News from Syria - 03/03/2018

This report IS accurate and emphasises certain aspects of this

BREAKING NEWS: TURKEY DIRECTLY BOMBS SYRIAN ARMY TROOPS; DOZENS KILLED - BOMBING CONTINUING

HalTurner,

3 March, 2018

Turkish warplanes struck Syrian government forces in Afrin on Saturday, killing at least 36 soldiers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The forces loyal to President President Bashar al-Assad of Syria entered Afrin last week to support the People’s Protection Units, the Kurdish militia known as Y.P.G. that is the stated target of the operation Turkey and allied Syrian rebel fighters began in January.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain, said the airstrike, which hit a camp in Kafr Jina, was the third time in 48 hours that Turkish warplanes had struck pro-government forces in Afrin.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led, United States-backed alliance, said in a statement that Turkish airstrikes had targeted positions held by the Syrian Army’s “popular forces” from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.

It did not specify a location and did not give a death toll.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of Turkey said his country’s forces had captured the town of Rajo from militants. The monitoring group said the Turkish Army was in control of about 70 percent of the town, 16 miles northwest of the city of Afrin.

The Syrian Democratic Forces statement said that a group of Turkish forces and allied Syrian factions had infiltrated Rajo, and that clashes were continuing there.

Syria is now considering shooting down Turk war planes over its territorial air space. 

Russia is in consultation with the Syrian government as to the full-scale-war implications of taking such action, but the Syria government is insisting this is needed.

US efforts to stop the Turkish attacks are completely unsuccessful.

The Turkish bombings of Syrian forces is continuing at this hour.

Turkey kills over 50 Syrian pro-gov’t fighters in one week

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:30 A.M.) – The Turkish Armed Forces have killed scores of Syrian pro-government fighters this week amid their latest push in the Afrin region of Aleppo.

On Saturday, 36 pro-government fighters from the National Defense Forces (NDF) were killed inside the town of Kafr Jina after Turkish warplanes bombed their positions near the front-lines in Afrin.

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The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led alliance of militias operating in northern Syria, has confirmed that Turkish airstrikes targeted Syrian forces in the early hours of Saturday morning, but did not provide any information on casualties.

Prior to this bombing, the Turkish Air Force killed 19 NDF fighters at a town near the government’s border with the Afrin region.

Breaking: Russian warplanes unleash powerful airstrikes onto Islamist forces across east Damascus as Syrian Army storms key town

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:34 A.M.) – Since about midnight on Sunday, Russian warplanes have been in the process of carrying out another wave of heavy night strikes against militant groups across Damascus’ East Ghouta region.

So far Russian airpower has delivered several dozen precision strikes against rebel tactical positions, movements and gatherings in the district towns of Masraba, Beit Sawa and Douma with devastating effect.



The bombardment by Russian jets has somewhat complicated the efforts of Free Syrian Army affiliate militia Faylaq al-Rahman to reinforce Jaysh al-Islam’s position around Ash-Shifuniyah.



On the ground, elite Syrian Army assault units have geared up for yet another night assault against insurgent forces inside the stronghold town of Ar-Rayhan following the capture of its surrounding farmlands on Saturday afternoon.



At the present time, heavy clashes are ongoing in the vicinity of Ar-Rayhan as Syrian troops aim to breach the first line of rebel defenses on the town’s outskirts.

Breaking: Syrian Army readies for major offensive in northwest Hama – reports

BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:45 P.M.) – Forces of the Syrian Army and allied paramilitaries appear to be preparing for a major offensive operation against rebel groups in the northwestern countryside of Hama province according to some pro-government sources.

Reports state that the Syrian Army and allied forces are mobilizing significant numbers of troops and equipment at the frontline opposite the long-standing militant stronghold of Qalaat al-Mudiq.



If the reports true and Qalaat al-Mudiq is the target, then Syrian pro-government forces will be opening up a front in a region of Hama province that has been relatively quiet for many years.



Earlier on in the Syrian conflict, the Syrian Army suffered major losses during multiple assaults (all of which failed) to recapture Qalaat al-Mudiq from Islamist fighters.