Syria in 2016 (April-June)

[OUTLAW 09]

Islamic State supporters having a field day with:
- Iranian militia atrocities in #Fallujah
- Iraqi Ikhwans' support for that offensive

Many Iraqis will see the US as complicit in Shia militia atrocities in Fallujah, fine distinctions of air support notwithstanding.

Raqqa_SL

Surprisingly all the world is interested in taking #Raqqa where are u in Mar 2013 when the city is taken by #FSA why u didn't help #US #RUS


Syrian Sunni's are seeing the same sort of Shia atrocities being carried out by YPD/PKK as well as Iranian troops.....there is no difference between the two of them towards Syrian Arab Sunni's.

[OUTLAW 09]

Islamic State supporters having a field day with:
- Iranian militia atrocities in #Fallujah
- Iraqi Ikhwans' support for that offensive

Many Iraqis will see the US as complicit in Shia militia atrocities in Fallujah, fine distinctions of air support notwithstanding.

Raqqa_SL

Surprisingly all the world is interested in taking #Raqqa where are u in Mar 2013 when the city is taken by #FSA why u didn't help #US #RUS


Syrian Sunni's are seeing the same sort of Shia atrocities being carried out by YPD/PKK as well as Iranian troops.....there is no difference between the two of them towards Syrian Arab Sunni's.

[CrowBat]

CrowBat.....many thanks.......

You're welcome.

Would like to observe, that the point of the entire exercise was trying to find out, and then explaining how the Russians think - i.e. how are their top political and military leaders thinking in regards of their air force - and why they do things the way they do. Not to acuse anybody.

Anyway, this resulted in a write-up of about 30,000 words, then in a 1.800 words 'resume', from which a 1.000-words article was distilled.

So, sadly, few useful explanations are missing, as are all the references. In turn the latter is now used by an entire brigade of Russo-trolls to (literaly) bitch about it.

Particularly interesting is that nobody serious is actually complaining about the message and content of that article as such (on the contrary, several representatives of various NGOs active in Syria concluded that there's nothing good they can expect coming their way in the next few days, weeks etc.). The 'pearl' of an exception was Sergey Chernyshov, who's complaining,

I have stopped reading after the following sentence:
“This unit used to have four Kamov Ka-52 helicopter gunships, but these were all destroyed in an accident at Tiyas air base on May 14, 2016.”

We have all seen satellite images that shown 4 burned-down Mi-24 gunships on a base near Aleppo. All except the author, who doesn’t care about fact-checking before publishing.

Actually, the only one who didn't do any fact-checking is he, then Tiyas AB is half-way between Homs and Palmyra, but certainly nowhere near Aleppo.

Plus, not only that earliest reports cited destruction of Ka-52s, and that it's 'Mi-24s' only since publication of STRATFOR's article: ever since that accident (it was no attack) there are no Russian Ka-52s to be seen anywhere around Syria.

In another instance (Twitter) a well-known IRGC-troll (banned from several aviation forums after declaring himself a 'part of elite rulling over undereducated masses'), complained I've been paid by Qatari and Turkish think-tanks. ...until somebody from Turkey advised him there's not a single Turkish think-tank capable of running such studies... then the 'Messiah' deleted all of his related posts.

After such experiences, can't but admit: sometimes I find it really scarry to see in what sort of 'world' are we living nowadays.

[OUTLAW 09]

WHILE US/SDF is racing to Raqqa...Assad and Putin are racing to Aleppo......

Russia & #Syria'n regime have a daily beat rate of 70-120 airstrikes on #Aleppo & suburbs
Now half of their airpower concentrated here

One wonders just what kind of US intelligence Obama WH is getting AND OR ignoring....???

Not WP but other Russian incendiary ordnance (pics via @MarkHiznay and @Arms_Research)

Assad-forces with their new #Russia'n T-90 tanks on road toward #Raqqa

SDF advance from south toward western entrence of #Manbij -probably to reach al-Bab road

Daesh cut off road #Hama -> Ithriya crossing this morning but #Assad-forces convoy still advance on road toward #Raqqa

IS claim destroyed regime tank & Chilka at Altnahj barrier on road to #Raqqa

Tour in Qalaajiyah village in southern #Aleppo after regime retreated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXkhrX7ahs4 …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36...29161&z=15&m=b …

1st Regiment targeted with a #TOW a tank in Sheikh Said, #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR9mNVRWh50 …

A 4th #ATGM strike by Faylaq Al-Sham on Humayra front takes out a pick-up w/ 14.5 mm gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEldN6a3vhk …

Russia'n carpet bombing on western #Aleppo suburbs last night
https://youtu.be/aJRwBUDzOY8

Rebels destroyed tank in southern outskirts of #Aleppo with TOW

Assad-forces now 25km away from former Tabqa Airbase near #Raqqa Seems #IslamicState in #Syria cut in 2 halves soon
REALLY do think Assad is after the AF not Raqqa.......needs it for the RUAF

[OUTLAW 09]

breaking
russia today account hacked!!!
Ukrainian hackers post ridiculous gif animations of putin now.

[OUTLAW 09]

This is the second time Assad has stated this in a public speeches...the first time the Russians reined him in...now it appears the Russians just did it to mislead the US and the UN into believing they really wanted to make Geneva work and Putin was not interested in "recapturing the entire anti Assad and IS held areas"......JUST as he claimed he was going to rebuild all of Syria that he and Putin have completely destroyed.....sure......

Syrian president #Assad says "our war against terrorism" will continue until it is uprooted - televised speech

Cessation of Hostilities?
Regimes of Silence?
Forgot about it!
Putin,Rouhani & Assad want to recapture all of Syria.

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage
Syrian rebel group destroys pro-#Assad BMP near #Humeira with ATGM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjVQ...ature=youtu.be …

And another one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQCEnHMnEGo …

Kurdish TV: 300 civilians killed by Shiite militias in school yard near Fallujah after fleeing the ISIS-held town.

Adding to multiple reports of mass torture and revenge killings of civilians.

And the US bombs for one of the sides in that sectarian war.

Syrian Rebels in Aleppo kill Reza Kharmi a leader in the Iranian revolutionary guards

Rebel group "New Syrian Army" denies presence of British troops in their ranks
http://bit.ly/1XyEouu #Syria

Daraya: Assad regime repelled & lose 2 tanks, a Shilka & 8 soldiers
http://bit.ly/1XyDPkp

[OUTLAW 09]

This is the most perfect example of just how hard western MSM is working or better yet not working......

Ukraine SBU arrested those involved and prevented 15 terrorist attacks in France but planners were not Muslim so it's not newsworthy

Just your simple everyday run of the mill proRussian neo fascists hard at work....planning on carrying out a "false flag" series of attacks.....

[OUTLAW 09]

SO Russia finally admits it is deliberately targeting and killing civilians......

Russia: "All civilians getting killed in airstrikes have themselves to blame"
https://www.rt.com/news/345552-lavro...leppo-support/ …

Every time Russia kills civilians it makes a statement denying that it did & everyone just forgets about it
http://tass.ru/en/world/880407

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage Destruction in #Aleppo after several air strikes today. 3 injured.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oXz8AlANLA …

News Multiple air strikes by the #Assad and #Putin air forces hit rebel-held areas throughout #Syria today.

Rebels captured 16 locations from #ISIS in south #Damascus province,

Destruction in #Aleppo after several air strikes today. 3 injured.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oXz8AlANLA …

Different Syrian news human rights organisations report between 65 and 93 people killed across #Syria on Monday.

The regime used incendiary ammunition against urban areas in #Waer near #Homs city.

Ahrar Al-Sham positions overlooking strategic M4 highway (Latakia-Aleppo) in Jebal Al-Akrad, N. #Latakia.

After Quneitra, Furqan Brigades widened support for Daraya & shelled Nayrab Airbase w/ Grads
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnbuDc8Pgk0 …

[OUTLAW 09]

Remains of ZAB- 2.5 incendiary submunitions found in Heritan, Aleppo via @yasseralhaji1

Another Fateh #Aleppo #Kornet ATGM strike on 130 mm cannon to stop shelling on Castillo road
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77HqqcX5x4k …

Since 1st April, Rebels fired 31 #ATGMs on S. #Aleppo front, mainly vs Tanks/BMPs (26%), Infantry (23%) & guns (20%)

Remains of a missile (ID?) fired on Qaljiyah after its seizure by Jaish Al-Fateh, S. #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXkhrX7ahs4 …

Remote VBIED against an Assad loyalist checkpoint in #Homs in response to Assad's terror raids on Aleppo

T-90 was involved during yesterday's failed attempt by pro-Regime militias to seize back Humayra, S. #Aleppo.

[OUTLAW 09]

Some of these TOW or ATGM videos might have alreadfy been posted......

Furqan Brigades targeted with a #Fagot a Shilka in Tell Kroum, #Quneitra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXgOtkrCNKw …

Ahrar Al-Sham (#JaF) blew up with an #ATGM a pick-up with 23 mm gun in Qarassi, S. #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTcL0GJhXJU …

JaN used a previously seized Iranian Safir with 106 mm cannon to repel Iranian-led militias assault E. of #KhanTuman

After Humayra, Jaish Al-Fateh claims it repelled another counter-assault from pro-Regime militias trying to seize back Khan Tuman ammo depot

Afghan commander Seyed Hakim Hosseini, of #IRGC's Fatemiun brigade killed today by an IED in Tadmur,Syria.

A shift? Last #ISIS videos show heavy artillery like Gvozdika & Tanks used only in Syria (E. Homs) & no more in Iraq
http://historicoblog3.blogspot.fr/20...ynthese-4.html …

FSA Fagot ATGM destroys a technical on the al-Qarrasi front
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLCvKW1DDY …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36...83149&z=15&m=b … South #Aleppo #Syria

Faylaq Al-Sham took out a tank (or BMP) with an #ATGM on Humayra front, S. #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQCEnHMnEGo …

Faylaq Al-Sham wiped out with a #Kornet a BMP, again on Humayra front (S. #Aleppo).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQCEnHMnEGo …

A 3rd #ATGM launch by Faylaq Al-Sham takes out a tank on Humayra front, S. #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5LGm7Ue4vE …

A 4th #ATGM strike by Faylaq Al-Sham on Humayra front takes out a pick-up w/ 14.5 mm gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEldN6a3vhk …

[OUTLAW 09]

What’s left of the Sahib Bin Sinan al-Roumi mosque in Layramoun, #Aleppo after it was bombed by Russian jets today
NOT much actually.....

At Iftar Russia/Assad airstrikes & barrel bombs on Hraytan, Anadan, Kafrhamra, Hayan, Bi’idin, Ma’arat al-Artiq & Castello Rd in #Aleppo

Russia/Assad airstrikes also targeted Ma’arat al-Nouman in #Idlib a little while ago, civilian casualties reported

Furqan Brigades launching Grad rockets at the Assad Nayrab airbase in south eastern #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/BnbuDc8Pgk0

Russian airstrikes again targeting Latamna in rural #Hama
https://youtu.be/xipv7qeji0Y

Dozens of Russia/Assad airstrikes/barrel bomb attacks targeting non-ISIS rebel held towns/villages across #Aleppo today.

SCD collecting #RUSSIA Cluster Bombs aftermath it's airstrikes on #Yaqed_Adas #Aleppo cs #Syria JUN 7

[OUTLAW 09]

Rumors that head of Assad’s NDF in Mazeh area in #Damascus Colonel Mohammed Ali Khadour was assassinated by rebels

Reports of heavy clashes between YPG/SDF under intense US air cover & #ISIS south of #Manbij, #Aleppo

Civilian casualties reported in Russian airstrikes with cluster munitions (becoming the norm now) in Yaqid al-Adas in north rural Aleppo

Rebels advancing slowly in rural #Quneitra, clashes continue with Assad forces/militias around Tal Krom & Jaba

Latakia: Syrian Rebels destroy regime SUV in Jabal Turkmen

Aleppo: Syrian Rebels kill Assad regime first Lieutenant Khaldun Ibrahim Debol from Tartous.

Leader of Najba'a militia ran away from Syria after forces were crushed in Aleppo & now in Fallujah

[OUTLAW 09]

Any idea about plan "B" regarding Assad's removal proclaimed by Saudi leaders after recent threats to Turkish/KSA backed rebels?

Russia warned US in a press conf not to surprise them with a "Plan B" as they will take more drastic action.

I have to laugh at Assad saying "Aleppo will be Erdogans grave" when Aleppo has been the grave of Assad & Iran 😂

27 Assad forces known as "Suqour Al Sahra" were killed by ISIS on Ithriya/Raqaa road. How's that taking back every inch of Syria going? 😂😂😂

Another Shia terrorist ID'd as a refugee......
Ahmed Jaber quit #Iraq's elite Golden Division (the "dirty brigade") & is philandering his way across #Finland.

ISIS defector spills the beans, they were trained to kill Sunni "apostates" first & foremost, then Shia & Jews
http://fb.me/5h1b9xkyM

[OUTLAW 09]

Found the bodies of 40 displaced killed by Hashd in Fallujah district http://www.sotaliraq.com/newsitem.ph...#axzz4AkteMUt9 …

Shia sectarian killing being supported indirectly by US CAS......and FSA gets nothing against IS.......

[OUTLAW 09]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/5eebd...t-syrian-river

Turkey: No Kurdish force west of Syrian river

Jun. 7, 2016 10:06 AM EDT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's top diplomat said Kurdish rebels may provide logistical support in the fight against IS in Syria but warned their presence would not be tolerated west of the Euphrates River.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said "if the YPG want to provide logistical help east of the Euphrates that's different, but after the operations end, we don't want a single YPG member west of the Euphrates."

The YPG, or People's Protection Units, is a Kurdish faction within a mixed coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups fighting alongside U.S. special forces against IS in northern Syria.

Ankara, unlike Washington, views the YPG as a terrorist organization.

Turkey is seriously trying to get the attention of Obama that in fact a "red line" has been crossed and now crosses into Turkish national security concerns and they have repeated they will act.....

AND the UN has not tilted towards Russia.....if confirmed expect Turkey to not come as well as KSA and the FSA as well.
SYRIA: PYD confirms that Kurds have gotten an invite to the next round of #Syria peace talks from UN envoy Mistura -

[OUTLAW 09]

#Aleppo : Rescue teams free three civilians trapped under the rubble in #Sakhur.

[OUTLAW 09]

MFA Russia
✔
@mfa_russia
Sergey Lavrov & @JohnKerry continued coordinating the two countries' approaches to fight terrorist groups in Syria
http://sptnkne.ws/byVR

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Lavrov and Kerry hold telephone conversations on the situation in Syria on a regular basis to exchange view on the country's political settlement and the fight against terrorism.

"The heads of the Foreign Ministries continued to coordinate the two countries' approaches to fighting Daesh, al-Nusra Front and other terrorist organizations operating in Syria," the ministry said in a statement

[OUTLAW 09]

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact....a-0e45f0178912

Russian Airstrikes in Syria:
May 13 - June 2, 2016

The tempo of Russian air operations has dramatically escalated in Syria. The rate and breadth of Russian airstrikes nearly tripled from May 29 - June 2 in comparison to the previous five day period. ISW was able to assess a total of 29 Russian airstrikes with low and high confidence beginning on May 29 and only 10 locations from May 24 -28. This escalation marks a dangerous shift in the Russian airstrike pattern to levels only seen prior to the brokering of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement in late February 2016. This expansion of the Russian air campaign coincides with the further breakdown of Geneva negotiations, including the resignation of Chief Opposition Negotiator Mohammad Alloush on May 30 due to a reported lack of political progress and continued bombardment of civilians in opposition-held terrain.

Russia is clearly demonstrating its freedom of action in Syria. It has pivoted its air operations towards mainstream elements of the armed opposition across Western Syria. An anonymous U.S. intelligence official confirmed on June 3 that "Russia and [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad have "primarily targeted the moderate opposition," despite their claims to the contrary. Russian air operations against the Syrian opposition expanded beyond the targeting of critical frontlines in Aleppo and once again began to target deep within opposition-held terrain in Idlib Province from May 30 - June 2. ISW was also able to assess two Russian airstrikes with low confidence in Dera'a Province on May 31, marking the first assessed Russian strikes in the province since February 25. The strikes targeted terrain largely held by factions within the U.S.-backed Southern Front coalition. Russia also continued its intense bombardment against the opposition in Aleppo in a likely condition setting effort for the pro-regime encirclement of Aleppo City, targeting key locations along the opposition's last remaining supply route into the city.