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"The Middle East right now is dealing with highly unusual weather. Storm after storm, and fallouts from the storms in the region have created torrential rains and flash floods everywhere. Areas like Gaza, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt, parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia are all witnessing strange and out-of-place weather. Basically if an area is adjacent to a river or the ocean, or is dropping from the sky"
Syrian army units and pro-government militia are gaining ground in multiple provinces, killing dozens of terrorists, their commanders and destroying vehicles and materiel, SANA news agency reports on Sunday
8 November, 2015
In Hama province, 39 militants of different affiliations have been killed and dozens injured in recent fighting. Government sources point at Islamists from al-Nusra Front, the Levant Front (Jabhat al-Shamiya). SANA also reported a number of field commanders killed and “different launchers” destroyed.
Government troops have reportedly destroyed headquarters of Jund al-Aqsa Salafi jihadist group in Khan Sheikhoun in the neighboring Idlib Governorate.
Near Palmyra in Homs province, the army — supported by air force fighter jet strikes — destroyed several fortified sites of ISIL, killing almost 30 militants, according to FARS news agency.
The Syrian armed forces have also repelled an attack of ISIL militants on an airbase near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, destroying 58 jihadists, according to SANA.
In the south of Aleppo Governorate, government forces took control of two villages, killing an unspecified number of adversaries, some of them aboard machine gun-equipped trucks.
SAA Reporter
Military Situation Updated in Southern #Aleppo CS
#SAA #Hezbollah #NDF #Iraq #Syria #ISIS #تل_ممو #عزيزية #تليلات
With the support of Russian airstrikes, the Syrian Army has recently taken control of approximately 250 square kilometers in Aleppo province.
The strategic offensive is aimed at lifting the almost three-year-long siege of the Syrian army’s Kuweyres airbase east of Aleppo, FARS points out.
“The latest reports from the battlefield said that the government forces are very close to seizing back full control over Sheikh Ahmad after killing tens of Takfiri [ISIL] terrorists,” FARS reported. “Hundreds of Syrian forces are under a tight siege at the airbase as a result of the occupation of vast areas surrounding the airport by the terrorists. The Syrian army's helicopters supply foodstuff and other needs to the Syrian troops defending the airport.”
Dozens
of terrorists, their vehicles and munitions, mostly from al-Nusra
front, have been also eliminated by government forces in Daraa
province.
Terrorists
acknowledged their heavy casualties on social media and confirmed the
death of an al-Nusra Front commander Faisal Sharif, nicknamed Abu
Omair al-Ansari, according to SANA.
The
Syrian Air Force has been carrying out airstrikes against ISIL
targets in various locations in Aleppo, Hama, Homs provinces over the
weekend.
The
10 Islamist rebel militias in northern Hama that make-up the “Kafr
Naboudeh Operation Room” have announced the start of their military
operations to capture the imperative Christian city of Al-Sqaylabiyah
in northern Hama, despite the large presence of pro-government
civilians inside this section of the Al-Ghaab Plains.
According
to social media activists from the Syrian Opposition, the obejective
of this offensive is to “liberate” the city and its surrounding
area from the “Assad forces”; however, this propaganda message
from the Syrian Opposition leaves out several important details like
the fact that the entire “Assad forces” inside Al-Sqaylabiyah are
comprised of civilians from this city.
Similar
to the Christian city of Mhardeh in northern Hama, Al-Sqaylabiyah is
staunchly pro-government and heavily armed with civilian-led militias
such as the National Defense Forces (NDF) and the Syrian Social
Nationalist Party (SSNP); these paramilitary units have warned the
Islamist rebels to leave them alone on several occasions, including
last year when they foolishly attacked Mhardeh after capturing Morek
from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).
Last
year, the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra – who is also
allied to these rebels – attempted to capture Mhardeh;
unfortunately, this assault worked against them, as they pushed too
far and ended up on the defensive before losing the city of Morek to
the Syrian Army.
The
Islamist rebels have committed several crimes against the Syrian
Christian population in the past, which include kidnapping priests
and nuns; executing civilians for the sale of alcohol; desecrating
Christian holy sites; and et al.
Unlike
their previous attacks on the Christian towns of Kassab and
Ma’aloula, the Islamist rebels are not attacking poorly defended
areas, but rather, a well-fortified city that prides itself on its
resistance
The
Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division and Hezbollah got off to
a quick start on Sunday, capturing three villages from the Islamist
rebels of Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat
Al-Nusra”, Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, and Liwaa Suqour after
series of intense firefights in southern Aleppo.
According
to battlefield reports from the southern Aleppo front, the Syrian
Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division – in coordination with
Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Aleppo City,
Al-Ba’ath Battalions, and several Iraqi and Iranian paramilitary
units – imposed control over the villages of ‘Aziziyah, Tal
Mamou, and Talaylat after launching their assault from the recently
captured town of Kafr Haddad.
However,
some two hours after taking full control of Talaylat, Harakat Ahrar
Al-Sham conducted a counter-assault at Talaylat in order to retake
this recently captured village from Hezbollah and the Syrian Armed
Forces; this proved successful, as they imposed control over Talaylat
before noon on Sunday.
Following
Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham’s recapture of Talaylat, they attempted to
retake Tal Mamou from the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized
Division; however, this proved unsuccessful, as the pro-government
forces were able to route the Islamist rebels back towards Talaylat
before they could infiltrate into the village.
Despite
losing Talaylat to Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, the Syrian Armed Forces and
Lebanese Resistance are now 13km east of the strategic
Aleppo-Damascus Highway (M-5 Highway) and just 3km south of the
village of Al-Hadher; these sites will be the primary focus for the
pro-government forces in the coming days
Lebanese
General Security Busts Israeli Spy Network
Lebanese
General security announced on Sunday that it arrested three people
for spying for the Israeli army.
A
G.S. statement said that R.A., a Syrian national, his Lebanese wife
S.Sh., and H.M., another Lebanese national, admitted to gathering
information on specific security officials in Lebanon, while taking
pictures and videos of “sensitive” areas in the south and sending
them to the Israeli army.
The
statement did not say where or when the individuals were arrested.
The
three suspected spies were referred to the relevant judiciary after
completing investigations with the Military Prosecution, as security
forces continued to search for other individuals believed to be a
part of the same espionage network.
Several
Israeli spy networks have been uncovered in the country’s south,
where the army has dismantled or destroyed spying devices found.
Iran to U.S. Defense Chief: “Mind your Words”
Iran’s
defense minister warned on Sunday his American counterpart to mind
his words, following accusations by the US official that the Islamic
Republic is militarily active in certain countries in the Middle
East.
“US
Secretary of Defense [Ashton Carter] had better go over his past
record in this position of authority and reconsider his bully-like
and aggressive stances and talk more sensibly and circumspectly
henceforth,” Brigadier-General Hossein Dehqan said.
Carter
had better “save the US more troubles like the ones it is already
bedeviled by in Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen and
[also]refrain from provoking the sentiments of the countries of the
[Middle East] region by humiliating [them],” the Iranian minister dded.
On
Friday, American magazine The Atlantic published an interview with
the US defense chief, in which he alleged, “If you look at where
the Iranians are able to wield influence, they are in the game, on
the ground” in a number of countries.
Dehqan
also expressed wonder that “the complex and apparently powerful and
ubiquitous American intelligence agencies” mislead their
authorities into [taking]“unreal, irrational, and aggressive
positions.”
The
Islamic Republic “is after stability and security in the region,”
he said, adding that the regional security will come with the absence
of US and extra-regional countries and intervention.
The
Iranian official further pointed to the strategy maintained by the
United States and Israel to perpetuate insecurity, war, and bloodshed
in the Middle East.
“The
Americans can no longer hide their hideous and ugly aggressive face
behind deceitful slogans. This guise came off years ago and no nation
considers the US to be its well-wisher.”
Reacting
to Carter’s remarks, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces,
Major General Hassan Firouzabadi also said, “We are certain that
the US secretary of defense’s remarks are based on wrong
information and the absence of correct perception of the regional
issues.”
“Our
policy regarding the neighboring and Muslim countries [is that
of]Islamic unity, preservation of Muslims’ interests [as well
as]independence, and sovereignty of all of them,” he noted.
Syria SITREP November 8th, 2015 by John Rambo
Before
I get to this SITREP I’d like to note the Middle East right now is
dealing with highly unusual weather. Storm after storm, and fallouts
from the storms in the region have created torrential rains and flash
floods everywhere. Areas like Gaza, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt, parts of
Iraq and Saudi Arabia are all witnessing strange and out-of-place
weather. Basically if an area is adjacent to a river or the ocean, or
is in the mountains, than an unprecedented level of water is dropping
from the sky. This is not the first time that the Middle East has had
such bizarre weather, but it has been more frequent in the last 2-3
years.
Syria,
Iran, Hezbollah:
• The
fighting right now in Syria reflects the strategic necessity of
controlling highways and major junction centers such as Homs.
Highways and roads ease logistical movement. Although most military
vehicles are ‘all-terrain’ their treads/wheels (and at times
engines) are more taxed on unpaved roads. Other impacted variables
off-roading is top speed, fuel efficiency, and a higher likelihood of
suffering some kind of breakage.
• The
Syrian Arab Army, NDF and Hezbollah have had more success against
rebels and Al-Nusra than they’ve had against ISIL. The Syrian
military faces a few other independent actors as well (more later).
• SAA
and NDF victories have been slow but purposeful. It’s been more
than a month since the Russian air strikes have started and the SAA
has had issues in maintaining security along supply lines and in
gaining large decisive victories like those seen by ISIL in 2014.
• That’s
not to blame the SAA for a lack of effort. It’s easy to forget a
month ago the Syrian military was in desperate need to turn the tide
against the rapid gains made by the newly coordinated Army of
Conquest (FSA, Al-Nusra, and friends) which was just about to redraw
the strategic map.
• The
manpower issues that have plagued the SAA are one of the reasons
these tactical setbacks are occurring. The NDF is stretched thin as
is and the SAA is not replenishing their numbers as fast as they’d
like. President Assad has done a lot of things to address the
manpower issue including pardoning desertion, pension raise to
military and retired personnel and offering tax exemptions to
government employees [Source]
• Syria’s
military is weakened beyond recovery for many years. The only
deterrence Syria has against Israeli action is a stockpile of rockets
and ballistic missiles for saturation missile attacks on city-centers
and military installations. To what extent their chemical weapons
program and stockpiles are is unknown especially after the 2013
Russian deal.
• One
can only speculate that this is really a targeted campaign. The
number of SENIOR IRGC officers to fall has been too high in too short
of a time span. Either IRGC commanders have a creed to lead from the
front (even at the colonel level, which is admirable) or there is
some serious accurate intelligence being handed down to anti-Iranian
forces to get these guys killed. One or two commanders is one thing.
One or two (high ranking) commanders every week is a different story.
Russia,
United States, UK:
• It’s
most likely that the US has already had boots on the ground in the
form of Special Forces (in the role of forward air control). Because
the West likes to appear like its avoiding causalities and because
drones are not as 100% accurate as the commercials like us to believe
militaries are forced to use boots on the ground to accurately
identify targets before airstrikes.
• Not
ALL US air strikes are vetted by a FAC. Mostly ones that are in
proximity to civilian centers (in which the collateral damage may
exceed a certain number that might draw too much attention from news
media).
• The
British SAS were deployed in Iraq and Syria for some time. Apparently
they’ve taken daring raids against ISIL positions in jeeps and
humvees like it was World War 2 or something. Claims that they dress
up as ISIL militants have surfaced but to what truth that holds is
unconfirmed [Source]
• I
get the impression that the SAS-dress-up-as-insurgents claim
originated from a tabloid.
• The
US seems to have created a new “faction” loosely uniting various
Islamist and rebel forces. This faction is called the Syrian Arab
Coalition (another name is the Syrian Democratic Forces). It’s
planned to be used to fight ISIL directly and has already received US
weapon drops inside Syria, giving them a level of success. [Source]
• The
Kurds will be the more professional forces within the Syrian
Democratic Forces.
• Of
course this faction exists only in name, some kind of handlers on the
ground must be vetting which groups should get supply drops and
establishing communications between them to coordinate attacks.
• A
very small number of US trained rebels are being used as forward air
controllers to call in US airstrikes for this newly minted
organization.
• You
have to give the US credit, it keeps trying. The department of
defense sold its new plans by successfully inserting Special Forces
with Kurds to free ISIL-held prisoners and it has displayed how
effective weapon drops can be in the hands of the right rebels in
fighting ISIL. This has emboldened the US, expect greater escalation
in support.
• Russia
and the US have undertaken a joint exercise together to practice
safety protocols in the air. A step in the right direction, for the
US anyway. [Source]
• Russia
is using much larger weapons, such as the KAB-1500LG guided bomb
which come in several variants, including a fuel-air bomb
(thermobaric) and a bunker buster variant. Indicating that some areas
are HEAVILY fortified to require these beasts. [Source]
[Source]
[Source]
[Source]
[source]
• Russian
anti-air weapon systems are active in Latakia, for now any attack on
Syria must involve very large numbers of fighter craft. A buildup
that sizeable would be detected before an operation can commence.
These anti-air systems are only capable of handling the odd Turkish
or Israeli jet that might want to test the limit of Russian
resolution. [Source]
Army of Conquest, FSA, GCC, and Rebels:
• I can’t seem to understand what exactly is going on with these people. What their strategy is.
• They
seem to be losing battle after battle. Albeit they’ve had a few
tricks up their sleeves such as the ludicrous levels of TOWs (and TOW
rockets…)
• What
few successes they’ve had against the SAA and supporting militias
are very minor compared to the losses they’ve had to endure.
• Their
only hope is for Turkey to create a buffer zone for them inside Syria
to take respite, but that seems very unlikely now that Russia is in
the equation.
• One
has to consider how Al-Nusra and the Army of Conquest gang
(Islamists) feel after Saudi Arabia accepted that the Syrian
government cannot be religious.
• Something
is keeping the Army of Conquest in line after hearing that their hard
fighting won’t see Assad leave and won’t allow them to establish
a religious state.
• Islamists
not affiliated with the FSA or Army of Conquest (Army of Islam, or
Jaish al-Islam) use hostages in cages in a failed attempt to dissuade
air strikes on their positions. The hostages consist of women,
captured Syrian soldier and officers, and minorities [Source]
• The
Army of Islam is part of the Islamic Front, an anti-ISIL Islamist
faction operating in Syria. It is also anti-Hezbollah and does not
operate with the FSA or the Army of Conquest conglomeration. One of
the many independent and capable factions of the Syrian conflict. It
is represented by the Syrian oppositions through third-parties as it
is not officially recognized as an opposition party.
• They
are primarily located around the outskirts of Damascus (Ghouta,
Douma)
Yemen:
• A massive storm has showered Yemen with unseasonal amounts of rain, adding to its already substantial woes.
• Combat operations have been complicated for all parties.
• Another storm seems to be brewing and is heading to the Gulf of Aden. [Source]
Iraq:
• Considering
the hectic unseasonal rains occurring it’s safe to say ISIL is also
having issues. The entire region does not have the proper
infrastructure to handle these levels of rain.
Egypt:
• A
Russian plane fell in the Sinai. If I know one thing is never
underestimate mechanical failures. It does seem though that everyone
is treating the bomb theory seriously just by the way security
agencies are reacting. The Saker has covered this topic very well
already and it would be better to wait for the results. [Source]
• It
seems like Cameron really approves of Sisi, probably because of all
the British investments in Egypt. [Source]
Israel
and Palestine (Gaza and West Bank)
Because people think I’m giving Israel a pass I’ll reflect on some of their actions seen with the Palestinians today. I doubt they’ll enter the Syrian theater anytime soon (if at all). Primarily because the government is going to find it very hard to sell any adventures in foreign territory after Gaza in 2014 and Lebanon in 2006. However it does seem like that something is going to go down in Jerusalem and potentially the West Bank. Gaza right now is being suffocated by both Israel and Egypt (Western-backed dictatorships always listen) and Hamas is not strong enough to resist Israel with the strongest military and Egypt with the largest at the same time.
• However
the time to attack Hezbollah has passed with the Russian arrival.
Strikes on Iranian facilities have also been ruled out due to the
complication of Russian jets in the air.
• The situation right now suits Israel just fine. Syria has been shattered, Iran is occupied with Iraq and Syria, and Hezbollah has been losing manpower slowly fighting other Arabs instead of Israelis.
• Internally Israel has overreacted to a series of knifing attacks by Palestinians.
• The knifing attacking are motivated by the unending and unsympathetic occupation of Palestine [Source]
• The situation right now suits Israel just fine. Syria has been shattered, Iran is occupied with Iraq and Syria, and Hezbollah has been losing manpower slowly fighting other Arabs instead of Israelis.
• Internally Israel has overreacted to a series of knifing attacks by Palestinians.
• The knifing attacking are motivated by the unending and unsympathetic occupation of Palestine [Source]
• The
violence is escalating. A disproportionate number of Palestinians
have been killed compared to Israelis but that has always been the
case [Source]
• For
whatever reason the targeting of women, teenagers, and elderly by
Israel never ceases to surprise me (considering its vast
technological and military capabilities compared to the Palestinians
in West Bank and Gaza). [Source]
[Source]
• The
Israeli perspective shrugs this off as “Pally-wood” in which
Palestinians stage these events in some form of propaganda which
would make Goebbels cream his pants.
• Unfortunately
for Israel this is a hard line to sell considering how fast the world
is beginning to understand the disproportionate struggle which the
Palestinians must endure.
• Israel
and the US enjoy a very friendly relationship. The Israeli lobby
inside the US has a significant level of influence. Although all
lobbies have some impact on the US government and its foreign policy,
Israel by far overshadows all others. [Source]
• Of
course no one claims Israel is innocent in all this with its
double-speak occupation occurring in the West Bank and its systematic
torture of the Gaza people (once extending to even the allotted
calorie intake allowed for the population of Gaza). [Source]
• Israel
has some cover in the media to initiate an operation against the
Palestinians in the West Bank. Right now all eyes are on the Russian
and US and the action in Syria.
• Either
by luck, coincidence or operational planning Israeli military
operations occur when the world is relatively distracted by some
global event. Many operations or wars occurring during international
events (Both the Hezbollah 2006 war and the 2014 Gaza war were around
the same time as FIFA. The second intifada was overshadowed by the
War on Terror the US unleashed on Afghanistan and Iraq.)
• But
more accurately these incidents occur during the Israeli election
season. Leaders want to project themselves as tough on Palestinians
and initiate operations which instigate the population to resist. The
war in Gaza in 2014 (which still allowed Netanyahu to win the early
elections months later) is a good example. [Source]
• It
feels like Israel is fanning the flames to the current issue issuing
ridiculous charges for stone-throwing (didn’t David defeat Goliath
with a stone?), storming the Al-Aqsa mosque, impressing
discriminatory policies, arresting children and hunting teenagers for
posting on Facebook. [Source]
[Source]
[Source]
[Source]
[Source]
• Israel
has mastered the use of deception and public relations but as the
media becomes more proliferated it has become somewhat harder to
maintain the narrative [Source]
• Israel
has not had a war since the 2014 onslaught in Gaza.
• Russia
will probably not condemn anything Israel will do right now against
the Palestinians. I only can offer the fact that Israel isn’t
making a stink about Russia’s direct involvement in the Syrian
battlefield.
• True
enough Israel hasn’t been more vocal about Russian involvement.
Generally speaking Israelis like to make a fuss about any shift of
power inside the Middle East. Twice is true to countries directly
bordering theirs.
• They
made a huge ordeal about the Saudis purchasing F-15E from the US and
insisted their advanced radar features be reduced, thus creating the
F-15S for Saudi export (downgraded radar features). And this is Saudi
Arabia, one of the least resistant countries to Israel. [Source]
[Source]
• Israel
is a hyper-military power. Its projection capabilities are second to
none in the region. Unfortunately the IDF soldier of today lacks the
will for war, unlike the generations before them. This is reflected
on their unwillingness to aggressively engage Hezbollah or militarily
defeat Hamas.
• Israel
attacks the Palestinians on multiple fronts, in the media,
economically, physically in person and even on the international
level. [Source]
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