The growng presence of ISIS in northeastern Hama indicates an important shift in the balance of power in northeastern Hama and southern Idlib. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (foremrly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) is not able to stop the advancing ISIS force because it and its allies are mainly focused on the battle against Syrian government forces on other frontlines.
This shows that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is not able to conduct operations on multiple frontlines simultaneously. Another problem of HTS is the similarity of its ideology to ISIS. In this case, a large number of its local commanders and fighters do not want to fight ISIS.
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ISIS is between a rock and a hard place.
I’d say HTS is. They’re the ones losing territory rapidly, suffering internal strife, car bombings and assassinations daily etc.
I wonder if this is where the Yanks dropped the ISIS vermin, that they rescued around DZ ?.
That is possible but surely any US transport would have been seen and if not, why not ?
Because the Russians are at the other extreme of the Country.
You mean the Yanks rescued the ISIS like in this instance (quoted from pro-governement sources): “The Syrian Army was able to liberate Hawijat Qati in late October after the Islamic State agreed to surrender the island in exchange for safe passage to another IS area.” https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/watch-syrian-army-operation-led-qati-islands-liberation/
That’ll be it or at least similar enough.
agreed, sometimes its better to fight your enemy in a different place.
i doubt because they are not fighting SAA! Its more likely isis fighters caught by SAA and willing to fight for money!
You maybe right.
Well, SAA should allow ISIS fight HTS, so long ISIS does not attack SAA. Let them fight each other (ISIS and HTS)
Where is ISIS getting all their supplies from to sustain combat ?
They station themselves exactly on main road to blocked advance of SAA.. fuckiing Murica
Four interesting FACTS:
1. ISIS in Hama refrains from attacking the SAA. 2. Although it is surrounded by the SAA from two directions, South and West, ISIS in Hama is never attacked by the SAA. 3. While being surrounded by the SAA from East and West, ISIS commits its forces to the northern direction, as if it knew with certainty that the SAA won’t attack it. 4. Ruaf is currently carrying out a great number of airstrikes against rebels in Hama, but not a single bomb fell on ISIS controlled territory in Hama.
these ISIL guys got no heavy weaponry, munitions depots, entrenchments or anything else notable, therefore they’re not priority targets for airstrikes, HTS and their allied “FSA” factions simply flees or refuses to fight them, thats why they gain territory so fast, I’m sure should they start becoming a threat they’d be eliminated rapidly.