Click to see the full-size map
On November 8, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Hezbollah backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces entered the last ISIS stronghold in Syria, al-Bukamal, only hours after launching their final attack on the city.
The SAA and its allies launched their final attack from two directions:
- their newly captured positions northeast of the T-2 station;
- the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Syrian pro-government and Iraqi sources claimed that Iraqi Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an armed group, which is a part of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), attacked the eastern front of al-Bukamal city from the Iraqi territory. While local sources confirmed these claims, no official sources of Syria or Iraq commented on this matter yet. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also allegedly supported the operation.
ISIS contributed not much efforts to defend al-Bukamal and its fighters collapsed quickly around and inside the city, mainly due to the massive losses, which ISIS suffered from in Syria and Iraq lately.
The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that ISIS fighters destroyed a tank and a BMP-1 vehicle of the SAA north of the T-2 station, proving that ISIS incapable of fighting anymore.
On November 9, some clashes were reported between pro-government forces and ISIS members in al-Bukamal. The SAA and its allies faced some resistance in a part of the city. However, according to local sources, this was just a local center of resistance. ISIS is de-facto finished in al-Bukamal.
GENERAL LOOK
The Hezbollah media wing officially announced that SAA, Hezbollah and Iranian-backed forces launched operation “By The Dawn 3” to reach al-Bukamal city at the Syrian-Iraqi border on October 13.
On October 26, the SAA and Hezbollah were finally able to advance and capture the strategic T-2 station, which is located 70km west of al-Bukamal city, after repelling several ISIS attacks. By November 3, the SAA and its allies had been in only 40km away from al-Bukamal.
On November 5, pro-government forces reached the Syrian-Iraqi border 30km south of al-Bukamal and established several positions south of al-Bukamal. These positions were used by the SAA and its allies to launch their final attack on the city on November 8.
Click to see the full-size map
ISIS still controls few villages between al-Bukamal and Mayadin cities on the western bank of the Euphrates River. These villages will likely be captured by the SAA within a month, especially that the Tiger Forces announced an attack towards al-Bukamal from its positions south of Mayadin on November 7.
The remaining ISIS fighters inside Syria will likely regroup in the Homs desert southeast of al-Sukhnah town. However, due to the bad weather in the area during the winter, and because there are no notable towns or villages what so ever in the desert, the SAA will likely be able to clear the desert from large ISIS groups in the upcoming months.
In turn, ISIS will likely shift its efforts towards a guerrilla warfare and continue conducting terrorist attacks and raids across the country.
Now the two pincers can close on the Daeshtards, squeezing the oxygen from their lungs and the blood from their limbs!
Acc to SDF related sources Al Bukamal is undergoing heavy fighting in the night and early morning and not taken at all, at least not at THIS moment.
PMU’s, Hezbollah and the few accompanying SAA just a little bit premature?
Time will tell. In the case of Al Bukamal it matters not much. Damascus is reestablishing control over this city, be it now or tomorrow. And if ISIS makes a stand in Al Bukamal it saves the SAA and allies the trouble to go hunt for them later. And wherever ISIS makes a stand it opens itself up for a rapid advance elsewhere. Like for the Tigers to advance south.
As for your snipe against there being so few SAA troops in this Allied force taking the city, again, where would the Kurds be without US air support, and the thousands of US troops providing artillery and logistical support on the ground to them as well? Certainly nowhere where they are now. Not even close.
It is a fact that the large desert pocket is likely to be an ideal killing ground for the destruction of any Die Hard ISIS terrorists that fail to run away to their new found friends in the US backed SDF.
Did the Russian and Syrian strategists leave this vast barren desert pocket for precisely this purpose. I have mooted this here before.
On the other hand the desert is vast and not easy to monitor. Case in point the vast ISIS counter attack that almost managed to retake Sukhnah again. It’s an ideal killing ground. But you would have to find them first. And they would have the advantage of mobility. In an urban area they can find shelter to survive the onslaught, but at least they would be pinned down so you can concentrate firepower on them.
Personally I would rather have them pinned down in a town or city and be forced to fight them block for block. It would be hard, but at least you know where they are and where to target.
Time and reality will be the true historian here. I put my trust in the Syrian and Russian strategists who have not failed thus far.
Termal View in the Night is a VERY good Weapon in the Desert to hunt down Rat Holes. Iran Russia do this from the Air an even better way to see the Rats hidding in Holes. I think it will be a Pleasure for the Rat-Hunters to HUNT.
dutchnational is a little bit trolling?
Is SDF learning their lesson? Do they finally understand what actually good for them (and that it can’t be based on supressing others)?
But who I am asking… :) Nothing rational is actually expected from anti human zio slave.
HE isnt trolling a little bit, he is outright trolling.He always seem certain about the negatives when it comes to the SAA but when it comes to the positives he uses terms like ” premature” or ” uncertain” or ” too early”..Fact remains Abu Kamal was taken from ISIS by the SAA and pro government forces.
You are right on target but I was just using his “little bit premature”(c) noncense.
wrong news !
I have to say that SAA and it’s allies made nice strategic planing on Al Bukamal city. As SAA is done with Al Bukamal city, my advice would be to continue North, but SAA also should press South from Al Mayadin.
In addition, in my opinion SAA should also try shrink the desert packet and push ISIS on the Eastern part of the river. ISIS will have no where to go and may will have to fight SDF. Therefore, I will leave maybe 4-5 km wide escape route along the river for ISIS move on the east side of the river.
The other option will be to close the packet and eliminate ISIS in the packet. With out access to water and food and during winter time ISIS could be easy to eliminate on the desert