Taking advantage of bad weather conditions, al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies launched on January 8 morning a large-scale attack on Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions in southeastern Idlib.
Following heavy clashes with Syrian troops, the militants imposed control of the towns of Delim, Barsah and Samkeh. The SAA captured the three towns last month in the framework of a large-scale military operation.
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter.
Iba’a, HTS’ news network, released photos showing the terrorist group’s militants on their way to storm the three towns with armored vehicles.
Click to see full-size image.
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The news network also shared photos of a T-62 battle tank, a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), a Konkurs anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launcher, AGS-17 30 mm grenade launcher and an SPG-9 73 mm recoilless gun, which were supposedly captured from the SAA.
T-62 battle tank, Click to see full-size image.
BMP-1 IFV, Click to see full-size image.
From right to left: Konkurs ATGM launcher, AGS-17 30mm grenade launcher, Click to see full-size image.
SPG-9 73 mm recoilless gun, Click to see full-size image.
The large attack occurred while the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) and the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) were both grounded due to bad weather conditions affecting Greater Idlib.
Earlier this month, HTS and its allies attempted to launch a similar attack in southeast Idlib. However, the army repelled the attack, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorist group’s ranks.
Pro-government sources are now claiming that the army is preparing to launch a counter-attack, in order to recapture Delim, Barsah and Samkeh. However, this is yet to be confirmed. The weather in Greater Idlib is expected to improve in the next 48 hours.
Not just taking advantage of the bad weather but also the Iranian strike on Yanki bases in Iraq which probably lowered SAA guard enough allowing the Yanki rats to do something to please their masters. SAA withdrew without any casualties and will be back in force to eliminate these twisted scum who are on the wrong side of history and soon will be on the wrong side of paradise. Hell awaits your mortal coils. Yanks have imposed a total black out on Iranian strikes…….
nice try rats but youll seen be beaten back to where you belong :))))
Surprise to whom on the front?!? To those who sleep?
I hope that SAA doesn’t stand for= Sleeping Arab Army
No way, this is all according to the plan, same as before. This really is a tactical withdrawal for the SAA, the jihadists can’t hold the ground after a while.
How many “tactical withdrawals” was made by jihad terrorists? EVERY TIME they would call them a “tactical withdrawal” !
“Tactical” withdrawal is often just another word for not saying directly; “withdrawal” 1st thing to do when territory is conquered is to dig in and reinforce defenses. So even if anything is lost after that, than that territory must be payed dearly in enemy lives. In that case any “withdrawal” is justified.
PS I don’t know who put dislike on your comment. It wasn’t me
Sure, no worries! The takfiri terrorist withdrawals were not tactical because they had no other option, they were beaten and routed. SAA however has been instructed to withdraw in good order when the attack is pressed hard. The attackers pay a heavy price against a fully firing and ready tactical withdrawal. They reach their target depleted and short of manpower which prevents them from setting up a dug-in defence. As happens frequently SAA retakes the area in a day or two and after that the takfiris don’t return any more. It is a solid tactic.
I hope you are right about every detail . I honestly do hope so! Thanks for the info.
I’m inclined to agree. The SAA are being guided by Russian forces. Plus the terrorists appear to begin their attacks with a suicide vehicle or two. The SAA have learned if they cannot stop it, the next best thing is to get out of range. Once the terrorist has spread himself thinly over a wide area, the troops return and retake the ground under their own terms.
This is done on purpose. To draw out the enemy. To make them look like the never ending aggressors. A large scale attack means Turkey gets involved. Now the SAA, will respond with another attack. Little chunk by chunk. The SAA could have captured this area years ago, why not? Turkey.
Chris my take is that: Tigers are away and immediately there is huge combat quality difference between them and these who replace them. They can’t even keep what is taken from the terrorists.
This is just lifting up of the moral of the terrorists and Tigers who are wounded or worse-died have died for nothing. Because now Tigers have to risque their lives for the same villages again.
PS I don’t know who put dislike on your comment.
You gotta wonder why they stopped their advance two years ago, when they captured Kanasser air base, than last summer. It seams to me that the Turks are responsible. Putin is very smart, he knows he needs the Black Sea to resupply. Without it, it would be much harder to resupply. That means kissing the Turks ass. I agree with you, that the Syrian army is not a strong army, but must be getting better. Last summer is a good example. The Tiger forces were the primary attack force of the Syrian army, I think they are playing less of a role now. We shall see. This back and forth it a little crazy, but it has more to do with politics than anything. Soon the M5 highway will be back under Assads control, but not all Iglib will be, The Turks will not allow this. We shall see. Crazy conflict, all so the Americans can sell weapons and the Turks can regain lost territory. Thanks for the response.
Chris I am totally wrong person to talk to those “Putin is guilty for everything” bollocks.. I will not even bother to read through, let alone comment your hogwash. Have nice day and don’t bother to comment on that subject with me. I do not read any Western MSM news. And no read other “independent” news that use ” Associated press” and “Agence-France presse”as source. I understood your message “Putin is guilty for everything under the stars” And I am shitless bored with your parroting. Now kindly back off .Dark force is with you, have no doubt.
i cant understand how ,with complete air superiority from Russia with RuF dominating the sky, they can launch such attacks. all it takes is an armed drone to blast those targets. Us targets cars and Russians cant target Missile launchers and tanks?
You must read article if you are ill informed. There is bad weather in the region for quite while and aviation was rarely active if at all. So attack was more then expected for those who have one brain cell between the ears. They had more than enough time to reinforce defenses there. So obviously some SAA commanders and troops have failed totally in performing their duty. If they had mine fields on right places placed and they dug in properly and manned in sufficient numbers they couldn’t have been over run by terrorists!
Why the hell would they need “drone support”or anything else if terrorists do not have artillery support?! Few mortars here and there is not ” artillery support”. (Russia doesn’t keep combat drones in Syria and Syria doesn’t have them either) Troops that can’t defend reinforced defenses can’t do anything else properly either. PS I don’t know who put dislike on your comment.
i think i agree with you. but…..poor weather conditions are no excuse for modern aircrafts. drones are essential for any occasion ,they are cheap and very effective. i really wonder why armed drones havent been deployed in SYria. for the rest i agree. SAA has in many cases being caught with their pants down ,with no excuse.
Yes they are in this case (for Russia at least).
Russia has huge stockpile of “dumb” bombs for which they use special targeting system that improves lot precision of those cheap bombs . But that works lousy in bad weather conditions. Since Russian bombing has BUDGET constraints. They have fixed budget for Syria how much they can spend. And that most definitely doesn’t consider targeting every mud hut with high precision munitions. High precision bombs and missiles are expensive and used only for “high value targets” . And bad weather is one of the situations where high precision munitions is must. So Russia prefers to abstain.. Russia doesn’t have combat drones in Syria (except when they arrive occasionally for real war situation testing) I am sure that many drones have been tested in Syria but that was about it. They never took over standard aviation. One important reason is that drones in general use the most, a costly high precision ammunition also… It’s all about the money.Russia doesn’t have licence for FREE money like US does.
you are right. i didnt take the ‘money’ issue under consideration. indeed Syria is a major opportunity to get rid of all those dumb bombs, since even the cost of destroying them eventually is very high. Anyway we have to state that with such a narrow budget Russia has done miracles especially if you compaire the results with those of a multi billion US campain that targeted huts and camels mostly.
Well your conclusion is even better explanation than mine.
Surprise attack? Oh come on.
The fact that the jihadists can convert knocked-out tanks into APCs says a lot for how robust Russian tanks are! But I don’t think they have an endless supply of them, and they don’t have any tactics. Sooner or later they’ll run out of suicidal morons