https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-august-30-2017-syrian-army-advances-northeast-of-sukhna/
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Government forces, led by the Syrian Republican Guard, have overrun the ISIS defense north of Sukhna and liberated Al Khuwayliyah, Khan al-Baghala, the Subai’i Mount, the Daba Mount, the Khashm Baghal Mount and the nearby areas, according to pro-government sources.
If reports are confirmed, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies are now in a striking distance from the ISIS-held village of Kabbajb located in only about 50km from Deir Ezzor.
East of Salamiyah, the SAA and the National Defense Forces (NDF) have captured Jawasiyat Janubi, Haddaj, Rasm Zaynab, Taybah, Tahmaz, Bir Ghazalah, Kherbet Amarah and Wadi Khullah taking control over the entire eastern flank of the ISIS-held town of Uqayribat.
ISIS is in a no win situation in the area and soon government forces will take control over the entire eastern countryside of Salamiyah.
The SAA and tribal forces have been repelling another large ISIS attack in southern Raqqah. Late on Monday, ISIS deployed its elite forces and launched another offensive against government forces near Maadan entering in the Wadi Ubayd oil field, Wadi al-Tarab, Rajm Sulayman, Nuzayzah, as-Salam Alaykum and the nearby areas. On Tuesday, government forces launched a counter-attack and reportedly regained the points lost to ISIS south of Ghanem Ali. However, on Wednesday, an intense fighting continued in the area.
ISIS was using manpower and military equipment that had been freed after the large retreat from central Syria.
According to ISIS, government forces lost at least 50 soldiers and 3 vehicles in the recent clashes. The group also claimed that it seized few artillery guns, at least 1 battle tank as well as other weapons and munitions during the clashes in the Ghanem Ali area.
The US-led coalition’s warplanes accidentally carried out airstrikes on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the city of Raqqah, according to reports in the Arab media. The incident reportedly took place in al-Haramiyeh neighborhood and resulted in killing of 10 SDF fighters.
US-led coalition troops have engaged Turkish-backed militants in a firefight near the SDF-held town of Manbij in northern Syria, the coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon said on Tuesday. The firefight between US-led coalition troops and pro-Turkish militants was the recent in a series of tensions between Washington and Ankara over the US support to Kurdish militias remaining a core of the SDF. Ankara describes the US support to the Kurdish-dominated SDF as a threat to its security.
globalresearch carrying a recent excellent summative speech by President of Syria on the current situation and future of Syria.
Bashar al-Assad on the Future of Syria, “Failure of the West” and America’s “Deep State”. “Several Parallel Wars on Syrian Soil”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/bashar-al-assad-on-the-future-of-syria-failure-of-the-west-and-americas-deep-state-several-parallel-wars-on-syrian-soil/5606452
This is an important speech. In my opinion, it should be given its own separate article here. A short extract:
“For the West, this conflict is a valuable opportunity to settle its accounts and to subject many countries that have rebelled against its hegemony in recent decades. Among these countries: Syria, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Belarus, etc. Even Russia, a superpower and not an emerging country, is not allowed to revolt against Western hegemony.
Because for the West, partnership is refused wherever it comes from. Dependence is the only option. In this case, the United States are not even the partner of their Western allies. They designate roles for them, specify the orientations, each step being strictly laid in the wake of the American line. And as a reward, the United States throws them economic crumbs.
Add to the scene that in the United States, the President is not the maker of policies, but the executor; which seems even more evident today. The real policy makers are lobbies, banks, large weapons manufacturers, big oil, gas and technology companies, and other lobbies, which run the state through democratically elected officials but who govern in the interest of the ruling elite. So the lobbies, the State or the regime, and here I will talk about “the US regime” rather than the State – which we are accused of – because the State respects the values of its people, fulfills its obligations, respects international law, respects the sovereignty of nations, respects the principles of humanity, and finally respects itself; while the “regime” does not respect any of this, but works only for the ruling elite, whether it is a financial elite or something else.
Therefore, the “deep State” in the United States does not govern in partnership with the President, but leaves him a small margin; the President and his administration do not work in partnership with the Europeans, but leave them a small margin; and the united Europeans are not partners of their agents and clients in our region and in the world, they leave them just a margin, while not themselves being partners for the rest of the world.”
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Mount Bishri taken.
Mission-critical high-ground for Deir Ezzor operation.
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/08/battle-for-deir-ez-zour-to-get-more.html
For those who haven’t been following this conflict and the seige of Deir Ezzor closely, this is huge news, very good news for the Syrian Army’s fight against ISIS:
“Mount Bishri taken.
Mission-critical high-ground for Deir Ezzor operation.”
Hama pocket.
Reduced by 60% from initial size a week ago. ISIS retreating to densely populated areas, SAA & allies all over the place, next stop Uqayribat, while ISIS is moving its HQ to Soha. Meanwhile talks about moving thousands of civilians to Idlib are happening.
Conclusion: ISIS collapsing faster than expected. Hama pocket will very likely be fully liberated within a couple of days, thus freeing up thousands of SAA personnel.
The following 2 articles should be considered together, along with the news today about israel’s pindo colony’s diplomatic provocation. The zionazis are expanding their war against Russia, and likely will go all out in Syria very soon.
Russia announces Syrian terrorists plan chemical false flag on day UN slams US for killing Syrian civilians
http://theduran.com/russia-announces-syrian-terrorists-plan-chemical-false-flag-day-un-slams-us-killing-syrian-civilians/
Netanyahu Now Intends to Assassinate Assad; Will the U.S. Allow It?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/netanyahu-now-intends-to-assassinate-assad-will-the-u-s-allow-it/5606438
US Threat to Bomb Evacuation Convoy ‘Attempt to Regain Lost Initiative in Syria’
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201708311056969643-us-hezbollah-lebanon-syria-daesh/
“Our American partners understand that they have run out of time to seize the initiative in Syria, hence the need to attach themselves to some small issue and break the positive trends regarding the situation in this country,” Yevstafeev said.
“[They’re hoping to] latch on to any event, whoever it might involve, to regain the initiative, at least formally,” the observer added.
“They’ve said that they reserve the right to bomb the column passing through territory controlled by Bashar Assad’s troops in order to provoke, for instance, a reaction by the Russian air defenses in the country. Therefore, this is an attempt at a petty and cheap provocation. And this reflects the strategic situation: the Americans have lost in Syria,” Yevstafeev stressed.
According to the expert, the deal between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah on the one hand and the terrorists on the other was a strategic move, with Western Qalamoun being a crucially important territory for all parties. “The Qalamoun area is valuable because it can be used to press not only on Syria, but also Lebanon, and, by controlling militant activity, to create additional tensions there. In eastern Syria, including Deir ez Zore, these militants will have little influence.”
“Therefore, from the strategic, and the humanitarian points of view, the actions of Bashar Assad’s allies are absolutely justified,” Yevstafeev concluded.”
US Cuts Aid to Egypt ‘To Influence Cairo’s Foreign Policy’
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201708311056969469-us-cuts-aid-egypt/
“the true reason behind the move was the increased political and technical military cooperation between Moscow and Cairo, Tamer el-Shahawi, a member of Defense and National Security Committee of Egypt’s House of Representatives.
“The US Congress is concerned about the strengthening of military cooperation between Cairo and Moscow and that Egypt has found alternative sources of arms supplies,” el-Shahawi told Sputnik.
The politician highlighted that the US is making attempts to deepen the Sunni-Shiite divide and drag Egypt into its controversial foreign policy in the region. El-Shahawi added that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is trying to avoid Washington’s trap.
According to the politician, the US’ latest move is aimed at driving a wedge between Egypt and the Gulf monarchies and signals to America’s Middle Eastern allies that the US-Egyptian relationship is currently in the doldrums.
Egyptian parliamentarian Muhammad Ismaeel believes that the US is trying to exert substantial pressure on Egypt due to the latter’s stance toward the Libyan and Syrian issues.
Ismaeel suggested that the US opposes Egypt’s decision to support the Libyan and Syrian armies in their fight against terrorism. Additionally, Washington “doesn’t agree with Egypt’s position on other foreign policy issues” concerning the region.
“America knows that Egypt is the guarantor of regional security and that it is necessary to maintain the country’s stability to deter terrorist organizations existing on its territory,” Ismaeel told Sputnik. “I think the US realizes that they are acting in the interests of terrorism, rather than human freedoms, as they say.”