of people in Raqqa province have been displaced in the campaign to retake the city, according to UN figures.

“As the operation is gaining pace very rapidly, civilians are caught up in the city under the oppressive rule of Isil, while facing extreme danger associated with movement due to excessive airstrikes,” Pinheiro told reporters.

People living in Isis areas are also subject to inconsistent screening procedures to determine if they are sympathisers with the militant group.

Those who do survive or flee also face uncertain prospects of survival, owing to limited access to the area for humanitarian organisations. Turkey to the north has refused to allow much aid to flow across the border and into areas controlled by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units militia, which is part of the SDF, because Ankara considers it a terrorist group affiliated with its own Kurdish insurgency.

The UN has also had limited access to the area owing to restrictions on their movement. By contrast, before the campaign to reclaim Mosul, aid organisations were able to set up camps to house tens of thousands of displaced people.

On Wednesday, aid groups described the gruelling and daunting challenge they faced to respond to the humanitarian crisis in and around the city. A key problem is getting aid supplies to the relatively remote desert region, with a trickle of assistance crossing from neighbouring Turkey and Iraq.

“There is supply but it’s very, very limited and the needs of the population are very high,” said Puk Leenders, emergency coordinator for northern Syria for Médecins Sans Frontières.

The UN’s World Food Programme said it had delivered one month’s supply of food for 80,000 people in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Hasakeh provinces in north and north-east Syria, but said this “offered limited capacity and was insufficient to meet all needs”. .

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Jun 2017 14:17

160,000 civilians have said to have fled raqqa...they are housed in conditions not matching the refugee camps that UN and iraqi govt had setup on outskirts of Mosul...because guess what there is no real govt of the coalition camped around raqqa - merely groups of tribal fighters and kurds from the north. the real govt has no even reached that region and will be blocked by the coalition if it does.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Jun 2017 17:23

Live From Mogadishu‏ @Daudoo 8h8 hours ago
More
Replying to @Daudoo
Machine gun fire intensifies in #Mogadishu. #Somalia
11th hr since attack started. 17 dead so far, 20+ wounded

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Jun 2017 17:26

Ivan Sidorenko‏ @IvanSidorenko1 9h9 hours ago
#Syria Reports : Major General Mohamed Khaddour is assigned to open the road between Palmyra - Sakhneh/Suknah - Deir EzZor

^^^
from past reports, he has toured deir azzor after flying in by air. was holding a staff position as CinC eastern syria.

this is his chance to shape the future history of syria. sometimes destiny finds a man and sometimes men find their destiny.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Jun 2017 21:00

Paul Antonopoulos‏Verified account @oulosP Jun 14
The latest map of #Syria. And more and more red

the grey areas nicely show the real isis. no mans land is yellow sand

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Jun 2017 21:09

people are debating two routes to DEZ .
i think red will be used to tie up the daish and thrash them soundly albeit slowly,
while black will advance through mostly uncontested areas (river on left , desert on right) to reach objective
another move is black hits the backside of sukhnah, merges with red and heads east.
but black might head along river to prevent SDF grabbing any more territory under nato coaching center

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Jun 2017 21:14

watanisy‏ @watanisy Jun 14

against darkness , alone , under years of siege but still steadfast, deir ez zor

LokeshC · Post by **LokeshC** » 15 Jun 2017 21:32

Found on teetar (Applicable to Bakis as well)

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 16 Jun 2017 13:07

Russia and Iran Cooperate on UAVs, UCAVs

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ ... uavs-ucavs

The cooperation started in October 2013, when Russian air force commander Gen. Victor Bondarev visited Tehran and was presented with a local copy of the Scan Eagle UAV. Both Iran and Russia have operated small UAVs over Syria, but a new dimension to Iran’s activities there became apparent on June 8, when a U.S. Air Force F-15E shot down an Iranian-made UAV “similar in size to the MQ-1 Predator.”

This medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) vehicle was later identified as a Shahed 129 UCAV. Operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC), the drone had attacked Syrian rebels operating around At-Tanf who are trained and supported by the U.S. The Shahad 129 has a claimed range of 1,700 km and a 24-hour endurance, and can carry various air-launch munitions including guided missiles. It was not the first Iranian UAV to be shot down by rebel fire, but all previous incidents involved relatively small and inexpensive Ababil and Mohajer series drones for close-in tactical reconnaissance and surveillance.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 16 Jun 2017 13:07

Didnt knew of US F-15 and Shaheed 129 UCAV incident in Syria

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 16 Jun 2017 13:45

Russian airbase in Syria (part 4) | June 2017 | Air Defense Systems

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 16 Jun 2017 13:47

^^ The interesting part is they say that even though S-400 can defend to range of 400 km but due to agreement with coalition they are limited to defending Khmeimim within radius of 60 km.

Any coaliation aircraft entering within 60 km are electronic locked first