News from Syria -update - 12/16/2015

Russians deliver a devastating blow to Turkey as the Syrian Army captures large parts of northern Latakia

al Masdar News,

17 December, 2015

Last month in the Latakia Governorate’s northern countryside, the Turkish Air Force committed a fatal error inside this coastal province when they decided to shoot down a Russian SU-24 fighter jet that was flying over the Turkmen Mountains.

The Turkish Government alleged they repeatedly warned the Russian fighter jet that it was violating Turkish airspace before they made the decision to shoot it down from their F-16 warplane; however, Russian military officials later revealed that the Russian SU-24 was actually shot down while it was operating inside Syria’s borders.

Since this turbulent confrontation in northern Syria, the Russian Federation has struck back against the Turkish regime with an increase of aerial activity on the Turkish-Syrian border and an influx of airstrikes over the Turkmen Mountains (Jabal Al-Turkmen).

As a result of their increased aerial activity in the Latakia Governorate, the Russian Air Force has propelled the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies across several kilometers of territory that was previously under the control of the Turkish-backed Islamist rebels for nearly three years.

On Wednesday, the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade of the Republican – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF), the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), and Muqawama Souri (Syrian Resistance) – imposed full control over the strategic mountains of Jabal Al-Nuba and the imperative hilltops of Point 793 and Shayr Al-Sahaab that overlook the Idlib Governorate.

The Russian Federation has delivered its most effective response to the Turkish regime for downing their fighter jet via the Syrian Arab Army; and in truth, this has proven to be the most damaging response yet.

The Turkish Army has been forced to watch the Syrian Arab Army capture large parts of northern Latakia and the Turkish border without being able to respond because the Russians are watching closely and they are well-armed with their anti-aircraft missiles.

US withdrawing 12 warplanes from Turkish air base

Yahoo,

16 December, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is withdrawing a dozen warplanes from a Turkish air base, barely a month after they arrived to help Turkey protect its air space and to conduct strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq, officials said Wednesday.

The decision was announced by U.S. European Command in Germany one day after Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Incirlik Air Base, where the six F-15 Eagles and six F-15 Strike Eagles arrived last month from their home base in Britain. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, told reporters that the timing was a coincidence.

During his visit Carter made no mention of the plan to withdraw the F-15s. He said the U.S. is looking for ways to do more to hasten the defeat of the Islamic State group, including by urging coalition partners to play a greater role.

European Command's announcement said the F-15s were returning to Britain on Wednesday.

Davis said the withdrawal should not be seen as a change in the U.S. commitment to Turkey or to the counter-IS campaign.

"I wouldn't read anything into us moving these out of there as any sort of less combat capability ... to be able to strike in Syria," Davis said.

The U.S. still has 12 A-10 close-air support aircraft based at Incirlik, as well as drone aircraft and refueling planes. The U.S. intends to replace six of the departing F-15s with a like number of additional A-10s, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment has not been announced.

Some coalition partners have expressed a willingness to send more planes to Incirlik before the end of January, the senior U.S. defense official said. That would push the total number of coalition warplanes at Incirlik back to, and possibly above, the total of 59 that were based there before the F-15s began leaving Wednesday, the official said.

When Turkey agreed earlier this year to permit the U.S. to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State with planes based at Incirlik, the Pentagon touted the decision as an important milestone. It shortened the time and distance required to conduct airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, compared with strikes flown from bases in the Persian Gulf area.

At the beginning of September there were 15 coalition aircraft based at Incirlik as part of the counter-IS coalition.

Russian Air Force Conducts 59 Sorties, Hit 200 ISIL Targets in Syria

Syrian and Russian Air Forces have conducted 59 combat missions hitting 200 ISIL targets in 7 Syrian provinces over past 24 hours, the Russian Defense ministry said.

“Over past 24 hours Russian warplanes have conducted 59 sorties, hitting 212 ISIL targets in the Syrian province of Aleppo, Idleb, Latakia, Hama, Homs, al-Hasakah an Raqqa,” the Defense Ministry spokesman told journalists.

Military spokesman of the army: 563 targets for terrorist destroyed during last week

16 December، 2015

Damascus, SANA-Military spokesman of the Syrian army affirmed on Wednesday that 563 targets for terrorists were destroyed in sorties carried out by the army’s air force and at least 130 terrorists, most of them from Jabhat al-Nusra, were killed in the army’s continued operations against their sites.

“The Syrian Air Force carried out 193 sorties on 563 targets in the countryside of Damascus, Homs, Hama, Idleb, Lattakia and Deir Ezzor during the last week,” The military spokesman said.

He added that the raids destroyed two ISIS’ sites in Homs countryside and Deir Ezzor, two fortified positions of Jabhat al-Nusra in Hama and supplying center and two depots.

The spokesman pointed out that 2 convoys of vehicles were destroyed in Aleppo countryside in addition to targeting terrorists’ gatherings in the countryside of Idleb, Hama and Homs.

He affirmed that the Russian and Syrian airstrikes helped the army units establish control over Marj al-Sultan village, the Airport and the nearby farms, as well as the southern farms of al-Blaliya in Eastern al-Ghouta.

The army spokesman said that army targeted terrorists’ gatherings and destroyed 3 of their sites in Daraa, while in Homs the army killed more than 30 terrorists in an ambush, including terrorists’ leaders in the area between Jawalk and al-Mahta.

The army units also established control over Zanoba al-Shamalia, Zanoba al-Janobia and Qatshiya villages in the eastern countryside of Hama, according to the spokesman.

He said that more than 100 terrorists were killed and 2 armored vehicles and heavy-equipped vehicles were destroyed when terrorists tried to infiltrate towards military checkpoints in al-Boida al-Masasna, Zilin, al-Mahroka, Zor and al-Zalakiat in the northern countryside of Hama.

The military spokesman noted that army units established control over Mreikis, al-Qrihya, Abu Rawil al-Saibia and Dlama villages and inflicted heavy losses upon the terrorists in personnel and equipment, adding that the aircraft movement returned to normal at Kwairis Military Airport after the army had expanded its control on the area surrounding the airport.

The army also advanced in Lattakia countryside, establishing control over al-Noba and al-Koz Mountains, after killing many terrorists, according to the military spokesman.

He affirmed that the Russian and Syrian air strikes have caused heavy losses in the infrastructure of the terrorist organizations and weakened their fund resources, yet they retreat and collapse, others flee into more than one direction.

Manar/Mazen

Syrian Army officially in full control of strategic Marj Al-Sultan Airport in rural Damascus

Over the last 4 days, the Syrian Arab Army’s 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard was immersed in a heated battle with the Islamist rebels of Jaysh Al-Islam (Army of Islam) for control of the Marj Al-Sultan Military Airport in the East Ghouta region of rural Damascus.

On Sunday, the Syrian Arab Army’s 105th Brigade – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Damascus City – captured the strategic Helicopter Airfields and Helicopter Airbase that is situated at the southern part of Marj Al-Sultan; this paved the way for the pro-government forces to attack the main village that housed the Islamist commanders of Jaysh Al-Islam.

The following day, the Syrian Arab Army’s 105th Brigade and the National Defense Forces imposed full control over the village of Marj Al-Sultan, capturing the entire command and control center, including the lead commander of Jaysh Al-Islam at the Marj Al-Sultan Military Airport – he is currently under arrest in Damascus.

All that was left for the Syrian Armed Forces to capture in the Marj Al-Sultan area of the East Ghouta was the main Helicopter Military Base that was situated to the north of the recently captured village.

Earlier today, the Syrian Armed Forces finally seized the Helicopter Military Base and the P-35 Radar Base that is situated to the north of Marj Al-Sultan; this led to the official liberation of the Marj Al-Sultan area and the Syrian Arab Army’s advance into the central region of the East Ghouta.

Hezbollah crushes ISIS in eastern Lebanon

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has had a horrible week in eastern Lebanon, thanks in large part to the Lebanese Resistance’s (Hezbollah) unwillingness to yield any ground to the encroaching terrorists in the Ras Ba’albak and Jaroud Qa’a area of the Beqa’a Governorate.

However, the severe loss of life to the Lebanese Resistance did not seem to phase the ISIS command; instead, they decided to intensify each attack with an increase in manpower, which would ultimately prove to be unwise as they suffered 45+ casualties in the Beqa’a Governorate over the last 72 hours.

On Thursday morning, the situation did not get any better for ISIS in eastern Lebanon, as their decision to strike the town of Jaroud Al-Qa’a near the Syrian border-crossing left them with over 20+ combatants dead and several others wounded.

Unable to recover from their first failed assault this morning, ISIS was forced to retreat towards Jaroud ‘Arsal in order to evade Hezbollah’s mortar shells and their disciplined snipers that tend to pick-off terrorists lurking around the area.

More importantly, Hezbollah has proven to be one of the most effective forces against ISIS in both Syria and Lebanon; this is something that is often dismissed by anti-Hezbollah publications in the West and the Gulf.