On August 21, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Tiger Forces liberated the town of Khan Shaykhun and the areas of Khazanat and Tal Taeri, thus fully encircling remaining militants in northern Hama.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham strong points of Kafr Zita, Lataminah, and Morek, as well as the nearby settlements of Lahaya, Markabah, Latmin and Sayad are now fully cut off from their radical counterparts in the Idlib zone. A Morek observation post, where Turkish troops are deployed, is also encircled.
Khan Shaykhun, located on a highway linking Damascus with Aleppo, is one of the biggest urban centers in southern Idlib. For years, it had served as the key stronghold of al-Qaeda-linked militants. Currently, SAA troops are working to secure their recent gains and preparing for a further push to clear the rest of northern Hama.
Reacting to the Syrian military advance, a Turkish presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, saidthat all observation posts, including the one near Murak, will remain in their positions in Greater Idlib. He also revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the phone over the situation in Idlib in the next couple of days.
These remarks were accompanied with common Turkish media propaganda accusing the SAA of violating the ceasefire regime and oppressing so-called moderate rebels. But in fact, Turkey just admitted its tactical loss and inability to rescue militants in this part of Syria.
Another important point of Kalin’s statement was dedicated to the US-Turkish ‘safe-zone’ agreement on northern Syria. According to the Turkish side, joint partrols US and Turkish forces will soon be launched east of the Euphrates, within the area controlled by US-backed Kurdish groups. Ankara see these groups as terrorist organizations and has repeatedly shelled their positions. So, it will be interesting to look how this claim will be implemented if US-backed formations remain deployed in the areas of supposed joint patrols.
Well the jihadist didn’t take this city down to the ground.
There are no rebel groups here just terrorist and their anarchy. If they acted in the way they espoused they would be rebuilding not tearing down they had 5 years to do it and look at it a shit hole city.
Occalan boys are Turkish whoors, a Turquish 5th column.
So Erdogan’s going to phone Putin and whine about the nasty SAA ruining his well laid plans, boo hoo, they weren’t so well made after all were they.
Assad knows exactly how to get rid of Erdogan now, he’s finally developed a winning formula that works like a treat, and better still, it can be repeated over and over again, so I’m wondering where the SAA will strike next, and when.
It’s time to start packing your bags if you live in Idlib and don’t like Assad, make a bee line north to where you’re Turkish friends are waiting, sanctuary is beckoning, and Erdogan’s just sent 10,000 Turkish soldiers to the border to welcome you all, and no, those guns aren’t really pointing at you refugees, it just looks like they are, don’t worry, you’re always welcome in Turkey, LOL.
Mmmm northern Hama the next target, mmmm, I hope not, that’s going to be a tough nut to crack, it’s too close to the Turkmen rebel groups operating around Jisr al shughur, and that will be a very hard fight, a combination of utter fanaticism, good equipment and arms, reasonably well trained fighters with heaps of combat experience, and worst of all they’re Erdogan’s countrymen, even if they didn’t ally themselves to him and instead chose Al Nusra and HTS as partners, they are blood in Erdogan’s eyes, and he’ll do more for them than just about any other group fighting in Syria, mmmm, so I think the SAA would be better off leaving these headjobs until nearly last.
I think just heading north east from where the are would be a good move and deliver the SAA easy pickings, but heading west from Hader in Aleppo would be even better, it would be a harder fight there but there’d be lots of bonuses and power ups to collect on the way [airbases and military bases, pro Assad civilians and towns], no matter what they do I wish them the best of luck, though the way they’ve been performing lately I don’t think they really need it.
Decent “Southern Front” report.
At least you didn’t use that f n brain-dead Madison Avenue/CIA bullshit term “rebel”
But you manage to use the term “moderate”… after 8 years of demonic slaughter…how you (and all media) can continue to use these vile US terms is beyond me.
Have ya all actually LOOKED AT SYRIA, wtf is MODERATE about these psychopathic child-rapist baby killer head choppers?
Thank goodness for the SAA, SAF, RuAF and ALL the militias and volunteers how have taken the fight to Satan’s demonic anti-Human psychopaths.
As for Turkey and the USUKEU UN ‘Death Cabal’ and its psychopathic minions…may they ALL rot in Hell for an eternity.
I pray, Syria with the help of Russian and Iran, can reclaim ALL their lands.