Syrian War Report – June 9, 2017: Syrian Army Advancing In Raqqah Province

If you’re able, and if you like our content and approach, please support the project. Our work wouldn’t be possible without your help: PayPal: southfront@list.ru or via: http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront

Voiceover by Lance Ramsay

ISIS terrorists have lost large chunks of territories to Syrian government forces in the provinces of Raqqa and Homs.

In the province of Raqqa, the Syrian Army’s Tiger Forces reached the area controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) west of Tabqa after liberating about two dozens of villages, including Rumthan, Bir Mulayhan, Shatnah, al-Qusur, al-Muhaddad, Jubb al-Khafi and Husayn al-Mikhallaf, south of Maskanah.

The government forces made this advance after a full withdrawal of ISIS members from the area. Now, the Tiger Forces are able to develop momentum in the direction of the Ithriyah-Tabqa road, further clearing areas east of Khanasir. This will allow to shorten the frontline and to set a foothold for the operation against ISIS at the Salamiyah-Palmyra road.

The army expansion in the Raqqa province may also push the SDF to encircle the ISIS-held provincial capital from the southern direction, preventing ISIS from fleeing the besieged city.

In the province of Homs, the army liberated the al Abbasiyah area, the Hamamt Zenobia area and the Olayanieh village south of Palmyra. The army advance was massively supported by airstrikes from the Russian and Syrian air forces.

In the Damascus desert, government forces took control over the Dawka area, creating conditions for an advance on Bir Qassab and al-Safa controlled by US-backed militants.

On Thursday, the US-led coalition once again bombed the army and its allies near the area of at-Tanf. The airstrikes destroyed technical vehicles in the Khibrat al-Shami area at the Damascus – Baghdad highway, 40 km away from the US garrison.

According to the statement, coalition warplanes also downed a medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicle that had targeted area near the US-led forces positions. The drone appears to be an Iranian-made Shahhed-129.

Meanwhile, the SDF captured the 17th Division base north of Raqqa and continued developing momentum in the city. According to the US-led coalition, there are about 2,500 ISIS members inside the city.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
51 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Joe Doe

This plan is wishful thinking. SAA liberated over 20 villages due to ISIS tactical withdrawal, this is not any military, strategic achievements. The SAA basically move into empty villages and the move was not so great either. SDF was a lot quicker cash in on the ISIS withdraws and gain land. SAA has to bomb SDF to stop their advances. This tell me again that SAA has very poor strategic thinking in take advantages when they have initiatives and use the initiative to their advantage.

The Plan shown in SF is good one, but SAA will not be able eachive. First, SAA barely can keep the front lines and any advances are almost impossible, except the SAA Tiger forces in now in Raqqah province . SAA already try advance East and failed couple times and they drifting in the same spot.

In addition, ISIS made tactical withdrawal, therefore they already have establish defence lines, as SAA tiger force rather pursue running ISIS, they just stopped. When defence line is already establish, than you have to fight the defences, before you can make any advances and this will take time, casualties and lost to military hardware

Alex Black

You are talking senseless shit. What is the wishful thinking aspect of the video? The fact is that Tiger forces took the entirety of habitable allpo province from isis, and now have the ability to press them from two directions, and potentially cut the highway. Shelling the SDF was a political message rather than a military objective. Why ISIS made a tactical withdrawal from a fortified city to the open desert is the real question, and the answer is obvious, ISIS has lost a significant portion of its fighting force, and lacks ability to engage anyone, even the hapless SDF is advancing successfully against them.

Joe Doe

You writing very senseless and with no sense. Just reading what you wrote, tell me that you have no military experience or very poor experience and no strategic thinking. Get lost in the woods or hide in the woods

Alex Black

Your writing tells me that it bothered you so much you couldn’t even be bothered to spell check your work. Maybe you are a military genius I never heard of or maybe you are just a guy with an opinion.

Tudor Miron

Yes, Alex. This is one of those that we see here often. Their new agenda “SAA is shit and stupid”, “Russians a spineless” makes me lough for last fiew days.

Solomon Krupacek

yes, and all these are true!!!

Tudor Miron

Joey, why are you hiding your real name? Worried about something?
May I ask what army you served and what victories you achieved? Where have you all been a couple of years ago when worlds consensus was that Assad’s days are over (a month was generous) and Syria is done (we have another Livia) ? Kept “teaching” SAA on how to fight against irregular armed forces of zeo-nazi kabbal?

Jens Holm

Most people in the world dont use their real name. But I see people here daily doome others because of their nationality or haircolor rather then treating facts by own brain which seemes to be blocked.

Its an obvious reason why muslims has so few nobel price winners. They learn to copy according to the tradition and not to think and invent.

Solomon Krupacek

you are riht, bro, these are idiots, psychiatric special cases. problem, that they with their aggressivity push out the normal people, who wrote also senseful things and put lot of additional, REAL information.

Alex Black

Real information, show me the 30k sdf that pushed Isis out of masks ad and Aleppo province, what an ignorant ding dong.

Volker Burkert

One thing is clear, your beloved ISIS is on their way to annihilation. After that people like you, who do nothing else but spewing nonsense to just distract serious folks on this site to have a reasonable discussion, will evaporate with them, I hope.

Solomon Krupacek

you are serious???? :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Solomon Krupacek

you are shit. TF did not take enything. they marched in tho empty villages. i remeber, 2 months waited at jirah, 1 month at maskana. saa is gropu pf shits like you, pj london and jesus (the false)

Alex Black

I wonder why Isis left? They just thought, let’s leave this nice place and go hide in the desert so saa can move in, dummy.

Solomon Krupacek

they left not because of saa, but sdf, pyg. they are 30 000. 3 000 saa is for the breakfast for isis.

Alex Black

You are delusional if you think Isis left naskabag due to sdf. End of story.

Ronald

The fake news about a night flight attack on the SDF , supposedly by SAA , has not been confirmed , that I’m aware of . Have you heard otherwise ? Shelling ?
As far as I know there is no SAA – SDF hostilities , please correct me if I’m wrong .

Alex Black

Not anymore, trump is smoothing it out. They are going to make a fifth de-escalation zone, or the kurds will be fed to turkey one city at a time, and you will see how quick they come around on regime change.

Attrition47

Who do you think made the villages untenable? it’s a mistake to assume that US head-chopping, heart-eating raper forces not fighting for territory is a casual matter and unconnected with earlier fighting and manoeuvres.

PJ London

You are an idiot and fortunately the SAA do not have you as a general.
An attack sets out with specific objectives, once the objective is met then you stop, consolidate, secure your supply lines and set a new objective.
Your plan is to emulate both Napoleon and Germany in the advance on Russia.
The area is open desert and encirclement would be simple.
SAA also have to be aware that if they actually engage ISIS then the ‘coalition’ will bomb the heck out of them, to ensure that ISIS ‘tactically withdraw’ in safety to the Coalition lines, whereupon they will change shirts and magically become SDF.
Syria has done just fine up to now, and will continue until every inch is restored to the people and government of Syria.

Solomon Krupacek

i think, you are the idiot and noit him. what do you bark here about supply lines and napoleon and hitler??? yiu idiot, there are several dozens of kilometers. dont waste our oxygen.

adam77

What strikes me as a waste is that the Aleppo province offensive gets SAA no closer to Dier Ezzor or PMU; so why do they bother deploying good offensive forces like tiger in an area that gets them nowhere? The same is true of Al Tamf really, The only real road to Dier Ezzor and PMU is East from Palmyra through Arak. Both Northern ans southern offensive forces should transfer to the Assault on Arak.

Alex Black

You are wrong on both accounts. First cutting the highway to the south will force sdf to take on Isis or to allow saa to do so, second there are desert roads leading to deir ezzor, in the same way liwa was able to capture territory to the border north of al tanf, finally there was need to clear Isis from Aleppo province to secure the highway to Aleppo. Deir ezzor offensive matters because the sdf intends to use Syrian instability to grab up land and work with Saudi Arabia, which means the Kurdish state will die in the cradle.

PZIVJ

My edit is done also.
Solomon is an instigator and still at it. Do not let him get under your skin. He is the reason I started “TIGER SPAM” :DDDDD

Solomon Krupacek

you are poor motherfucker, who applaused to FSA:

Alex Black

FSA = Foreign State Agents

Solomon Krupacek

you second idiot. check his comments 1-2 weeks ago. he wrote, good job FSA! i saved using printscreen his applaud for jihadists.

Alex Black

You are like the dumbest, lying jihadist in the world.

Solomon Krupacek

sure!

PZIVJ

You talk trash and dis info for sure, maybe you should learn how to read and speak English for sure. :DDDDDDDDDDDD

PZIVJ

Why are you angry Solomon ? Because SAA did very well today ?
I could do this all year long if you wish.
GO TIGERS GO ! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a3d2c0e48c9c1ee5bfdb12b30df04a9226016649f3d09fa6f16c6984267ec197.jpg

Solomon Krupacek

The Tigers are there not only for ISIS, but fsa and turks in north aleppo. simply theay can not completely remove the best soldiers. 1 surprise attack, and aleppo would be lost.

Alex Black

This point has value, unlike your other idiot dribble but its nonsense when examined critically. The turks have no interests in attacking alleppo because it would likely prevent SAA from fighting with SDF. The rebels (FSA) in Idlib who are heavily dependant on turkey will do as they are told. Tiger forces are effective storming forces, while defence duties could be handled by ndf, liwa, 5th assault corp, and various iranian militias. You are just talking bullshit.

Solomon Krupacek

are you gay? why do you put to all my comments the same bullshit?!

Alex Black

What if I was? Would it make you any less of a moron?

Solomon Krupacek

then look for another. i am not.

Alex Black

Maybe later, i enjoy finding stupid , projecting fags on the internet, you are obviously a repressed gay projecting his desires on others.

PZIVJ

Trolloman is very unhappy today because SAA has made great progress east of AL TANF today. And he has nothing positive to say. GREAT NEWS !

Alex Black

I think the SAA should make a batallion of gays, capture jihadists, and tell the gays to fuk them silly with pig skin condoms.

PZIVJ

Please do not put this type of material under my post, it adds nothing to the discussion.

Alex Black

I am sorry, i was mocking the above troll.

PZIVJ
adam77

The offensive forces are getting farther and farther Southeast of the Turks as they advance towards Tabqa anyway.

Solomon Krupacek

ok. that is sure. but aleppo left nearby turks. :)

FlorianGeyer

Access to the Euphrates is very important for Aleppo and all of Syria as much of its water comes from there. The hydro electric dam is also a strategic asset, even though it is currently in Kurdish hands. There is also the additional threat to Aleppo of ISIS blocking the only supply route, so this area has to be secured.
Without Tiger Forces campaign in the area the Turkish Army would likely have been outside Raqqa now. in order to plunder Syrian oil and gas in the area that Turkey covets desperately.

adam77

The turkish army has been cut off for months and SAA has also been on the lakeshore for some time. I never challenged the need for defensive forces on the supply route, only that the offensive should have been Palmyra/Arak.

FlorianGeyer

There always seems to a be a problem of instant re-occupation of Syrian lands by the US backed forces when ISIS fades away without much resistance. Its almost as if ISIS is being directed by US allies. Did I mention Saudi Arabia and Israel :)

PJ London

I know that you do not speak English, but you should translate the comment into whatever language you do speak, and then actually think before you reply.

cortisol

You have information on force compositions on the front lines to say what is possible and what is not (regarding advances)? Why wouldn’t advance southeast of Maskanah, east of Khanassar road and Ithrayah be possible? Unless so you can’t realistically claim anything.

The whole area is pretty much pure flat desert, ripe for air raids and in which it is hard to establish points of fortifications. Even if it’s possible they could just as well be bypassed 3km to the north or 3km to the south and mopped up and bombed later as they form into deep enough pockets.

charlie

America and jew , british, saudi Terrorists isis will be utterly wiped off the planet