Syrian War Report – August 9, 2016: Stalemate in Battle for Aleppo?

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

Six Tu-22M3 bombers took off from the Russian territory and carried out concentrated air strikes on ISIS targets near al-Sukhnah and Arak in the Syrian province of Homs. The bombers destroyed the terrorists’ control centres and concentrations, ammo storage, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, 12 crossover utility vehicles with weapons were near Palmyra and Arak. A command and control centre and a large field camp located near al-Sukhnah were also destroyed by the air strikes.

The Syrian army and the National Defense Forces have been making major advances in northern Latakia after redeployment of significant jihadist forces to Aleppo city. Pro-government forces have already captured Shir al-Qaboo, al-Qantarah and the strategic town of Kinsibba.

The situation remains tense in southwestern Aleppo. The Jaish al-Fatah operation room holds positions in the corridor to the militant-controlled areas in eastern Aleppo while clashes are reported at the Cement Plant and in the 1070 Apartment Project. The jihadists also shell the pro-government positions in the 3000 Apartment Project. However, they have not been able to launch a successful advance there. The Syrian army’s artillery and the Russian and Syrian air power have been striking on targets in the 1070 Apartment Project, the Ramouseh Artillery Base and the jihadists’ rear.

The both sides have difficulties with providing supplies to the besieged areas because the opened corridors through the Castello Highway and the Alramousa road don’t allow free passage of aid convoys. If the jihadists are able to widen the opened corridor and launch constant delivers to eastern Aleppo, it will be a major military, PR and diplomatic blow to the Assad government and its Russian and Iranian allies. Some believe that if this redline is passed, Moscow could be pushed to use ground forces in order to save its achievements of the operation in Syria that had already drawn significant human, organizational and financial resources.

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

Doesn’t SYRIA OWN LANDMINES. Why don’t they put mines around their strongholds. These people are complete idiots. These jihadi wouldn’t be storming anything if there were landmines on the way. Seriously. Major problem here with the Syrian army.

Valhalla rising

exactly i was thinking the same, infact landmines can be layed via artillery and rocketartillery.Why they dont do it i dont know.

jj

I know that the Turkish-Syria border was cleared of landmines, just a couple years before the infiltration of jihadists, to help set up the current war, started. During those times, Turkey was acting friendly to Syria, but it was all just a ruse.
It is known that western governments pressure other countries to destroy their landmines – all the easier to infiltrate and attack them, and also protect their proxies who do this.

Robert Guttierez

I believe both sides have sappers to find those mines.

Valhalla rising

Yes but that is a complicated task and it cost the attacker time and resources.While the enemy is slowed down its shelled with all kinds of artillery and destroyed.

Jens Holm

Yea and real machineguns and snipers too.

Think many here still think infantery are marching slowly forward with the bajonettes on.

They are in many small very determint groups running in lines vertically or horisontical – or as well hidden as possible.

They can easaly hear the aroplaines and seek hide. If any even big often hit one person or none. Using artillery granates is much more accurate because of direct observation to direct launching grenate accurate.

Well of course, when You carpetbomb with jets and helicopters You have to hide something good now and then.

There is an other angle of this. Its very expensive to use a bomb pr person instead of one or a small group of bullets. Its an economic war too.

Jens Holm

Yes Joe. They cant put landmines all over in a heavyly populated city at all stronghold, but they could have done it in the area they just lost and protct them by barbed wire. Something like that.

The way to make that being destroyd are very big bombs exploding them or making socallad Bangalore torpedoes, which originally was firecrackers one by one on long bomboo stick and crachers replaced with amathol.

Another method is easy. Just ran in a long line use same footsteps. When nr 1 is dead, the next wont a.s.o.

Ha-ha Robert Guttierez. Think preparing for attack – or defence hidden is normal procedure – if possible. Could be some of the fighters are a little busy or the moment.

In an old cartoon called Asterisce and Obelix the Romans defeated Brittain in weekends. The non believers might try the next Ramaddan again.

teokles

Land-mines create problems after the combat phase.
Civilians get killed = major PR problem for the regime in Damascus!

Valhalla rising

thats why you have mine plans, after the combat phase the area is cleared and demined and i guess the loss of Aleppo is a much bigger PR problem, in addition there are no civilians in the artillery base etc.

Spunkyhunk

A war is not a PR campaign. Trying to run a war like a PR campaign will lead to losing – especially when the other side is not playing by the same restrictions that you impose on yourself. What needs to be done is to bomb the hell out of the jihadis wherever they are, without worrying overly much about collateral damage.

Tony B.

You mean like the USAF?

Reallyseriousnews

In this format of warfare PR is extremely important, although less so with external opinion and more importantly with the local community. The militants have a slight advantage due to the fact they can hide asset’s within the population akin to what has also been seen in Afgahnistan. For this reason PR is important with the local population to gather intelligence to expose hidden assets. If you do not deal with this facet it will make any gains much harder to maintain. That is also why you can not dump off landmines every where because they become a major problem later on. This also limits us of airpower in some areas which should preferably leave key infrastructure intact which is opposite to many of the US strikes in the past. In urban areas maintaining food/water/energy is key just as much as security to maintaining a hold on an area. On the other hand in the open or remote areas they can rain hell upon the militants and they really have nothing they can do about it. This will in turn keep the militants in urban areas and as they start sustain heavy losses they will try to hide in the population. The first part is easy if you have greater firepower but the second stage can evolve into a guerilla / insurgency nightmare if precautions are not made in advance such as maintaining PR with the local population.

eagleson

Russia will not send land troops in Syria,that is not an option.

George Washington

There is already a Russian contingent on the ground. They are tasked with defending the naval port and a few of the newly acquired airfields.

Russian “advisors” were killed fighting as infantrymen in the failed SAA march on Raqqa.

Both NATO and Russia have spec ops running around all over.

Read a bit more before you just assume things and repeat them in forums ;)

eagleson

GI mean ground troops that are going there specifically to fight in Aleppo for example or somewhere else not ground troops in general.

George Washington

Funny how nobody is explaining why those bombs fell on Homs and not southern Aleppo…

AJ

My thoughts exactly

George Washington

Bullsh!t there have been ZERO close air-support missions by Russian aircraft in south Aleppo.

Russians are only bombing the rear areas and supply lines far from the front line.

All air attacks on enemy units who were actually engaging SAA were done by Syrian Air Force.

Hezbollah is on the frontline; Putin promised Netanyahu that he wouldn’t give them air support.

PLEASE if anyone has proof to the contrary let me know, I WANT to be wrong about this.

IMO lack of Russian air support is due to Hezbollah’s presence.

Syria and Iran tried to force Russia into breaking their promise to Israel – it failed :(

George King

Syrian and Russian warplanes have been conducting combat flights over areas of the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo. On Monday, the Syrian Arab Air Force has destroyed a militant convoy heading from Idlib province to southwestern Aleppo. Syrian warplanes have reportedly made over 10 air strikes and destroyed some 6 militant vehicles.

In southwestern Aleppo, Russian warplanes conducted air strikes on jihadi targets in the Ramouseh Neighborhood, trageting the corridor opened by Jaish al-Fatah to eastern Aleppo. There are no information about casualties among militants.

Meanwhile, the Russian state-run news agecy “Sputniknews” says that some 2000 militants were killed over the past 10 days:
https://southfront.org/syrian-and-russian-warplanes-destroy-militatnt-military-equipment-and-manpower-in-aleppo-and-idlib/

Jesus

Where is your proof for your assertions?

santiago

First provide proof, then ask for proof. Does that sound rational to you? After all you are the one making statements.

George Washington

This is the worst Syrian War Report yet!


Your readers are not all Putin/Assad fanboys…please preserve your unique credibility by making an honest attempt to analyze the recent FAILURES in Aleppo.

WHY DID RUSSIA FAIL TO PROVIDE CLOSE AIR SUPPORT TO SOUTH ALEPPO???!!!

Until you guys answer this question you are no better than RT or CNN.

AntiTerrorist

Urban area

jj

It seems Russia is holding to some deal made with Kerry and the Israeli president, they trick-maneuvered Russia to protect their proxies.

Mata

George W. you sound like a Hellary Clinton’s fanboy(girl); and all your comments are nothing but whining and trolling, absolutely nothing remotely intelligent or relevant.

So-Hail Mozaff

Actually they did some air strikes on south Aleppo. Your not gonna like it or even believe it but Syrian Assad protection operation has 2 major sides, Russia and Iran. Currently in south Aleppo IRGC and Iran backed militias are in action; but on the foot and SyrianAF and RuAF supports them on air.

patrick kennedy

The suffering of the innocent civilian population caught up in this must be intolerable. A Song for Syria- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47wWTXxWktQ

Freedom

What stalemate? Al-Qaeda may be able to manage a stalemate during a few days. Right now the stalemate situation seems to be of interest for the Syrian government. The Syrian troops are very stretched. In a few days the situation can be very different.