International Military Review – Syria & Iraq, April 18, 2016

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Last weekend, Syrian forces continued operations in Aleppo City and neighbored areas. Following advances in Salaheddine District and al-Mallah farm area, the loyalist troops are now advancing in the city. An expected sub-objective of the operations is to divide the militant-controlled areas destroying the militants’ logistics and creating number of small pockets to defeat militant units in isolation from each other. (показать стрелки возможного наступления, выделить вероятные pockets)

Any successful offensive operations of the pro-government forces in Aleppo City will face an antagonism of the Western block on both diplomatic and military levels, which means the incensement of the propagandistic campaign in main stream media and supplies to militant groups operating in the area. The ongoing discussions on providing anti-aircraft weapons to militants are a part of this scenario.

The recent attempts of different militant groups to expand the zone of control in the northern part of the Aleppo province aim the similar goals:

  1. To strengthen the negotiating position in the talks
  2. To set the ground to proclaim an alternative government if the talks are failed

However, this would be possible only in case if the moderate militants are able to control a significant part of the province including Aleppo City.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allies are conducting operations in the Eastern side of the Khanasser-Aleppo highway. The decision was made after ISIS units attacked the SAA’s positions in strategic heights of Shabith and Al-Qaliya which overlook the villages of Atshana, Kharbeh Zobd, al-Toubeh and Akil. The security of supplies through the Khanasser-Aleppo highway is an important element of the ongoing operations in Aleppo City.

On Saturday, the SAA liberated al-Sin air base near Damascus. The operation was coordinated with an offensive aimed on liberation the hilltop village of Tal Sawwan in the East Ghouta. According to pre-military reports, the SAA almost liberated the village. It had been controlled by Jaysh Al-Islam.

In the Latakia province, the Syrian forces – the SAA, the NDF and the SSNP – launched a fresh offensive on the town of Kabani in the Kurdish Mountains. Heavy clashes are ongoing there.

On April 14, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) liberated the town of Hit the province of Anbar province, following 2 weeks of the urban warfare with ISIS militants. The ISF entered the town on April 4.

On April 18, the Iraqi F-16 fighter jets conducted airstrikes against theISIS  headquarters in the Tal Kayf district northeast of Mosul. Pro-government sources report that at least 17 militants were killed in the air raids, including Ahmed Qasim al-Farahat, an ISIS financial official.

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Ale

Great!

Sergio González

Happy to see that the government forces are making steady gains.. I want to see every single snackbar dead! Remember Bashar and Putin, you don’t negotiate with terrorists!

Daniel Rich

Urban warfare sucks.

Unfortunately, the SAA can’t level an entire city to terminate the takfiri terrorists holed up in dungeons, but the way things are going, most op the city will end up being damaged or destroyed anyway…

Who’ll pick up the $180 billion reparation tab?

hhabana

Rich, I would like to see the Chinese in exchange for oil. They are like ants when building and would have that place built up in no time.

Daniel Rich

@ hhabana,

Have you seen the quality of Chinese buildings?

Built up in no time, coming down in no time as well.

Syria deserves something really good after having suffered horrendously for so many years.

hhabana

I have seen what they have built and not all is shoddy. We have same shit in America. Read the article here on this site what they did with islands in South China Sea.

Daniel Rich

@ hhabana,

I’m not talking about what you or I read. I’m talking about realty. I’m talking about the shitty, Chinese components that end up in my Yamaha, Roland and Panasonic equipment. Brands that used to deliver outstanding electronics, but now broke down in [respective], 3 weeks, 2 days and never worked to begin with.

I gave you one example of Chinese construction failure, but there are 1,000s out there. Structures that collapse and kill scores of people. You can’t compare US construction work to Chinese building skills. You can only do so from behind your computer. Go and buy that $1 dollar Chinese crap on sale in Walmart, if you’ve got the guts.

Therefore my conclusion remains the same: the Syrian population deserves much better that that.

Barry

They did that in 1982 in Hama. Killed tens of thousands and bragged about it (they even brought in foreign reporters to see the damage). Putin did the same in Grozny: bomb the cities to oblivion and then rebuild with oil money.