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The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the National Defense Forces (NDF), the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) military wing and other pro-government factions have liberated from US-backed militant groups 1300 km2 in southeastern Syria, including 30 km of the border with Jordan. The recently liberated area includes Tal al-Tabaqah, Tal al-Riahi, Tal Asda, Tal al-Ezami, Bir al-Sout and the Abu Sharshouh crossing other posts and points near the border.
US-backed militants withdrew to the al-Rushd refugee camp where they could hide from government forces attacks and airstrikes. According to pro-government sources, the Russian Aerospace Forces participated the SAA-led advance. This confirms that Moscow supports the Damascus willingness to regain control over its borders and to drive US-led coalition troops out from the occupied garrisons near At Tanf.
The control over the border will also decrease significantly arms and goods trafficking in which so-called US partner forces are deeply involved.
ISIS has been evacuating its members from the key town of Maadan in the southern Raqqah countryside, according to pro-government sources. Earlier this week, the SAA Tiger Forces and tribal forces allies reached Maadan and seized a number of villages near it threatening to encircle the ISIS-held town. This situation allegedly became a main reason behind the reported ISIS decision.
In the eastern Hama countryside, the SAA recaptured Khara’eb al-Katna area, Mount Doyleb and Tal al-Mazrou from ISIS.
In the area of Sukhna, government forces are dismantling IEDs set up by ISIS in the town amid continued clashes with terrorists. ISIS and its suicide bombers still pose a notable threat to the SAA there but it seems that the terrorist group will not be able to take Sukhna back.
The ISIS-linked News Agency Amaq published an infographic showing alleged losses of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during the 2 months of the battle for Raqqah. According to ISIS, 1040 SDF members were killed, 207 of them because of sniper fire, 40 SDF vehicles and a bulldozer were destroyed and a UAV was downed. ISIS also damaged 3 BMP vehicles and 6 other vehicles. In total, the terrorist group conducted 54 raids against the SDF, including 36 suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive device attacks.
On Thursday, the Pentagon announced that a US Special Operation Forces vehicle came under sniper fire near Manbij city in the northeastern Aleppo countryside. No casualties were inflicted. Army Col. Ryan Dillon said that the US-led coalition do not know who is behind the attack. According to local sources, ISIS was likely behind it.
The tensions between the Kurdish-dominated SDF and the Arab population as well as the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas by the US-led coalition create a situation when a notable number of long-standing ISIS supporters remain and new supporters appear in the areas formally liberated from the terrorist group. Following the formal defeat of ISIS, the US-led coalition will likely face an ISIS-led insurgency campaign in Syria and Iraq. The same problem that the US forces faced following the invasion in Iraq.
Great article by Elijah Magnier putting the Syrian conflict in its proper historical and geopolitical place, as a game-changer and as the foundational event for a ‘new Middle East’, as defined not by Anglo-Zionist invaders & raiders, but by a determined “Russian-Iranian-Iraqi-Syrian-Hezbollah” alliance, that has the required gravity to re-calibrate the balance of power throughout the whole Middle East and North Africa for several decades to come.
https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2017/08/11/what-has-the-us-got-out-of-the-war-in-syria-a-new-middle-east-as-seen-by-the-resistance-crescent-and-not-the-us/
‘Deir ez-Zor offensive: Israel, Saudis may seek to prevent Syrian army success’
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/399348-syria-army-war-advance/
“The Syrian army has been under siege in a tiny portion of the city for almost three years, and terrorist forces still surround the city.
However, the Syrian army “has gained a lot of ground in the past few weeks from different axis toward the city of Deir ez-Zor,” says the Ammar Waqqaf, Director of the Gnosos think tank.
“Once they secure the main or the last stronghold before Deir ez-Zor, which is the town of Al-Sukhnah, it should be an easier ride toward Deir ez-Zor. Perhaps in the next few weeks, that would be a tangible objective to see it happen,” he told RT.
If the Syrian army succeeds, it would be a significant development for the war overall, he says.
“We need to understand that unlike previous operations, where the Syrian army liberated certain areas, where in most of the cases there were like a military garrison that held out against terrorists and rebels and what have you. This time around we’re talking about 200,000 or so civilians that are entrapped and have refused to submit to ISIS. [They] are in a sort of unison with the Syrian army. If they are liberated, …this would be a huge psychological advantage to the Syrian government,” Waqqaf says.
“When we talk about this, what comes to mind is what the Israelis and Saudis like to call the Shia Crescent or the land bridge linking Tehran to Beirut because Deir ez-Zor would be decisive in that land bridge,” he explained.
And that, according to Rizk, may prompt Israel and Saudi Arabia to try and prevent this from happening.
“I think that more and more likely the Syrian army will achieve victory in Deir ez-Zor, the more and more likely you might see Israel and Saudi Arabia – two of the main American allies in the region – trying to abstract or prevent such a scenario from being fulfilled, perhaps maybe by pushing the Trump administration into more intervention to prevent or to stop the Syrian army from taking Deir ez-Zor. So Deir ez-Zor is important Syria-wise, but it is also very important regionally-wise, as well,” he said.”
Likely the tuppence regime are atm working at setting up one of their false flags to use so they can follow massa israel’s orders to disrupt the SAA advance.
small points but interestingly enough…..local villagers
have been protesting against the presence of HTS in the region of Idlib and also there mysteriously seven members of white helmets have been assasinated mysteriously by unknown persons…….note HNC seem to have a big disconnect with their saudi sponsors and are not recieving their salaries
Syrian Paratroopers Free Area in Daesh’s Rear for First Time in Unique Operation
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201708141056449426-syrian-paratroopers-daesh-rare/
“On August 12 night, for the first time since the beginning of hostilities against Daesh terrorist group in Syria, the [Syrian] government forces managed to prepare and conduct a brilliant operation to make a tactical landing in the rear of the militants which resulted in their complete defeat and capture of the settlement of Al-Hadar about 120 kilometers west of the city of Deir ez-Zor,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
“With the help of night vision systems, the renowned [Ka-52] Alligators not only effectively directed and corrected the fire of multiple-launch rocket system, but also destroyed [terrorists’] armored vehicles and armed cars,” the ministry said.
Russian military advisors took part in the preparation of the Syrian paradrop behind Daesh’s defense lines, while well-known Syrian commander, General Suhel Hassan headed the operation.
“In a brief battle, the Syrian paratroopers… destroyed the headquarters and ammunition depots of terrorists, knocked out two [Daesh] tanks and three armored vehicles,” the Russian military said.
The Syrian paratroopers were holding the captured positions before the approach of the main forces. “The actions of the tactical landing force and the effectiveness of the fire damage inflicted on Daesh fighters allowed the government troops to seize al-Hadar without losses,” the Russian military said.
After the successful operation, the Syrian army gained control over 60 square kilometers of the territory, three populated areas and two oil fields.”