Syria & Iraq War Report – October 17, 2016: Military Operations in Aleppo and Mosul

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Since previous military report, the Syrian army, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Liwa al-Quds Lebanese Hezbollah have achieved more gains in Aleppo city. They took control of the agriculture school, located south of Tall Asfar, and reached the ”Youth Housing” north of the Hanano Housing. Now, the army and Liwa al-Quds focused on military operations in the areas of the Ba’edin and Jandoul roundabouts.  By Oct. 17, the government forces seized the Intharat Heights near the Ba’edin roundabout and secured the areas near the neighborhoods of Ayn at-Tal and Haydariyah.

A separate attempt to push to Jabal Badro has not resulted in any notable success. The army and the National Defense Forces (NDF) also launched an operation, advancing in the areas west of the Aleppo International Airport. Sheikh Lutfi is the goal. On Oct. 17, clashes intensified in Salah Addeen and the army took control of large parts of the 1070 Apartent Project.

On Oct. 16, the Syrian Army’s Tiger Forces and the NDF liberated from Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), Ahrar al-Sham and its allies the strategic city of Ma’ardas in the northern part of Hama province. This was the biggest success of the pro-government forces since the start of massive counter-offensive in the province. The militant-controlled city of Souran will become the next target of the army and the NDF. Both Souran and Ma’ardas are strategically located along the highway between the cities of Homs and Aleppo.

The army also set a full-control of the villages of Qudsiyah and al-Hamah, located near Damascus after militants had withdrew from the areas under the deal with the government.

On Oct. 17, the army and the NDF continued operation in Western Ghouta, aiming the strategic town of Khan Shih. The government forces were developing the advance from the recently liberated town of Deir Khabiyah. The militants’ defenses are on the verge of collapse in the region.

Late on Oct. 15, the ISIS terrorist group withdrew from the area of Azaz in the northern part of Aleppo province. The ISIS forces were set to deploy in Al-Bab in order to prepare to defend this strategic city in Aleppo province. Next day Turkish-backed militant groups, supported by the Turkish Armed Forces, took control of the cities of Dabiq and Sawran and the nearby areas, including Sawran, Tilalayn, Salihiyah, Hawr al-Nahr and Sunbul.

On Oct. 15, the Russian Northern Fleet officially announced that a group of warships, led by heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser, had started a cruise to the areas of the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The group includes “the Pyotr Velikiy heavy nuclear missile cruiser, anti-submarine warships the Vice Admiral Kulakov and the Severomorsk, as well as supply vessels.”

The Kuznetsov is expected to join up with a nuclear submarine, as well as Tu-160 long-range strategic bombers, for anti-piracy and anti-terror exercises before arriving in Eastern Mediterranean where it will join the Russian forces fighting terrorists in Syria.

The joint forces of the US-led coalition, the Iraqi government, the pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) and the Kurdish Peshmerga launched the long-awaited military operation to liberate the last ISIS major stronghold in Iraq – Mosul. Since Saturday, Mosul and the nearby areas have been the target of massive shelling and bombing campaigns by the US artillery and the US-led coalition’s air power.

The joint anti-ISIS forces are aiming to secure the Mosul countryside before storming the ISIS stronghold itself. On Oct. 16, the Iraqi Army’s 9th Division and the PMU liberated the city of Bashiqa from ISIS. The Peshmerga joined the operation northeast of Mosul. The Kurdish fighters will block ISIS escape routers and receive and screen refugees but not enter the city.

The Obama administration focused on attempts to retake Mosul after the widely promoted idea of liberation of Raqqa in Syria failed due to the ongoing Turkish-Kurdish tensions in northern Syria. There are also reports that the US military staff has opposed that operation because it will weaken anti-Assad forces.

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Kell

Wow its all happening

peter

Attacking middle east was like putting stick in Hornet nest. I knew it will be never ending story, just producing more, and more complications… I hope it will not end with nuclear war with Russia..

Lord Humongous

Not to mention the craptastic variables introduced into a civil war by the Western coalition, like moderate head choppers. Yeah, just freakin’ genius. If he keeps poking Vlad, Obama is gonna get slapped down like the bitch he is. And this will get out of control and no one will be able to do a thing about it. And we (U.S.) and the Russian citizenry, not to mention all the players in the M.E., will suffer the consequences. Obama is completely out of his league and our boys over there are going to get fed into the meat grinder. Bring them home. Let Assad rule Syria, his family has for decades. Let it be.

peter

America is nice country. But it’s In hands zionist. They put middle east into bloodbath in business to protect Israel and to control middle eastern oil and gas. I don’t want to sound anti – jew, or anti semitic – but face the truth… Come on… There is group very nasty cynical Jews globalists – zionist like: Rockefellers , Rotschilds, Soros, Kissinger, Brzeziński who manipulate all this situation. Chance for humanity is now Mr Donald Trump. ( if they don’t assassinate him, earlier) -like they done with Lincoln, Kennedy, and general Patton. If Clinton will got president – we facing nuclear war! All this fellows: Kaddafi, Hussein – they use to be CIA agents and America ” friends “… Till certain point.. Till point when they grow to mutch on oil and they wanted do deals and payments NOT IN USA DOLLARS. That was to mutch for wise kosher man’s from America. They had to stop them by going to war in order to ” make democracy among Arabs “- what sound from the top to the bottom like joke – because democracy and Islam, are to opposite ideas :-)

peter

By the way: America didn’t attack Arabs and middle east. It was war ” war for democracy ” Continuation of idea ” never ending fight for democracy ” – from Mr Lejbe Moshe Bronstein- ” Trocki” :-)))

peter

All nationalism is bad and wrong – leads you straight to fashizm and nazism. Only one nationalism is good and allowed. JEWISH NATIONALISM :-)))