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Russia
strikes ISIS targets in Syria from sub in Mediterranean for first
time
©
Vitaliy Ankov / Sputnik
RT,
8
December, 2015
Russia
has, for the first time, targeted Islamic State targets in Syria with
Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles launched from a submarine in the
Mediterranean Sea, according to Russia’s Defense Minister.
The
3M-54 Kalibr missiles were launched from the Kilo-class
diesel-electric submarine “Rostov-on-Don”, Defense Minister
Sergey Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
Russia’s
warships based in the Caspian and Mediterranean seas launched similar
missiles targeting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) positions
in late November. This is the first time that Russia has targeted IS
in Syria from a submarine.
“[The
missiles] targeted two major terrorist positions in the territory of
Raqqa,”
he said.
“We
can say with absolute confidence that significant damage has been
inflicted upon ammunition warehouses and a mine production plant, as
well as the oil infrastructure.”
Earlier
on Tuesday, a source within the Russian Ministry of Defense revealed
that the Rostov-on-Don, equipped with modern Russian Kalibr cruise
missiles, had appeared near the Syrian coast.
Shoigu
stated that in the past three days Russian Air Forces have carried
out over 300 sorties hitting 600 terrorist targets.
“In
the past three days, the operation involved Tu-22 planes as well as
warplanes from the Khmeimim airbase. In total we carried out
300 sorties and hit 600 various targets,” he
said adding that all sorties were performed with the backing of Su-30
fighter jets.
Speaking
to the president, Shoigu also said that the flight recorder of the
Russian Su-24, recently downed by Turkey near the Syrian-Turkish
border, has been found and presented it to Putin.
Putin
told Shoigu that it should be opened only in the presence of
international experts.
Russia
has been conducting airstrikes targeting Islamic State (IS, former
ISIS, ISIL) militants and other terrorist groups in Syria since
September 30. The air campaign was launched after a formal request
from Damascus. Russian jets have been carrying out sorties from
Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia.
Turkey
has been insisting that it downed the Russian Su-24 bomber on
November 24 because the jet had violated its airspace for “17
seconds” and said that the jet’s crew had been repeatedly warned
prior to the attack.
Moscow
has denied Ankara’s claims, saying that the Turkish F-16 attacked
the Su-24 without warning and over Syrian territory. The surviving
Russian pilot, Konstantin Murakhtin, stated that neither he nor
Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov, who was killed by Turkmen rebel
machine gun fire after ejecting, had received any radio or visual
warning.
Russian Forces Launch 2,000 Bombs Against Terrorists in Syria
Russian
Aerospace Forces have launched some 2,000 aerial bombs in Syria,
destroying numerous extremist infrastructure targets over four days,
the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
According
to the statement, 1,920 bombs were launched against militants since
December 5.
"Seventy
command centers, 21 training camps, six munitions and explosives
plants, 43 munitions depots and six oil objects were destroyed,"
the ministry said.
Intensified
airstrikes from Russian forces have allowed the Syrian army to
develop its offensive in key regions, the statement added.
"As
a result, the strikes have created the conditions for further
offensive action of the Syrian army in cooperation with other armed
forces in the areas of Aleppo, Idlib, mountainous Latakia and
Palmyra."
Moscow
has conducted airstrikes against Daesh, also known as ISIL/the
Islamic State, in Syria since September 30, acting at the request of
the legitimate government of Bashar al-Assad. Russian warships
stationed in the Caspian Sea have also launched successful cruise
missile strikes against the terrorist group.
Moscow expects ‘unpredictable’ Ankara will avoid further reckless actions
©
Cem Ozdel / Reuters
In
the wake of Turkey disturbing deployment of troops in Iraq, Moscow
hopes that Ankara will avoid escalating situation in the region with
any further reckless actions, including in the territory of Syria,
said Russia’s UN envoy following a UN Security Council meeting.
"We
hope that this concern that the UN Secretary-General and several
members of the Security Council had shown during the meeting we had
convened, will cool down the hot heads in Ankara, that they will
settle the situation in Iraq in the way that would satisfy the Iraqi
government," Vitaly
Churkin said.
Russian
diplomat stressed that Moscow hopes Turkey “will
not carry out any new reckless moves, including on the Syrian
territory.”
Up
to 150 Turkish troops equipped with tanks and artillery crossed into
Iraq’s northern province, allegedly to train forces battling
Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). Turkish troops did not simply
cross the Iraqi border into the Nineveh province, but penetrated 100
kilometer into Iraq, reaching the Bashiqa region, about 10 kilometers
northeast of Mosul which has been occupied by IS terrorists since
mid-2014.
"I
have come to the conclusion those actions were unexpected for the US,
which is rather strange, which once again proves Turkey is an
unpredictable player, which may undertake actions that not only cause
protest among the Iraqis, but may even bewilder the US," Churkin
added.
Iraqi
Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim reiterated that Baghdad considers the
deployment of Turkish troops “illegal” and
in violation of the UN charter, demanding their withdrawal. However,
he added that Baghdad and Ankara want to resolve the issue in
bilateral discussions without raising the issue with the council.
Turkey
has ignored Baghdad’s ultimatum to withdraw its troops and,
according to the Iraqi PM, was lying when it said it received
Baghdad’s blessing to invade part of its territory.
Meanwhile
Ankara claims that heavily armed troops are necessary to protect an
Iraqi Kurd training mission, which is taking place near the frontline
with IS.
“It
is our duty to provide security for our soldiers providing training
there,” the
Guardian cited the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as
saying in an interview with Kanal 24 television. “Everybody
is present in Iraq ... the goal of all of them is clear.”
Downed Su-24’s black box to reveal truth about Turkey’s treacherous strike – Putin
Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meet in
the Novo-Ogaryovo residence. The parametric recorder of the Russian
SU-24 combat aircraft downed by the Turkish Air Force was found and
shown to the Russian President by the Defense Minister. © Michael
Klimentyev / Sputnik
The
flight recorder of the Russian Su-24 recently downed by Turkey in
Syria has been recovered and presented to President Putin, who said
it must be opened in the presence of international experts to reveal
truth about the treacherous “stab in the back.”
Russian
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu provided Russian President Vladimir
Putin with the recovered flight recorder on Tuesday during their
meeting in Moscow. Shoigu said that Russia has been actively
conducting operations on Syrian territory, where the Russian Su-24
pilot was “gunned down” by Turkmen militants after he had ejected
from the plane.
Germany
says enough is enough to Saudis on sponsoring Islamic extremism
Germany
claims that Saudi Arabia is sponsoring Islamic extremism, saying that
Wahhabi mosques all over the world are sponsored by Saudis. According
to the German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, many Islamists who are
a threat to public safety come from these communities in Germany.
Saudi Arabia on the other hand objects and assures everyone they are
part of the anti-Islamic State coalition and fights side by side
against terror. However, German intelligence claim Saudi foreign
policy is now all about ‘impulsive intervention.’
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA-IRAQ BATTLESPACE, DEC. 8, 2015
ISIS
militants launched a full-scale offensive on the villages of Ayyash
and Bgelia after the US-led ‘anti-ISIS’ coalition’s airstrikes
against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in this area. On Sunday, the
US-led ‘anti-ISIS’ coalition poundend the Syrian Arab Army’s
positions in the province of Deir Ezzor. 1 soldier was killed and
half dozen others were wounded. According to the reports, the
military camp belongs to the SAA’s 137th Artillery Brigade in the
village of ‘Ayyash was a main target of the US warplanes.
On
Monday, the SAA launched an offensive in Jabal Al-Akrad and took
control of Burj Al-Qasab. several It allowed the pro-government
forces to capture several key locations earlier controlled by
Al-Nusra, the Free Syrian Army and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham in the
Latakia province. They are the village of ‘Ikko located near the
town of Kabani, and the villages of Bouz Al-Khirbat, Beit Fares, and
Al-Mughayriyah. It allows the SAA and its allies to advance on
Kabani.
On
December 7, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reiterated the
withdrawl of Turkish troops from northern Iraq within 24 hours.
Turkey were invited by the Kurdish Regional Government, with no
coordination or communication with Baghdad. It has since said it will
replace existing troops in Iraq that number a few hundred, with as
many as 2000 soldiers. The Iraqi security forces and the Shi’ite
militias are overstretched with their fight against ISIS and they
have little presence in this Peshmerga controlled area. It can only
be speculated that how Iraq will respond to the Turkish invasion once
the 24 hour ultimatum expires.
The
Kuwaiti al-Rai news website quoted an informed diplomat as saying
that the US is attempting to gather the forces called by Washington
as moderate opposition in one region to create a foothold for the
militants’ further expansion in Syria. According to the report,
US-supported militants have entered Southwestern Syria which shares
borders with Jordan. The reports were rejected by Amman.
SouthFront:
Analysis & Intelligence remembers when Russia started air raids
on terrorists in Syria over two months ago, some 3,000 terrorists
escaped through the border with Jordan. Earlier in May, US defense
officials said that at least 400 US military military advicers were
ready in Turkey and Jordan to start training of over 3,000 anti-Syria
militants to join fight against the government of President Bashar
al-Assad.
Qatar Gives U.S. Manufactured Missiles to Al-Nusra in Syria
Reports
from opposition forces in Syria have claimed that Qatar have
delivered 20 American TOW missiles to the Al-Nusra Front.
The
Al-Nusra Front are the Al-Qaeda branch in Syria. Although Western
states and Arab gulf states try to portray the Al-Nusra Front as
rebel opposition, it cannot be overlooked their parent organisation
was responsible for the the twin tower attacks in New York on
September 11, 2011.
If
this report is confirmed true, it would prove what has always been
speculated; that Qatar have been supporting radical Islamists in the
near five year old war in Syria.
ISIS
one of the best funded terror organizations in history
ISIS
is reportedly making $80,000,000 a month, 43 percent of which comes
from illegal oil sales. The US State Department says that targeting
of ISIL’s oil revenue has not changed, but by many accounts they
began to attack the group’s oil supply chain only recently. The
first strike on ISIS oil trucks came as late as November 16. One
reason for an intensified effort could be that after ISIL's attacks
in Lebanon and Paris, US policy-makers saw that ISIL could not be
georgraphically contained
The
fact that Turkey arrested two journalists who exposed their
diabolical plan once again proves that the New World Order is
crumbling, and people everywhere are rising up. This will ultimately
prove Hegel’s “the cunning of reason,” which basically says
that truth will triumph in the end....
A
deal was reached last week that - if implemented - will see rebels
evacuate from Homs and the siege of rebel-held neighborhoods ended
with government control fully restored
A
deal has been reached for thousands of insurgents to leave the last
opposition-held neighborhood in the central city of Homs and for
state institutions to return to the area, an opposition monitoring
group and a Syrian official said Tuesday.
SANA
News - translated by Joaquin Flores for Fort Russ -
A
Turkish terrorist "EK", who lives in Istanbul, said that
Turkish security officials in northern Syria were preparing,
providing security, and smuggling terrorist groups. He added that
even the names of these terrorist battalions "Sultan Murad",
"Sultan Salim", "Muhammad Fateh", "An-Nur
Din Zenko" and others were given by the Turkish special
services.
EK
told the Turkish newspaper «Bugun», that the battalion "Sultan
Murad" was formed by three people at the beginning of the Syrian
crisis; they were the first three deserters, officers, from the
Syrian Arab Army, huddled together, who had been living in refugee
camps in Turkey.
The
terrorist said that he and other militants received military training
at the training camp, not far from Ankara, under the leadership of
the Turkish police.
"In
the camp, we were training a month, in our group was 30 people. We
have been taught to deal with heavy weapons. Syrian rebels for 3
years have passed training in the same camp, "- said EK
According
to him, the Turkish regime has provided the rebels weapons,
ammunition, which were delivered in trucks to the cities of Reyhanli
and Azzaz for transfer, and officers of the Turkish secret services
watched on.
Islamic
State’s campaign of terror in Iraq and Syria is being aided by the
weapons indirectly supplied by the very countries trying to fight
them, with the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 giving the terrorist
group access to “a large and lethal arsenal.”
The
claims were made in a study by Amnesty International, entitled
‘Taking Stock: The arming of Islamic State,’ which was released
on Tuesday. Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) acquired most of
its munitions by raiding weapons depots of the Iraqi government army.
However, the capture of weapons on the battlefield, defections and an
illicit trade have helped to keep their supplies well-stocked
The
death toll from a suspected US-coalition airstrike on a Syrian
village could be as high as 34, according to local sources. The US
military say they are investigating the allegations.
The
alleged attack by US-led coalition forces on the Syrian village of
Al-Khan was carried out on Monday. Western sources have put the death
toll at 26, but Syrian political commentator Alaa Ebrahim said the
figure is likely to be even higher.
“The
number of casualties are likely to be larger than 27. We have a
source in a hospital in Al-Malikiyah suggesting that the number is 30
dead and 17 wounded and the number is likely to rise as there are
many people who would not be taken to hospital for fear of being
arrested by the Kurdish or Syrian government,” Ebrahim said.
Syria: British Airstrike Kills 20 Civilians in Hasaka
TEHRAN
(FNA)- Twenty civilians were killed in a US airstrike on Syria’s
Northeastern Hasaka province following another US air raid on the
Syrian army base in Southeastern Deir Ezzur province that killed
several soldiers earlier today. (British planes have been identified
as responsible for the Syrian army raid and may well have done this
one also.)
The
US-led airstrikes hit al-Khan near al-Hawl town in Hasakah, killing
20 civilians and injuring 30 others.
Earlier
this morning, four US-led coalition warplanes targeted the Syrian
army camp with 9 rockets, claiming the lives of 4 soldiers and
injuring 16 others.
Both
dissidents and government sources confirmed early on Monday that the
US warplanes struck the military camp of the Syrian army’s 137th
Artillery Brigade (17th Reserve Division) in the Southern part of
‘Ayyash’ village, killing 4 soldiers instantly and wounding 16
more. Six of the wounded soldiers are in critical condition.
They
further added that the ISIL terrorists stormed the bombed camp a few
hours after the air attack.
The
Syrian army’s 137th Brigade has been protecting the civilians in
‘Ayyash’ from the swarming ISIL fighters that are attempting to
break into the provincial capital of the Deir Ezzur province from the
Northern side; this airstrike only boosted the ISIL positions inside
this village and the nearby broadcast tower.
The
sources further added that the ISIL launched an offensive against the
government forces’ positions in Ayyash village 10 kilometers
Northwest of Deir Ezzur city.
The
Syrian army and its allies have gained upper hand in the Eastern
province of Deir Ezzur in the recent weeks, after new recruits of
popular forces joined the army and won back new lands across the
province , and meantime fended off the ISIL attacks on their
positions, mainly the Deir Ezzur airbase.
TURKISH F-16 TO WITHDRAW AFTER BEING CONFRONTED WITH RUSSIAN
SU-34
The
Turkish aim to support Syrian terrorists are conducting a serious
threat of an open military escalation in the region.
Turkey
inserted its commandos into border regions of Syria inhabited by
Turkmens, while Russian Air-force started hammering their positions
immediately.
Russian
bombers in this operation were escorted by nine Su-34 fighter jets,
that flew along Syria-Turkey border.
Turkey
scrambled F-16 , but their pilots didn’t even dare to interfere
with bombing of their own on the ground, reports online portal Fakti.
The
deployment of approximately one thousand Turkish troops in Iraq
doesn't just represent an unlawful occupation, but one which is being
actively endorsed by the United States, according to Oleg Glazunov of
the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
In
an interview with Sputnik, Oleg Glazunov of the Moscow-based
Plekhanov Russian University of Economics suggested that Washington
could be behind Turkey's decision to send its troops to Iraq, in a
move that Glazunov slammed as an act of occupation.
The
interview came after Turkey deployed hundreds of personnel to a camp
in northern Iraq's Bashiqa region, located near the city of Mosul,
currently controlled by Daesh, (ISIL/ISIS). Ankara has called it a
routine rotation to train Iraqis to retake Mosul.
"I
would consider it an occupation which comes amid the re-division of
the world. No doubt, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying
to turn his country into a new Ottoman Empire," Glazunov said.
He
added that "in the eyes of the Turkish political elite, this
Iraqi territory remains an essential part of Turkey, which was cut
off from Istanbul in the 1920s when the Ottoman Empire collapsed
after World War I."
"Turkey
is interested in annexing the northern territories of Iraq and Syria.
However, Erdogan certainly got the go-ahead from Washington before
ordering the troop deployment to the area," Glazunov pointed
out.
He
also said that Turkey is unlikely to take part in a ground operation
in this region and that Turkish troops will be supported by Kurds who
have been fighting for the past fifty years in northern Iraq.
"Most
likely, these Turkish troops have been deployed to strengthen
morale," Glazunov said.
He
added that the Iraqi government has a legal right to respond to the
invasion, but that Baghdad is unlikely to retaliate because of
possible consequences.
"How
can they respond? They are only fighting Daesh thanks to Iran's
support and this alone helps them to contain the terrorists'
offensive," Glazunov said, adding that he does not rule out a
"hidden conflict" between Turkish and Iranian forces.
Iraqi
Forces on Standby to Take Action if Turkey Refuses to Withdraw Troops
On
Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi gave Turkey 24 hours to
withdraw its troops from Iraq to avoid the matter being reviewed by
the UN Security Council. Turkey has refused to do so.
Iraq's
Popular Mobilization Forces, for their part, have pledged to take
appropriate measures against Turkish forces if Ankara does not pull
its troops out of the country by the deadline set out by the Iraqi
government.
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