Syria under Bashir Assad (closed end 2014)

[JMA]

Seems that defences in Yabroud all but collapsed the last night.

Your figures were 10,000-12,000 against 2,000 so not surprising.

An aside, if I were Israel I would be getting concerned about the combat experience Hezbollah is picking up in Syria as this will be used against them in due course.

[CrowBat]

An aside, if I were Israel I would be getting concerned about the combat experience Hezbollah is picking up in Syria as this will be used against them in due course.

I'm actually surprised they (Israel) are as quiet.

They opened fire at two Hezzies that approached the cease-fire line in Qunaitra area but...there is an entire Quds Force/IRGC battlefield management system, including plenty of top Quds Force/Hezbollah commanders and a mass of hardware, running around Yabroud - all of that well inside the range of stand-off-PGMs in service on IASF's F-15s and F-16s (even if these would be circling over the Med Sea, i.e. outside the Lebanese airspace, although most of the time their pilots can't care less about 'sovereignty' of something called Lebanon) - and outside the air defence umbrella around Damascus... yet, the Israelis didn't attack even once.

Makes me wonder: how much longer do they want to wait - or do they seriously think the Hezzies and the IRGC are going to return all the T-72s, heavy artillery and MLRS of the RGD to Bashar...?

Bashar might consider himself happy if the IRGC keeps him as its marionette in Damascus for a while longer: makes me think there will be not many 'better opportunities in the future'.

[CrowBat]

It's official now: Yabroud fell early this morning, Hezbollah is mopping up the town, and even the NDF is now entering it (as always, 'to secure'):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm2GltbuK0g

Of course, the Lebanese and now even regime media is abuzz with news of this 'glorious victory', and regime fan-boys are so happy there was no door-to-door fighting, because - so they think - this means the insurgents are cowards.

Actually, when one is left without ammo, there's no point in continuing the fight.

Anyway, the SyAAF is bombing the entire area between Yabroud and Lebanese border, this morning. They even flew several air strikes on Arsal - which is an insurgent stronghold inside Lebanon.

Guess that Obama & CO are congratulating each other now: the place fell because it had a significant JAN presence, and thus couldn't be trusted to receive any kind of support. This 'threat' (for whom?) has now been 'removed'. It doesn't matter if this removal was organized, run and completed by two organizations quite high on the FBI's list of terrorist organizations...

**********

Back to the SRF...a very good documentary about them taking over whatever the ISIS used to hold in Idlib and Aleppo provinces can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSiUWPAdSWw

[davidbfpo]

Interesting end to the video, as the SRF leave to possibly fight for a Christian village, beyond which lies a regime-held village, their leader makes a clear statement on the place of Christians amongst them. Tolerance, respect and justice.

I wonder how the Jihadist PR machine will cope with such videos.

Yes, the proof of his words will come another day.

[JMA]

...
Anyway, the SyAAF is bombing the entire area between Yabroud and Lebanese border, this morning. They even flew several air strikes on Arsal - which is an insurgent stronghold inside Lebanon.

And Lebanon just rolls over on this breach of their territorial integrity?

[JMA]

Yes remarkable restraint.

Sooner or later the Hez Brigade will offer a concentrated target Israel will not be able to ignore.

I'm actually surprised they (Israel) are as quiet.

They opened fire at two Hezzies that approached the cease-fire line in Qunaitra area but...there is an entire Quds Force/IRGC battlefield management system, including plenty of top Quds Force/Hezbollah commanders and a mass of hardware, running around Yabroud - all of that well inside the range of stand-off-PGMs in service on IASF's F-15s and F-16s (even if these would be circling over the Med Sea, i.e. outside the Lebanese airspace, although most of the time their pilots can't care less about 'sovereignty' of something called Lebanon) - and outside the air defence umbrella around Damascus... yet, the Israelis didn't attack even once.

Makes me wonder: how much longer do they want to wait - or do they seriously think the Hezzies and the IRGC are going to return all the T-72s, heavy artillery and MLRS of the RGD to Bashar...?

Bashar might consider himself happy if the IRGC keeps him as its marionette in Damascus for a while longer: makes me think there will be not many 'better opportunities in the future'.