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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) has announced a formation of the Hama Army, a new operation room that includes several units defected from Ahrar al-Sham, a unit from Jund al-Sham and another one from Ajnad al-Sham. The Hama Army pledged allegiance to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) indicating the continuing collapse of any opposition to the al-Qaeda-linked group in the militant-held part of western Syria.
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HTS is working to consolidate the power in Idlib in order to establish a unified political and military command over the rest of militant groups operating in the area. If this is done prior to the defeat of ISIS in central Syria, HTS-led forces will be able to delay significantly the SAA effort against ISIS with offensives on government held area in northern Hama, western Aleppo or at the Ithriyah-Aleppo highway. HTS’ aim is to prevent collapse of ISIS that would lead to the situation when the terrorist group and its allies could remain face to face with the Syrian-Iranian-Russian alliance in this part of Syria.
The similar strategy was repeatedly used during the previous years of the war when the so-called opposition was attacking the SAA in the most complicated moments of its operations against ISIS.
If HTS attacks the SAA from Idlib then there should be an appropriate response from the air-forces of Syria and Russia. This should be fully backed by Turkey and NATO, unless they too want Al-Queda and ISIS too continue in Syria. We know the answer, don’t we? HTS will turn into instant and cuddly moderates and there will stories of “barrel bombs and chemical bombs”, fully backed by new videos from the New White Helmets, which would replace the old White Helmets massacred by HTS!
SAA is far too slow against ISIS i central Hama&Homs and now having setbacks on Euphrates front… HTS will hit them in northern Hama much before they reach DeiEzZour, so SAA will have to transfer capable troops like Tiger forces away from souther Raqqah fronts to defent northern Hama and possibly west Alleppo once again. Strategical victory for terrorists once again. Shame that Syrians advance so slow…
Who is supplying HTS in Idlib? Are there continuing NATO drops? Are these being allowed and by whom? Idlib has a border with Turkey, so what exactly are the Turks doing? They could easily keep HTS busy while SAA deals with ISIS in Central Syria and frees the way the Deir-Ezzor. The SAA cannot rush the operations or more people will die than needed. It is time for Lavrov and Putin to have a little chat with Erdogan. Or Turkey could find HTS camping their flags in Turkey after the SAA is forced to liberate Idlib!
The US and Saudi have been supporting Al Qaeda in Syria , Turkey is the path through which arms and men were injected . While Erdogan and Qatar backed ISIS , they are Wahhabi , like Al Qaeda , and not opposed to them . While ISIS is almost done , the war is not yet won , Idlib , is next up .
So, if Erdogan is still suplying Al-Quaeda controlled Idlib then he is in serious trouble. When the SAA is finished with the ISIS head-choppers then they will expel HTS and the Al-Queda head-choppers. Where will they go? They will go to their sugar daddy Erdogan, creating so much havoc in Turkey that he will have to export them back to their home countries, where there will be more murderous havoc. If Erdogan does not understand this then it is up to Putin and Lavrov to correct him. I am sure they have already done that. Idlib is where the wahabshit mayhem will end in Syria and then the Kurdish question will be settled one way or another. How very strange that Iraqi Kurdistan have their independence referendum next month. I predict that ISIS and Al-Queda in Iraq and Syria are finished, except as export weapons to be unleashed by Turkey against the EU and Russia. It will be the Kurds that will be used by the US/EU/NATO/GCC gang to control or destroy Syria, Iraq, Iran and even Turkey. Watch out for the “heroic” Kurds stories. How about this one from the “esteemed” BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-40803430
I share you opinion for many weeks now. SAA is very slow and very poor strategically and tactically and this is the main SAA problem. SAA High COmmand and Fields Officer most likely to blame. The HTS new offencive in Idlib province was very easy to predict, as this happen before. The HTS needs only time to rearm, regroup, rest and thanks to Syria government help create new units of fighter that have been transfer from other regions in Syria to Idlib, pretty much additional reinforcements for the FSA and HTS.
Yes, you are correct, when HTS start new offensive in Idlib province, all SAA advances along Euphrates front and est and central SYria most likely will stop and most likely SAA will be force from many front lines as is to much stretch to defend the huge front line SAA created. We already see SAA losing territory to ISIS along Euphrates front.
SAA very bad tactical and strategic planning and very poor capability to take advantage of momentum. That’s why the war in SYria is so long.
Very dangerous development
It was only a matter of time before the moderate beheaders gathered under their real banner, al-Qaeda of Syria, and started to plan their oppressive plans against Syrians returning home in Aleppo city.
Hayat-Tahrir Al Sham (high-tailing sham) needs to be burnt to ashes by Tochka rocket artillery thermobaric flamethrowers and its ashes scattered across the desolate no-man’s land of the Syrian desert. Its part of the problem of destabilizing Syria and therefore should be treated as human garbage.
They made another raid attempt and were destroyed suffering heavy casualties , they are playing with fire trying to attack in the area now. They are still so divided and even those groups that joined are some weak links now.