Syrian War Report – November 5, 2019: Army Prepares For Advance In Northern Lattakia

Syrian War Report – November 5, 2019: Army Prepares For Advance In Northern Lattakia

In response to a recent escalation in northern Lattakia, the Syrian Army has deployed a batch of reinforcements south of the militant-held town of Kbani. According to pro-government sources, the Syrian military leadership is also considering to deploy units from the Tiger Forces to the area. If this is confirmed, the Syrian military may undertake offensive actions around Kbani in the near future. During the past few years, militants used Kbani as a foothold to shell and attack government-controlled areas. The liberation of this town may become a turning point in restoring security and defeating the terrorism in this part of Syria.

Turkish-backed forces shelled a US military column near Tell Tamer in northeastern Syria, Maj. Gen. Yuri Borenkov, the head of the Reconciliation Russian said on November 3. No casualties were reported. Nonetheless, such developments indicate that the situation around the Ras-al-Ayn-Tell Abyad zone still remain tense.

Clashes between Kurdish armed groups and Turkish-backed militants are ongoing near Sakiru, Masoudia and Umm Baramil. Both sides claim that they killed lots of enemy fighters. However, video and photo evidence from the area indicate that most of the developments are never-ending artillery duels.

Meanwhile, the US-led coalition has increased its military presence in the Rumeilan oil field area. Local sources say that the number of US-linked mercenaries deployed there has also increased. US forces regularly conduct patrols between the Omar oil fields and the Rumeilan oil field. While the number of US troops deployed in northern Syria is decreasing, the US military presence along the eastern bank of the Euphrates is growing.

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Odysseas Angelides

It was about time. The militants and their patrons, Turkey, must be defeated and the turkish occupiers of Syrian land must be expelled from Syria the sooner.

Karen Bartlett

The US is also the patron of militants.

Odysseas Angelides

You are quite right, not only Turkey but the USA and all those who governments which remained indifferent and apathetic to what happens in Syria where 400.000 people were killed and one third of the country’s population became refugees. We in Cyprus are now facing the problem of refugees overflowing our divided country as a result of the turkish invasion of 1974. The refugees are loaded on turkish boats like sheep and sent to the occupied part of the island from where they cross to the free areas asking for refugee status. The problem now is beyond control and cannot be handled by the authorities. There is only one solution. Either to put then in boat;s and send them back or create concentration camps and leave them there for ever, which is evil.

Jose Martinez

The US and their quest for oil is bugging me. Months ago Iranian forces attacked one of Assad’s cousins who was smuggling oil out of Syria and liberated that area from his control. While Russian and Syrian forces prepare for this offensive, hopefully with the assistance of the SDF, I would hope Iran begins to attack US positions around the oil fields. The US needs to be sent a clear message to go the f*** home. Damn Neo-cons.

Karen Bartlett

Do you have a link to the information on “Assad’s cousin”?

Jose Martinez

Yes. Here it is:

https://www.middleeastmonitor. COM/20190916-iran-militias-expel-assad-linked-group-from-east-syria-province/

I commented on this which is why I remembered. It was Hussam Qaterji, one of Assad’s closest businessmen. I must’ve gotten the bit of him being Assad’s cousin from a different information source, I have no idea where but it’s in my memory bank for some reason..

imbroglio

MEM is not a reliable, London based media . One has to be very cautious looking for the truth in here.

Karen Bartlett

Thank you, but the link wouldn’t open.And I searched the MEM site and there were no results for this article. So I searched the date (09/16/19) and there were no articles on this.

Jose Martinez

Copy the entire link and paste it on your browser. MEM doesn’t allow the sharing of clickable links on their forum. There are certain rules MEM monitors have groomed commenters to follow..

Karen Bartlett

Ok, thanks. I did that and read the article. It said that the business man, a Mr. Qatarji, was smuggling “oil, grains and other materials” from SDF-held areas to the Syrian gov’t areas over water crossings that he controlled. I don’t see anything wrong with that. It is, after all, Syrian oil and Syrian grain. And it didn’t say Iran “attacked” Qaterji’s forces but that they dismantled them and are now controlling the water crossings instead of either Qaterji or the SDF and came “a few days after the SDF issued orders to close all the [water] crossings” leading into Syrian government-held areas. The MEM says this move exacerbates “tensions” between the SDF and Syria, and “comes amid subtle ongoing tensions between Iran and Russia” in Syria But it seems to me that Iran is rather helping the situation on behalf of Syria, which the MEM calls the “Assad regime”. I label ihe article propaganda.

Jose Martinez

Thank you for listening, I appreciate that. Why do you label this propaganda?

When I first saw the story I fact checked it through the Syrian Observer which described Qatarji as such: “Local sources told Alsouria Net that Qaterji’s aim is to form forces in Deir ez-Zor to “protect his investments there and the oil convoys which are going from SDF areas to regime areas, not for a military aim or to support Assad’s forces.” to which I asked: “Are Qaterji’s investments in line with Assad’s interests for Syria or not?”

Iran plays an Influence game, that is their power. The IRGC was begun as a civilian fighting force, much like what the NDF is. It’s important for pro-government forces to remain unquestionably loyal to Syria and Assad’s regime. If Qaterji wasn’t loyal to Syria & the government above all else, Qaterji was a problem. If Iran is looking to peddle more influence than Assad’s forces over the NDF, Iran is problem. Gotta watch your friends or they turn into enemies. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” as they say..

Karen Bartlett

I label the article propaganda because it takes an incident which sounds to me like this: Mr. Qatarji, whatever his motives, was helping Syria by smuggling oil and grain from SDF areas back into Syria. If this action benefited Mr. Qatarji as well, there’s nothing wrong with that. He should go broke in trying to help his country? He was helping Syria when he could have stayed out of it and not risked his men.

It looks to me also that Iran thought they could do a better job instead of a private individual who was paying his own private “soldiers” to try to get Syria oil and grain out of the hands of the SDF, who had no business with it and were in fact stealing it. If Iran stepped in after the SDF issued orders to close the crossings, which would have meant an engagement with Mr. Qatarji’s men, who weren’t really soldiers, then Iran was doing so to help the situation, not because they were “influence peddling” or for some other nefarious reason.

The oil and grain are going to Syria, whether by Mr. Qatarji’s efforts or by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s more professional and better equipped efforts, and neither is trying to harm Syria. Neither are a “problem” and are working in the best interests of the Syrian people, for which Pres. Assad is also working. By twisting this incident into a “tension” filled encounter between parties, the MEM article tries to make Iran and Mr. Qatarji look like potential enemies of Syria, when both are making a courageous and risk-filled effort to help Syria. They try to sow doubt instead of faith in the honest motives of Iran and Mr. Qatarji. As sir, it seems to me that you are doing, as well. I’m done talking about this.

Jose Martinez

I say that to say this: Assad and his allies are in position to attack American forces around the DeirEz-Zor oil fields while at the same time not diverting any resources from Syria’s North Front. I like Assad’s chances.

imbroglio

DO not believe that bs.

AJ

Me neither, complete BS, makes no sense at all

Karen Bartlett

Escalation and provocation on every side. Maybe the Kurds are engaged in a distraction ploy from the oil fields where the US troops and mercenaries are moving in. Lord help the SAA, Syria, Pres.Assad and their allies!

gustavo

Does “Advance” mean 10 meters ? Of course, this has nothing to do with a SAA offensive action on Idlib, right ?

alejoeisabel

Time is on the side of the Syrian government which is their to protect Syrians and their country. As the US is busy safeguarding its stolen Syrian oil assets, and spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a fool’s errand, Syria is expelling all foreign backed terrorists and consolidating its territory and sovereignty. The US military has morphed from fighters of democracy and freedom to Ali Baba and the forty thieves.