Syria in 2016 (April-June)

[OUTLAW 09]

Kyle W. Orton ‎@KyleWOrton
Note this esp from @PhillipSmyth. (And it's not just #Iran pursuing its own agenda under cover of "fighting IS".)

Phillip Smyth ‎@PhillipSmyth
I wrote this for @ForeignPolicy back in Sept of 2014, I hate to say it, but what I said is coming true --
http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/18/...yatollahs-men/ …

MAYBE DoD should hire all the outsiders that fully understand the ME and fire all of their so called intel analysts......

So it begins ...
Armed clashes between Kurdish #Peshmerga and Shia "Popular Mobilization Forces" in #Iraq's #Tuz district.

Heavy clashes between Peshmerga and Shia "Popular Mobilization Forces" in #Tuz_Khormato. Several killed.

Little known fact of the ME.........
While YPG & Hashd are sort of allies in Syria, majority of Syrian rebel groups including FSA have much in common with Kurdish Peshmerga.

BIG difference the YPG and Hashd are intertwined with the Kurdish terrorist group PKK........the Peshmerga are not....

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage
The #FSA uses US-made 81 mm mortars (M52A2) vs. #ISIS in Baraghedeh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7EQ_MYL4S8 …

Homs: Nonstop #Assad regime airstrikes on #Houla since morning.

Activists are working in secret across Deir Ezzor to uncover mass graves filled by #ISS & #Assad's government
http://nwsdp.ly/wldmo

Several shops were destroyed in Old Damascus today as fires swept through the Asrouniyeh market...claim is the shops were burnt to make way for Iranian Embassy expansion.....

[OUTLAW 09]

IS today fires rockets again at Kilis.........

Same as everyday, Assad airstrikes on Teir Ma’ala & Houla in #Homs
https://youtu.be/BCKz7jc_U70
https://youtu.be/UkO0g7noM-A
http://youtu.be/T2yzYTS8iBM

Assad airstrikes continue targeting many areas in #Aleppo for 4th day in a row; Sukkari, Shaar, Qarlaq & Muwasalat districts hit again today

Rebels firing a SNEB rocket vs SyAA in Jabal Al Akrad in the last week, not seen for quite some time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi4QSXPXF2g …

TOW strike by Jaish Al-Tahrir wiping out a 23 mm gun in W. #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrHHQBHTE70 …

Spotted......
A Russian BTR-80 and two GAZ Tigrs in Homs

More Russian soldier photos from their social media pages....seen in Syrian.....
Russian soldiers in Latakia

Cute pictures of refugee kids from Aleppo/Idlib with Russian soldiers after they handed out aid in Latakia

Russian soldiers in Tartus port

Russian soldier in Latakia. Two guns (D-30?) in background and a Kamaz

Russian soldiers ontop of a R-166 0,5 radiostation in Palmyra
http://www.canalplus.fr/c-infos-docu...ml?vid=1382917 …

Russian soldier in Latakia

Syrian soldier made a VK profile to stay in contact with the Russian soldiers he was with in Tartus

ONLY comment... poor OPSEC as seen even now in eastern Ukraine as well and this after the Russian GRU and MoD said not to post anything and made it a punishable offense.

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA expelled #IS from Tel Hussein village in the countryside north of #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNWS6gc0ISA …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36...61212&z=16&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Kyle W. Orton ‎@KyleWOrton
Great panel on #Russia's intervention in #Syria with inter alia @EliotHiggins, @faysalitani, and @MaksCzuperski.
https://youtu.be/_moUg08QdLQ

[OUTLAW 09]

So it begins ...
Armed clashes between Kurdish #Peshmerga and Shia "Popular Mobilization Forces" in #Iraq's #Tuz district.

Heavy clashes between Peshmerga and Shia "Popular Mobilization Forces" in #Tuz_Khormato. Several killed.

Little known fact of the ME.........
While YPG & Hashd are sort of allies in Syria, majority of Syrian rebel groups including FSA have much in common with Kurdish Peshmerga.

BIG difference the YPG and Hashd are intertwined with the Kurdish terrorist group PKK........the Peshmerga are not....

BREAKING:
Peshmerga Commander Mahmoud Sangawi to Kurdistan24:
Agreement with Hashd al-Shaabi was unsuccessful.

[OUTLAW 09]

Daraa: Heavy clashes south of the #Thalah Airbase between #Syria|n rebels and #Assad forces. #Tell_Sheikh_Hussein

Foreign Affairs
✔ ‎@ForeignAffairs Putin has become willing to take major risks to counter seemingly manageable threats:
http://ow.ly/4n0Rsc

Hezbollah tip #1: When times are tough, point to #Israel in order to divert attention from #Syria
http://bit.ly/1XNfR1f

[OUTLAW 09]

Does Obama and Kerry really want to continue to pretend that Putin/Assad and IS do not work together......????

Play this video for the US Congress and then listen to their comments.........

Footage of alleged #ISIS convoy leaving E. #Qalamoun under close escort of Assad/Putin attack choppers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Foee1mtIYh4 …

3 dead & 8 injured in Muwasalat district in #Aleppo by Assad airstrikes today inc. a women & child

5 dead from the same family, 4 of whom were children in Assad airstrikes near Uqayribat in north rural #Hama, #Syria today

No this is not terrorism. Sham al-Jasim, another baby killed by Assad airstrikes on Sakhour district in #Aleppo

Multiple casualties reported in Assad barrel bomb & artillery attack on eastern Zabadani mountain after midnight last night.

Homs: Assad regime shelling Houla
http://fb.me/7R8fZ1a0L

The Assad regime attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud was deliberate. It came straight after clashes in Qamishli that's how deliberate it was

[OUTLAW 09]

Iran offered Assad asylum but he refuses to step down #Syria see this great analysis
http://eaworldview.com/2016/04/iran-...eave-damascus/ …

75 civilians killed yesterday by Assad regime. Why is the Assad regime still on the negotiation table again?
http://fb.me/5d9TChxZf

Hama: Rebels destroyed refund 14.5 cannon inside Saro checkpoint & killed all forces inside

Free Syrian Army gives the world 24 hours to put pressure on Assad to stop bombardment
http://www.futuretvnetwork.com/node/210966

Assad’s Bombing of #Aleppo Encouraged by Int'l Community’s Bias
http://ow.ly/4n15dU

[OUTLAW 09]

Why did @SyrianHNC_en decide to suspend participation in the #Geneva negotiations?
Watch:
https://youtu.be/uiRJXScCkss

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria: with failure of the latest round of peace talks the world powers will probably have to accept that peace in Syria is not possible

Will now be settled as Bismarck once said....by "iron and blood"....

There has been always a "military solution on the table that would be successful both against Assad and against IS"...just Obama is never going to go down that path as his own biases hold him back while he thinks he is the greatest intellectual in the room when he is not......one's own biases tend to do that.....

For both the Arab states and #Iran this has been a reality for years, and it seems like #US and #Russia are also starting to realize this

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING:
Peshmerga Commander Mahmoud Sangawi to Kurdistan24:
Agreement with Hashd al-Shaabi was unsuccessful.

Kurdistan: footage of #Peshmerga forces clashing with #HashdShaabi fighters in Tuz Khormato
https://youtu.be/XzDaV5iURMI

Shiite militias are claiming that #Peshmerga are burning Turkmen homes in #Tuz_Khurmato now.

UPDATE: 5 Shia militia fighters and 3 Peshmerga killed in fighting today around #TuzKhurmatu , #Iraq.

Increase of clashes btw #Kurds & #Shiites indicate the future for northern areas in #Syria & #Iraq -both try to fill gaps when #IS retreat

[OUTLAW 09]

Anti missile flares from fighter jet above #Aleppo city indicate #Russia'n aircraft
...appears that the Russians are taking the MANPAD threat seriously

Deadly regime air raids also hit Bab al-Nayrab in Aleppo. #Syria
http://youtu.be/6JPen6T_HpA

[B]Another regime air strike hit a market in Aleppo today. Residents massacred in the street while buying food

At least 11 civilians killed, tens wounded in today's regime strikes on rebel-held areas across #Aleppo.

DeirEzzor24 #D24
#Coalition warplanes yesterday carry out a massacre in Albu Kamal, claiming the lives of all members of a family.
http://en.deirezzor24.net/coalition-...-carry-out.../ …

[CrowBat]

DeirEzzor24 #D24
#Coalition warplanes yesterday carry out a massacre in Albu Kamal, claiming the lives of all members of a family.
http://en.deirezzor24.net/coalition-...-carry-out.../ …

Must be related to air strikes flown in the night from 22 to 23 April, then no air strikes in Raqqa or Abu Kamal were flown the last night.

Anyway, the CJTF-OIR said it targeted one 'ISIL weapons factory' in Abu Kamal and an 'ISIL tactical unit and a checkpoint' in Dayr az-Zawr.

[OUTLAW 09]

Rebels with M-79 OSA against fortification in Erbin suburb of #Damascus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ouJQCK771A …

IS rockets are hitting Kilis again now.......at some point the Turkish Army will enter the Syrian border area to push IS out of rocket range......16 wounded....no deaths are confirmed as of yet......

7 rockets hit #Kilis s. #Turkey killing one and injuring around 30 coming from #ISIS controlled areas

Aleppo: 12 #Syria|n civilians killed by #Assad regime airstrikes on #Sakhour District of #Aleppo City today.

The supervisor of the “Crowd of Turkmen,” on Wednesday, in a statement received by Beyond The Levant has confirmed receiving Russian Kornet ATGM (anti-tank guided missiles) and two unnamed tanks ahead of a potential showdown with Islamic State in Bashir (30km south of Kirkuk) according to Mr. Abu Rida al – Najjar.
Received from Russia 3/16/2016 Alleged to now being used against the Peshmerga....

Syria regime targeted Houla in #Homs province with cluster munition dozens were killed and injured ...civilian loses still not confirmed but heavy
BRK
Pilot and attack that is responsible for the massacre.
#ClusterBomb clearly visible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaej_QZCnsI …

Assad jets bomb #KafrNabodah during interv.
Not rebels at the front.
Civilians in the town!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3yEzA40A2A …

A story of the children of #Daraya
https://youtu.be/3FhGVaTzb3M

[OUTLAW 09]

CrowBat..........have you heard anything about this?

Any confirmation (or not) about report of alleged #Su-34 crashed today due to technical problem near #Latakia Airbase?

[OUTLAW 09]

Would argue the Obama WH is just going through the motions as the so called ceasefire was never a ceasefire...ask Assad and Putin.....so why would both now shift to a full and true ceasefire??

"Obama makes call to 'reinstate' #Syria ceasefire


BUT WAIT......you do have to admit that actually there has been a rather effective ceasefire for IS conducted by both Assad and Putin......

[CrowBat]

CrowBat..........have you heard anything about this?

Any confirmation (or not) about report of alleged #Su-34 crashed today due to technical problem near #Latakia Airbase?

Nothing.

This is already the third or fourth report about explosions or other sort of 'major incidents' at Hmemmem AB - but not one has been confirmed so far.

Guess, unless something crashes in a place where it can be captured on a camera, that's going to remain that way.

WTH? Reports that a US drone struck an IDP camp in the Harem area in north rural #Idlib today killing at least 3 & injuring 10s!

Is the US in a race with Assad for the most killing of civilians???????

Considering target-selection practices of the CJTF-OIR - and Oblabla's micromanagement - I meanwhile have doubts about some of reports in question.

- CJTF-OIR bombed Daesh-related targets in Abu Kamal ('oil well head') and Dayr az-Zawr ('ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL rocket system') on 20 April

- CJTF-OIR bombed targets in Abu Kamal again ('an ISIL bed down location' and 'an ISIL vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility') on 21 April;

- French MOD cited involvement of two formations - one of 2, other of 4 - of Mirage 2000Ds in operations against Abu Kamal on 21 and 22 April;

- CJTF-OIR bombed targets in Abu Kamal ('ISIL weapons factory') and in Dayr az-Zawr ('ISIL tactical unit' and 'ISIL check-point') on 22 April again.

No air strikes in either area were reported for 23 April, and there are no releases yet for the last night.

Now,
- DaZ24 is 'citing two strikes by coalition aircraft' on Abu Kamal (or al-Bukamal) on 'Wednesday' (20 April): one against the house of Khamiss-family, and the other against Cement Institute near the al-Basel Hospital; and

- DaZ Observatory (in Arabic) reports 'four raids ...by coalition aircraft', targeting the cement factory, the Krash factory, as-Sina Industrial area, al-Hizam al-Akhdar (green belt) and martyrdom of an entire family.

But,
- Free DaZ Broadcast says it was Russian aircraft that bombed the Khamiss-house,

...and most of reports are actually citing 21st April, not the 20th.

Overall, there is quite some reporting about this affair; the quality is quite precise, and although there is uncertainity about whether it was 'coalition' or 'Russians', I would say that if it was aircraft operated under CJTF-OIR's control, then the French Mirage 2000Ds that were responsible, not 'US'.

[OUTLAW 09]

CrowBat..........have you heard anything about this?

Any confirmation (or not) about report of alleged #Su-34 crashed today due to technical problem near #Latakia Airbase?

CrowBat.....latest report has it catching fire during takeoff and crashing..pilot is in serious condition...