Hama: Regime supply road to #Aleppo is still closed because of ongoing #ISIS attacks against the #Assad regime northeast of #Salamiyah.
Hama: Rebels have destroyed 2 #Assad warplanes on the #Hama Airbase with Grad rockets.
Jaish Al-Nasr claims 2 aircrafts/ choppers destroyed in #Hama Airbase after hit by Grad rockets.
Rebels confirmed that #Souran is under rebel control. #Hama
HTS leader Abu Jaber with his fighters before the #Hama offensive today.
Syria: armed oppo. factions (spearheaded by #HTS) seized the town of Souran in northern #Hama after heavy fighting started this afternoon
Hama: Rebels have captured #Maardas from the #Assad regime.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35...6649&z=14&m=b#
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-21-2017 at 06:23 PM.
CIT (en) @CITeam_en
Tomorrow we are releasing our report on Russian mercenaries in Syria, which we have been working on for weeks with @ru_rbc and other media.
CIT (en) @CITeam_en
For this report, we interviewed many relatives, friends and colleagues of killed "Wagner" PMC fighters.
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-21-2017 at 06:23 PM.
Hama: #HTS special forces on the way to the frontline in Northern #Hama today.
MKEK (Turkish state owned weapon factory) product, 40 mm #grenade launcher in a #rebel's hand in #Hama operation.#Syria
Jaish al-Nasr (also #FSA) confirming participation in the offensive and claiming shelling of #Hama airport.
The @syriahr says 33 ppl killed in US-led air strike yesterday on a building used as a centre for displaced in Raqqa province, north Syria.
Eliot Higgins
✔
@EliotHiggins
It's hard enough investigating all the Russian and Syrian mosque and school bombings without the US joining in too
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-22-2017 at 08:15 AM.
Rare!
The #FSA uses a BTR-60 in the #Hama offensive.
Since 35 mins, Jaish al-Izza (#FSA) posts official statements on the participation in the #Hama offensive.
Also use of TOW vs. T-72.
Some say, Erdogan gave rebels in N-W #Syria the "go" (and loads of ammunition) after #Russia started safeguarding the #YPG in Afrin.
Well...
Some days ago, an EuphratesShield commander told my Syrian colleague that more than 500 fighters indeed redeployed to Idlib (via Turkey)
The #Russian airbase in #Latakia is on high alert.
Jets depart every few minutes.
Dozens of air strikes on #Hama towns now.
Crazy stuff happening north of #Hama tonight.
I won't map it before confirmation.
But it seems two military bases were captured by rebels.
Khan Shaykun, Hobait, Lataminah, Ehsim & Kafr Zita are among the towns, hit by Russian jets over the past 30 minutes.
Many casualties.
Syrian rebels shell 3000 Apartments and 1070 Apartments S-W of #Aleppo with artillery, parallel to the #Hama offensive.
APPEARS Syrian rebels have not given up and rolled over as Russia...Iran...the US and Assad thought....
Fighting on multiple fronts with multiple units and making gains is pushing the Assad/Iran/Russian forces to a breaking point in trying to regain control of the battlefield....
This appears to be a well thought out "swarm attack" shifting into major offensives......
Russian bombing and shelling anything that resembles a "rebel" as is Assad...but it is not stopping the offensives....
US and SDF airborne operation West to Tabqa, Raqqa
https://syria.liveuamap.com/?zoom=12...228516#…
Syria Reports: #Assad's "Tigers " withdraw many forces from eastern #Aleppo to counter rebel advance in northern #Hama
Damascus: Rebels storming #Assad regime positions in Eastern #Damascus. Regime counter-attack failed. 1 regime T-72 was destroyed today.
Hama: Rebels killed an #Assad Colonel & his fighters while they tried to enter a rebel position. They thought rebels were regime fighters.
Syria Report from Souran in northern #Hama after #Assad-forces fled town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFlj_jcIzDU#
Hama : Opposition take #Al_Hikma and the School of Wisdom in fighting that killed many Regime force members.
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-22-2017 at 03:06 PM.
FSA News @FSAPlatform
#Infographic || #FSA in #Hama
Free Syrian Army forces in Hama province - follow them direct via this list
FSA News @FSAPlatform
NEW #Map || North #Hama
Current situation north of Hama following #FSA's most recent advances agnst regime & their foreign militia
Syria Rebels only 3km away from #Hama Airport after rapid advance
Raqqa: #US Air Force destroyed a school and killed many displaced civilians in #Raqqa.
Raqqa photos for Al badya school in AlMansora town after it was destroyed by collation Airstrikes and led to a massacre #Syria
BTW the USAF hit also a school in a very similar attack in Manbij using PKK info..resulting in a high loss of civilians.....THEY claimed they would investigate BUT then did nothing..also claimed the civilians were IS....
Charles Lister
✔
@Charles_Lister
Three separate FSA sources tell me the MOM has resumed provision of “some" support to vetted factions in Idlib, W. #Aleppo & N. #Hama.
Charles Lister
✔
@Charles_Lister
A crucial issue at play is whether this uptick in #Syria offensive operations is (or isn’t) linked to a renewal of external assistance.
Hama: Rebel #TOW strike against "fleeing" #Assad T-72 during #Hama offensive.
Was a TOW hit on a high speed tank withdrawal...
TOWs make a return debut.....
Hama: Rebels show a captured regime BMP in #Hama.
Syria Rebels seized #IS outposts in desert of eastern #Qalamoun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEMuJKPM9s#
US bomb dog on the move....
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-22-2017 at 03:55 PM.
Maarzaf just fell to rebels.
The regime defence lines are collapsing.
#Ham #Syria
BREAKING #NewsMap
Rebels captured #Arzeh and nearby Al Sheyha hill and are 5 km from #Hama now.
Syrian rebels captured #Majdal and the nearby military base.
FSA shells #Khattab prior its capture.
Try to not show the type of mortars, but well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr7tdIYSxr0#…
Syrian rebels further advance west of #Khattab, cutting the #Hama-#Muhradah road.
Assad regime Su-22 attack on #EastGhouta today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nushEhwkUMc#…
The offensive continues.
Khirbat as Sabilah confirmed captured.
Turkish-controlled groups (Ahrar & others) declare participation.
Damascus: Rebels have nearly broken the #Assad regime siege of #Qaboun.
The rebels must captured Syronics Company to lift the #Qaboun siege.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33...8654&z=16&m=b#
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-22-2017 at 04:10 PM.
This insurgent and jihadist offensive into northern Hama is resulting in a particularly interesting tactical- and strategic-, i.e. geopolitical situation.
First things first: while I can't confirm any of reports about supposed 'evacuation of Hama AB' - i.e. nothing like a 'mass take-off' that one might associate with an evacuation - it is meanwhile 100% sure that through the capture of Khattab, Majdal and Qomhana - the Jaysh an-Nassr and Jaysh al-Izza (both are FSyA, not HTS) have breached the second of Assadist defence lines north of Hama. AFAIK, in total, there used to be no less than three defence lines there, all constructed since summer 2015, roughly drawn as follows (for easier orientation, see the map attached below):
- 1st line, stretching from Jalma via Mhradeh to Souran.
- 2nd line, from Sifsafiyeh via Majdal and Khattab to Kafraa; several of major strongholds in this line used to be under the control of Russian Army troops, back in late 2015 and early 2016.
- 3rd line, from Oqeirba and Sawa to Kfar Eltoon and Shihet Hama, and then to the northern outskirts of the city. This line was originally constructed by two battalion-sized task forces of the Russian Army, back in late 2015 and early 2016. Then it was temporarily reinforced in response to the JFS' offensive that resulted in the temporary capture of Souran, back in October/November 2016. However, it was never completed: it consists of few strongpoints on dominant features, but little else: Assadists never found enough troops to occupy and construct this line.
Meanwhile... The first line was partially breached by the JFS's offensive in last October or November (can't recall the exact date right way). The lost part of it was subsequently re-constructed in a semi-circle going from Mhradah, north of Khattab to Souran.
Obviously, the remnants of the 1st Line were now breached again, otherwise the HTS couldn't capture Souran.
For similar reason, i.e. without breaching the 1st Line, the Jaysh al-Izza and Jaysh an-Nassr couldn't reach the couldn't liberate pillars of the 2nd Line, like Majdal and Khattab. But, these are now under their control.
Thus, the first two defence lines were definitely breached - and this is the reason for FSyA's rapid advance on Hama AB, today.
If Assadists don't have a 3rd line... that's it.
*********************
In this regards - i.e. the issue of lack of troops to defend Hama - there is another very important moment that we must keep in mind.
As we all know (or: what many stubbornly refuse to accept) Assadist regime is no sovereign body: Bashar's position is little more than that of a puppet of Moscow and Tehran.
Moscow has taken over as the 'controller' of - at least - Bashar's foreign- and defence politics (if not more).
However, the 'enabler' is Tehran: Iran is paying all the bills for the entire show, plus providing most of the troops.
Means: without Iran, nothing works there - not even the Russian military intervention. Iranians do not pay the Russians, but they are providing the bulk of troops the Russians need to play the major power in Syria (or at least they are paying for them), and the Iranians pay for all the ammo and spares.
Russia is in Syria because of its wet dreams about being a 'great power with a geostrategic influence and vision...' and all other sorts of such blahblah.
Iran is in Syria because of its dreams about becoming a regional power through protecting all the Shi'a, but also for long-term economic and political reasons.
All of this means that their aims and purposes are entirely different.
Russians made the Aleppo deal and then that comedy of the 'ceasefire' with Turkey - and this without involving Iran. The IRGC wanted to destroy insurgents in Eastern Aleppo, Russians negotiated an agreement that left these 'run away' (as seen from the IRGC's POV). The Russians then also seem to have prevented an Iranian anti-Bashar coup in Damascus.
Means: the IRGC is paying all the bills, but losing influence. Iranians don't like to deal with Turks: they did negotiate with them, but never found any kind of an agreement (which is one of primary reasons why the war keeps dragging on without an end). They also wanted to launch an offensive on Fouah and Kefrayah, but Russians vetoed this and ordered an offensive on the Daesh in eastern Aleppo instead.
Whichever way one turns it: if anybody there insists that the Russians have outmanoeuvred Turkey, then the conclusion is unavoidable that they have outmanoeuvred the IRGC too. Namely, while Moscow managed to 'block' the Turkish involvement in al-Bab, it can't now let an Iranian assault on Idlib without risking a much more powerful Turkish involvement there in exchange.
Should this happen, then all of Russian deals with Turkey would be null and void, and all the daydreaming about 'a great power with a geostrategic importance and vision' would prove exactly what they are in reality, namely nothing at all.
But, with this the Russians and the IRGC are all back to where they were back in June 2016: everybody is doing what he likes to do, only some of Assadists are doing what Russians told them to do. Namely, Assadists and Russians went fighting Daesh in Eastern Aleppo, Iranians have a concentration of jobless troops ready to attack western Aleppo, but are forbidden from doing that. While, already busy in Dera'a and Eastern Ghouta, Assadists have no troops to spare for northern Hama: they have not even enough troops to protect Damascus any more.
All they have in northern Hama is that battered '11th Tank Division' - which is an official designation for a hodgpodge of Volkssturm-like Assadist, SSNP's, Ba'ath Party's, or Arab National Guard's militias overrun by insurgents and/or the Daesh 'only' two times so far...
Which in turn leads to the conclusion: unless the IRGC redeploys its troops from Aleppo or Eastern Ghouta to northern Hama (like it partially did, back in October or November last year)... Assadist defence lines are going to keep on crumbling. But, for the IRGC to do so, it needs a Russian permission. The Russians, in turn, are unlikely to grant such permission, then they need safe Aleppo in the back of their operation against Daesh in Eastern Aleppo - which in turn is keeping majority of 'most important' Assadist and IRGC's militias busy too.
...all of which means. if anybody there sends reinforcements to northern Hama, then various local warlords. By doing that, they'll have to take a clear - pro-Iran, anti-Russian position. Right now, I'm not sure anybody there is really keen about doing something of that kind, no matter how many of their bills are paid for by Tehran: after all, nobody wants to fall from favour with Bashar - who is now Russian-controlled.
Alternatively, should Russians grant a permission for such a re-deployment of the IRGC, then there will be a price to pay - foremost for Tehran. From the standpoint of the IRGC, such a situation would mean that it is - at least temporarily - giving up pretensions of controlling the Assadists, i.e. 'playing the most important role' in Assadist Syria.
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