Syrian War Report – June 5, 2017: Maskanah Is Liberated, Army Moves To Raqqa Province

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Voiceover by Lance Ramsay

Syrian government forces, led by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Tiger Forces, have achieved a major victory in the battle against ISIS in eastern Aleppo. Late on Friday, the Tiger Forces encircled the ISIS stronghold of Maskanah and took control over the N4 highway. On Saturday, army troops liberated Maskanah itself and started removing mines and IEDs set up by terrorists in the area. A majority of ISIS terrorists had withdrew from the town in the direction of Palmyra, according to local sources.

Separately, units of Liwa al-Quds and the Republican Guard advanced east of Khansser and captured the Alam hill and the nearby points.

A contact line between government forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces will likely be established south of Dibsi Afnan. Then, the SAA may continue developing advance expanding a buffer zone along the Ithriyah-Khanasser-Aleppo road.

The liberation of Maskanah also opens additional opportunities for operations against ISIS in the provinces of Homs and Deir Ezzor.

ISIS responded to this with a large advance against the SAA in the city of Deir Ezzor. ISIS units operating had received additional reinforcements, including artillery pieces and military equipment. This allowed them to capture the Panorama roundabout and the Panorama School in the area of the 137th Base. A fierce fighting is ongoing in Tal Umm Abboud and Tal SyriaTel. If the 137th Base falls into hands of ISIS, this may lead to a collapse of government forces defenses in a large part of Deir Ezzor. The situation is critical.

In turn, ISIS has invested a large number of its resources in this operation and if it fails, this may open a road for the government advance on al-Sukhna on the Palmyra-Deir Ezzor highway.

Deir Ezzor and al-Bukamal are located at a strategic highway linking Raqqa and Mosul.  If ISIS wants to keep at least some presence in the Syrian-Iraqi battleground and to get some freedom of operations, it desperately needs to capture the city of Deir Ezzor. This is why many militants redeployed from other fronts, including the ISIS-held area of Iraq and Raqqa are involved in this effort.

Since June 3, it has liberated more than 1400 square kilometers east of Palmyra city. The operation involves large forces of the SAA and its allies armed with dozens of armored vehicles and battle tanks, including modern T-90A battle tanks. The Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force support the operation.

ISIS claimed that 21 Syrian soldiers were killed by a VBIED attack in the Abbasiya area. 14 Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed in a suicide attack in Al-Gharb hills. ISIS destroyed a battle tank of the SAA near Al-Mahaor with an ATGM, and targeted a gathering of soldiers there with an ATGM, allegedly killing five soldiers. The casualties of ISIS forces in the area are unknown.

The US-led coalition has set up a new military base in at the Syrian-Iraqi border. The base is located at Al-Zkuf, 70 km northeast of Al-Tanf and 130 km south of the ISIS-held town of Al-Bukamal. The declared goal is to assist US-backed militant groups, like Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra, in their battle against ISIS.

Meanwhile, US-backed militants have continued their attacks against government troops in the southeastern desert. However, they have achieved no notable results. The SAA maintains positions in about 40-45 kilometers from Al-Tanf.

The situation is also escalating in the city of Daraa as government forces have deployed reinforcements in order to prevent further militant advances in the provincial capital. The army has launched an intense bombing campaign against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies in the area. Government forces also conducted few counter-attacks.  According to some pro-government sources, the army may launch a military operation in order to liberate the whole city. However, this looks too optimistic, considering the situation in Deir Ezzor and near Palmyra.

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Kell
Joe Doe

To protect city of Deir Ezzor, there need to be drastic action by SAA and Russia. The ISIS force in city of Deir Ezzor is very strong. Couple weeks back the ISIS had only freshments. Now situation change, due to allowed ISIS core force move from Raqqah to city of Deir Ezzor using Highway 4.

Sergey kesic

just watched some videos ISIS recorded with drones of their suicide bombers attacking convoys..it’s to say mildly one of the most terrifying videos i seen, not even executions could compare to seeing hopeless convoys trying to drive in reverse as terrorist trucks are approaching.

EL ZORRO

“ ISIS units operating had received additional reinforcements, including artillery pieces and military equipment”…How and WHO is supplying the weapons and reinforcement ?.

batavian01

The open back door at al Raqqa?

EL ZORRO

“The US-led coalition has set up a new military base in at the Syrian-Iraqi border. The base is located at Al-Zkuf, 70 km northeast of Al-Tanf and 130 km south of the ISIS-held town of Al-Bukamal. The declared goal is to assist US-backed militant groups, like Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra, in their battle against ISIS”…TRANSLATION…The US-led invading coalition set up military bases ON Syrian territory to assist their invading MERCENARY INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS I.S.I.S.

Stephen

The US operation in Syria and Iraq is just to occupy lands and is not worth of any benefit to Syrian nation. They are just land grabbers. Therefore, with the help of terrorists they creating new terrorists training camps without the permission of Syrian government.

It is shamble and biggest crime that USA breaching the international law at highest level, give backup and training to terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya.

gustavo

Russia has the capacity (technology, equipment, missiles, planes, alicopters, drons) to destroy ISIS forcen in Deir El Zor ¿ what are they waiting ? ¿ Putin order ?

Stephen

The destruction of Middle East is near.
Ezrahel terrorist state have produced some 400 nuclear Hydrogen bombs.
Ezrahel produces 23 nuclear Hydrogen bombs each year in the Nuclear city of Negev and in Dimona nuclear plants of Dimona town.
Ezrahel produces hundreds of Chemical and Biological bombs each year in the town of Ness Ziona near Tel Aviv.
The Ezrahel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), located in the town of Ness Ziona near Tel Aviv, hosts the bulk of Ezrahel research related to biological and chemical weapons.
Ezrahel wants more more more weapons and nuclear Hydrogen bombs.

Solomon Krupacek

1 eek ago ewre only 300 HBs yearly

Jens Holm

Very funny – hahaha

Pampi Ta

Go guys, time to launch the operation towards Deir ez-Zoor and the iraqi border. I don’t get why they still fight in eastern Aleppo province : what’s the use ?

VGA

Because if they didn’t take those areas from ISIS, then turko-FSA or the SDF would grab them. THINK!

Then you would be whining about the SDF being allowed to expand close to Aleppo.

wimroffel

I don’t get the logic of the claim that if ISIS fails in Deir Ezzor that will open the opportunity for attacks by the SAA in Palmyra. ISIS has withdrawn their troops from elsewhere so these locations are vulnerable now.

Nigel Maund

Like it or not the US is the largest supporter of terrorists on the planet and also through the CIA the world’s largest drug dealer. So, it appears that the cause of the world’s problems and much of the death and destruction can be directly tracked back to the USA and its little toady the UK. However, we all know that neither country is “Governed by the “democratically” elected Governments as the politicians re puppets controlled because each country’s “DEEP STATE” has plenty of dirt on the politicians through the CIA, NSA and GCHQ to coerce the politicans to do as their damn well told or else. Hence, following the matras and maxims of ex CIA Director Allen Welsh Dulles (the evil spymaster) the CIA (Globalists Bankster – Corporatist Cabal) controls the narrative in the MSM and also precisely what is going on in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East. Of course once cannot forget the Zionists big hand in all of the foregoing as the DEEP STATE is composed of extreme Zionist NWO Globalists where they will control the planet.

Nigel Maund

Well done to the brave servicemen of the SAA, SAF and the Russian Aerospace Forces, you doing a very important and courageous job. Your not only saving the people of Syria but preventing the advance of the world’s most evil system being projected under the auspices of the Anglo – American – EU alliance of Globalists one world bank / government to establish a world wide Fascist Dictatorship. Once again Russia is playing the key role in combating global evil as it did in 1941 – 1945 in almost single handedly breaking the back of the Wehrmacht. We in the so called west will forever be thankful for Russia’s great sacrifice in the Great Patriotic War. Once again the world will be in debt to the Russian people for its sacrifices in blood and treasure as it struggles against the greatest evil since WW2 in the shape of the so called “West” and its nasty proxy mercenary armies.

Arina Mikheeva

After completing operations in the Maskanah area, the SAA continues advance to the east. The troops yesterday crossed the border of the province of Rakka and they are gradually approaching the advanced positions of the Kurds to the west of Tabka. The front of the militants is now only a fairly fragile veil of separate detachments that can only contain some time, but do not stop the advance of the Syrian military. SAA, approaching northeast of Palmyra, is advancing towards the Sukna Oasis. Up to it remained about 40 kilometers.
The attack directly on At-Tanf is not currently conducted. Americans continue to flood the area with leaflets, in which they are urged not to approach close to At-Tanf.