Posts
Intercepted
ISIS comms show 'growing panic' after Russian airstrikes - combat
report
RT,
11
October, 2015
Russian
Air Forces have extended the range of their airstrikes on Islamic
State positions in Syria to four provinces, focusing primarily on
demolishing fortified installations and eliminating supply bases and
the terrorists' infrastructure.
Over
the last 24 hours Russian aircraft have attacked terrorist positions
in the Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Raqqa provinces of Syria. In total,
64 sorties targeted 63 Islamic State installations, among them 53
fortified zones, 7 arms depots, 4 training camps and a command post.
The
airstrikes were carried out by Sukhoi Su24M and Su-34 bombers and
Su-25SM assault aircraft, with Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets ensuring air
escort for the assault groups
“Having
accomplished combat assignments, all aircraft of the task force
operating in Syria successfully returned to the Khmeimim
airbase,” said
the spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov.
Radio
intercept data has revealed “growing
panic” among
Islamic State militants, according to Konashenkov. He added that IS
field commanders have urged senior staff to expedite supply armament
and military equipment, as well as to redeploy reinforcements from
Raqqa province as a result of Russia’s air bombardment.
In
the vicinity of the city of Saraqib in northwest Syria, an artillery
position known for inflicting strikes on the nearby residential areas
has been exposed and eliminated.
A
group of Sukhoi Su-24M bombers attacked a terrorist field
headquarters near the village of Salma in northwest Syria. This
command post has been coordinating operations of the militants in
whole of the Latakia province.
“A
direct hit of a guided KAB-500 air bomb completely destroyed a
building with militant commanders inside," the
Defense Ministry’s spokesperson reported. “The
airstrike also eliminated five SUVs with ZU-23 double-barreled 23mm
anti-aircraft guns mounted on them that were parked nearby.”
A Sukhoi Su-24M bomber attacked a thoroughly concealed position of SUVs with mortar launchers mounted on them near the village of Kafer-Delba. As a result of the attack, a mobile sub-artillery battery consisting of four vehicles was eliminated.
Aerial reconnaissance discovered a stronghold of terrorists near the village of Achan. A pinpoint airstrike carried out by Su-24M aircraft eliminated the installation, along with an ammunition and logistics depot.
The
Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, also said
that the Russian and American armed forces have held a second video
conference regarding the operation in Syria. The two sides discussed
in detail proposals voiced at the first such event and focused on
issues of air security to be ensured by both sides, since both US and
Russian aircraft are currently operating in Syria’s airspace.
The
date for the next consultation is to be arranged later.
Putin:
Russia has no intention of mounting Syria ground operation, wants to
see political compromise
Using
ground troops in Syria is out of the question, the Russian president
said in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV. Russia’s air operation has
been thoroughly prepared and is aimed merely at aiding the Syrian
Army’s offensive, he said.
“Whatever happens, we’re not going to do this [ground operation] and our Syrian friends are well aware of it,” President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russian TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.
The
primary task of the Russian operation in Syria is “stabilizing the
legitimate authority in this country and creating conditions to look
for political compromise,” President Putin said.
Washington
is said to be planning to send warships close to the Spratly Islands
which China claims for its own to stop Beijing from assisting Russia
in its campaign against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups
in Syria, Marco Maier wrote for Contra Magazin.
The
journalist noted that Washington's move could also be viewed as a
response to China taking part in the Sino-Russian maritime exercise
held in the Mediterranean in May.
The
controversial and yet unconfirmed deployment needs to be authorized
by the Obama administration and could take place in the next two
weeks. The US is expected to send at least one ship to within 12
nautical miles of the archipelago in an apparent bid to demonstrate
that Washington does not recognize Beijing's sovereignty in this
area.
The
Pentagon's recent plans have not been welcomed with open arms in
Beijing. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warned the US
against taking any provocative steps in the region and reaffirmed
that China would not allow any nation to violate the country's
territorial waters and airspace in the Spratly Islands.
Syria:
Syrian Army recaptures Atshan village in Hama offensive
The
Syrian Army released footage of Syrian troops recapturing the village
of Atshan, in the Hama Governorate, from suspected Islamic State (IS,
formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants Sunday.
The
Syrian Armed Forces have liberated another five towns in the Hama
province's north with support of the Russian aviation, the commander
of the operation told Russian journalists.
"The
advance of the Syrian troops began after Russian airstrikes. As a
result, dozens of terrorists were killed, others chose to flee,"
Colonel Ibrahim S. told RIA Novosti.
According
to him, currently the Syrian government's army is approaching the
borders of the Idlib province in the north-west of the country, which
is almost entirely controlled by insurgents.
The
Syrian army has continued its ground operation in the territory
captured by terrorists. The Syrian colonel added that this weekend
the Syrian military liberated a town and villages in the Hama
province from Nusra Front militants.
Dozens
of Nusra Front militants were killed and taken prisoner during the
liberation of the Atshan city in Hama, Col. Ibrahim S. said.
Syrian
General Staff Lt.-Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayyoub said Thursday that the
country's Armed Forces had launched a large-scale operation to retake
occupied areas from the terrorists.
Al-Qaeda
Declares War on ISIL
11
October, 2015
Al-Qaeda
declared war against the Islamic State on Wednesday, creating a clear
divide which experts say the United States may be able to exploit in
its campaign against both terror groups.
In
a new audio message, the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri,
accused ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of "sedition," ABC
News reported. Al-Zawahiri also refuted al-Baghdadi's claims that he
is the leader of all Muslims and militant jihad as "caliph"
of the Islamic State.
Former
National Counterterrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen told ABC
News:
"It's
pretty interesting. Zawahiri until now has not been willing to openly
condemn Baghdadi and ISIS. It highlights how deep the division is
between al Qaeda leadership and ISIS. It suggests that the
differences are irreconcilable."
According
to Olson, US counter-terrorism operatives could use misinformation to
further pit the two groups against each other and encourage each
group to wage further violence against the other.
"Fighting
each other makes our job easier," a counter-terrorism official
in Afghanistan told ABC News.
In
the tape, al-Zawahiri, who is in hiding with a $25 million US bounty
on his head, complained that Baghdadi had ignored Muslims suffering
in Gaza and in Pakistan.
"We
preferred to respond with as little as possible, out of our concern
to extinguish the fire of sedition," Zawahiri explained, "but
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his brothers did not leave us a choice, for
they have demanded that all the mujahideen reject their confirmed
pledges of allegiance, and to pledge allegiance to them for what they
claim of a caliphate."
"Everyone
was surprised" by Baghdadi's declaration anointing himself the
fourth caliph in Islamic history, Zawahiri remarked, saying
al-Baghdadi had done this "without consulting the Muslims,"
ABC News reported.
The
message, however, appears to be recorded sometime last spring,
analysts say, as al-Zawahiri again pledges loyalty to Taliban leader
Mullah Omar, who recently was confirmed dead by the Taliban.
Former
CIA director Michael Hayden said the intelligence community thought
bin Laden's death could create a rift in al-Qaeda – similar to the
divide forming between ISIL and al-Qaeda, which the US could use to
its advantage, ABC News reported.
Nicholas
Palarino, a former congressional counter-terrorism adviser, said
al-Zawahiri's declaration weakens both al-Qaeda and ISIL, and may
offer Arab governments a chance to further divide the terror groups.
"Moderate
Muslims need to exploit this rift. The leaders of Jordan, Kuwait,
Saudi Arabia and Egypt can explain the differences between these two
groups to the world's Muslims," Palarino told ABC News.
The
Russian Embassy in London has requested the UK Foreign Office's
clarifications on media reports of the alleged British leadership's
decision to enable UK pilots participating in anti-ISIL coalition's
airstrikes to shoot down Russian planes over Iraq.
Earlier,
a UK defense source told the Daily Star Sunday tabloid that British
and NATO pilots reportedly had been given a clearance to shoot down
Russian jets over Iraq.
UK
defense sources stressed that RAF pilots have been told to avoid
contact with Russian jets "at all costs," but warned the
pilots must be prepared to attack Russian jets "if their lives
depend on it."
"We
are concerned by media reports as far as they refer to senior members
of the Cabinet. We urgently requested UK Foreign Office's
clarifications. At the same time, the hypothesis itself of a
potential conflict between British and Russian aircraft in the skies
over Iraq is incomprehensible. As it is known, the Russian jets are
not involved in attacks on ISIL targets on its [Iraqi] territory",
Russian Ambassador in the UK Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti.
Russia
launched precision airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria
last week at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had not received any requests
from Baghdad to carry out airstrikes against ISIL targets in Iraq.
The
Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Tornado combat aircraft are said to be
equipped with up to four Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles
(ASRAAM) to shoot down a Russian jet they encounter. The
2,300-miles-per-hour missiles with warheads filled with 22 pounds of
high explosive lock onto targets using an infrared heat-seeker.
British
Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said earlier he was seeking to
extend RAF’s anti-ISIL efforts in Iraq to Syria.
A
US-led coalition of 60 nations has been conducting anti-ISIL
airstrikes in Iraq and Syria for over a year, bypassing the UN
Security Council’s and Assad's approval.
Yakovenko
also said that British aircraft were not involved in the coalition
strikes against ISIL in Syria.
"As
for the joint struggle against the Islamic State, we have not
received an official response to our request concerning information
the British side has on ISIL's infrastructure targets, which could be
used by the Russian Air Force," the ambassador dded.
From British press
As
relations between the West and Russia steadily deteriorate, Royal Air
Force (RAF) pilots have been given the go-ahead to shoot down Russian
military jets when flying missions over Syria and Iraq, if they are
endangered by them. The development comes with warnings that the UK
and Russia are now "one step closer" to being at war.
RAF
Tornado pilots have been instructed to avoid contact with Russian
aircraft while engaged in missions for Operation Shader – the
codename for the RAF's anti-Isis work in Iraq and Syria. But their
aircraft have been armed with air-to-air missiles and the pilots have
been given the green light to defend themselves if they are
threatened by Russian pilots.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.