On Tuesday, ISIS fighters launched a large counter-attck against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allies tribal forces west of the ISIS-held town of Maadan in the southern Raqqah countryside.
According to reports, ISIS units overrun the government forces defense in the area and entered the villages of al-Buhamad, Athshana, Salem Hamad and Ghanim Ali where an intense fighting was reported.
According to some sources, ISIS even seized Ghanim Ali but no videos or photos were provided to confirm these allegations. If the ISIS gains are confirmed, it will indicate that the SAA will not be able to seize the important town of Maadan in the nearest future.
UPD: In turn, pro-government sources denied that the ISIS had been able to seize some ground west of Maadan. However, they were also not able to provide any photo or video confirmation from the area.
Last weekend, the Syrian military shifted its anti-ISIS efforts from the southern Raqqah countryside to the province of Homs. Elite fighters of the SAA Tiger Forces were redeployed from the Maadan area. Most likely, ISIS used this fact for own counter-attack.
Government forces are now attempting to cut off ISIS supply lines north of Sukhna in the province of Homs. If they are able to do this, the ISIS counter-attack near Maadan will not increase the ISIS chances to survive in central Syria.
Just bomb the living shit out of them non stop sorry but fuck the civilians, just bomb everything
I actually think that was the goal but we have to support the SAA and Assad, it’s our only choice. ISIS must be defeated onn the ground and by strategic air strikes… but going section by section like the Iraqis regained Mosul is best for rescuing trapped civilians. Once they know help is really coming, civilians on the inside gain courage to reach out to goverment soldiers with intel. The unemployed university graduates organize the youth and they text a post and tweet progress bit by bit. It’s scary from the outside, slow and not without losses, but it’s the best process to secure the area and minimize civilian casualties
I kno i kno…. im just so tired about these gay isis goatfuckers being allowed to regroup and mount large scale counter offensives. Why cant the Russia and the SAA have complete situational awareness and pummel these fuckers before they get within 20km from the SAA positions. I take back the fick the civilians comment. This is why i wouldnt make a good wartime commander, id want to carpet bomb everything in sight just to get the fuckers
That is why the US way of war has always created hatred that will last for generations.
Remember carpet bombing didnt work in Vietnam
As I had pointed out many times SAA has very poor tactical, strategical capability and take advantage in momentum. This has been shown many times during the conflict. If SAA has not learn and pickup above mentioned capability after 7 years of war most likely they will not pick up such military Martial arts
You’re applying a bewegungskrieg model to an ermattungskrieg.
Learning when to retreat is an important skill, one the SAA learned over time. I don’t think you have any clue what you are saying to be honest.
I think it’s a tactical retreat. They cannot support ISIS attack, so they have prefered to retreat. SAA will regain it again soon I think.
Where are the russian helicopters with night vision and their air support ? Yes, someone could say that they are busy in other place, that is why I am saying that russian air support to Syria army is not enough.
Why SAA are so chicken out only need russian heli to win the battles
Either it is not enough or the war is use for exercise.USA only silent commanders of ISIS by taking them out just to avoid them arrested and revealing the truth.
Solomon is troll, when writes, SAA is weak army. :)))
If the SAA get pushed back to Raqqa, then you can dance and shout along with Joe Doe :D
no, i am not hapy, that saa is bunch of shit. but i am laughing on you (plural), who are uncrticial to syrian army.
Nothing new Only well trained and armed Special forces can deter suicidal waves of fighters and car bombs…conscripts and volunteers can do not nothing vs these Hordes!..thats why ISIS have been unable to capture Deir Ezzor air base well defended by Special Forces of RG!
SAA right away started to pin Daesh against the Euphrates river. Every resistance in the area was just surrounded, pinned down and then taken. It was clear from the beginning that this couldn’t go one for much longer, as otherwise with this method SAA would reach Deir Ezzor.
This event just shows that Daesh now did the obvious, realizing, no defense would hold forever, being pinned down against the river anyway. I more expected this to happen further to the south, due to the terrain more suited for defense, but for an attack the country around Ma’adan is suited better.
The forces being attacked are the tribal forces that joined the Tigers in their quest along the Euphrates. The tribal forces are not regular units they are similar to NDF. They need to be supported by more experienced and capable groups to stabilize the ISIS counterattack. Air strikes should blunt the ISIS impetus and send them back to their urban defensive holes.
We don’t know the exact composition of the forces in the area and what the Tigers are up to.
That the tribals are simply grunts with weapons is clear, they are not meant to deal with huge fights like this. They are there to shiled the main forces with their mere presence and fighting smaller skirmishes. NDF is more to secure positions, unlike the tribals, which probably do not even have the discipline required for that
Not that NDF wouldn’t be problematic too, seeing plenty of examples in which weapons weren’t even employed, which would have been more than enough to kick back assaults. Instead the weapons ending up in Daesh hand, still being nicely prepared for transport.
But these are the setbacks an army, rising out of is own ashes, has to deal with.
“We don’t know the exact composition of the forces on the area and what the Tigers are up to.”
you are right
and also in other part
A good portion of the Tiger forces are deployed to take Taybah and randevous with the 5th corps to encircle the Isis pocket in central Syria. I am sure there are some Tiger forces reinforcing the tribal units, I am sure the Russian and Syrian command anticipated some action like this when the Tiger forces were split, and have established countermeasures.
The US is suppose to have the strongest Army in the world and cannot seem to defeat the Taliban. SAA has been fighting on multiple fronts against multiple terror groups(supported by super rich countries) for 6 years, with limited resources and has lost hundreds of thousands of men.Any army would be exhausted fighting for so long on so many fronts.There are some battles they will lose.I am confident though that they will win this war(or these wars) at the end
and who want to defeat taliban? us is enough, that they have troops in afghanistan and any concurrency will not enter. cheap, very cheap victory!
Solomon Krupacek “…SAA is weak army. :)))…”
The Syria Military is weak because it is fighting well trained, well armed, well motivated Terrorists in the same area over and over.
Daesh has no choice than to go all out assault on this front line, as otherwise they can be pinned against the Euphrates river until Deir Ezzor. As such, it’s no surprise that Deash does the obvious: Attack is the best defense. They might even try this tactic themselves.
Let’s have a look how this assault will turn out and if Daesh still has the manpower to bring forward a real assault. By the timing, it more looks like a desperate move instead of a real tactical move. As such, it is quite likely that SAA has chosen the tactical retreat. It has nothing to lose there. The real music plays around Sukhna anyway and Daesh will have to address that situation too.
Judging by the time Daesh needed for the assault at Ma’adan, it is questionable which resources Daesh still has left for Sukhna.
It would be a good time for SAA to attack on other fronts.
Very true their should on other fronts and concentrate on border intruding points.
Actually, parts of Tigers have been used to push towards Sukhna from the north. This is why the assault from Daesh in the north comes not at the best time for SAA. As the capacities of the Tigers are split, they can’t respond with full force around Ma’adan.
We will see how far SAA will go on the offensive at Ma’adan, or if they let Daesh play in the north a little, until Sukhna has been secured (whatever they plan there). I’d be surprised if the situation for SAA (Tigers) would be that bad, that they would have to move forces from Sukhna to Ma’adan, endangering the way more important cut from central Syria. The assault in the north surely too is meant to weaken SAA around Sukhna.
Usually SAA preferred to let Daesh go, giving them time to retreat. We already saw this plenty of times. It makes sense, as an opponent, who can’t see a retreat, will fiercely fight for his life. With the endangered retreat, it is an invitation to leave instead to fight a hopeless battle.
It is important to secure central Syria before Al-Qaeda (HTS) can attack the very thin connection towards Aleppo.
Total incompetence from SAA in cruical moments once again. Seems like only Tiger forces and few Republican Guard regiments/brigades are capable of fighting. Others just run in sight of the enemy. And some say that SAA was prepared for fighting Israel in Golans, not fast moving ISIL fighters around the desert. But thats just incompetent as is the SAA. What about utilizing the MiG 21/23 and Su 22 fleet to fly round the clock reconnaissance missions from liberated airbases (Jirrah, Palmyra, T3) instead of focusing them on bombing missions of questionable effectiveness which they fly from Sharyat and T4. In that way they could provide ground troops with up to date info and repel every iSIL raid.
SAA is a weak army. Without Russia operating in Syria, Assad would have been killed years ago. Syria is not able to retake Golan heights.
And these stupid syrians are fighting each others and dying for nothing instead of trying to recover Golan heights.
You need to look at the bigger picture here… The SAA is attacking on a multitude of fronts right now and periodically there will be a set back… And while we see this fall back outside of Maadan, the SAA is about to link the Tiger forces from the north with forces pushing up from the south and entrap thousands of US mercenaries and operatives to the far west!
The only outcome from this is the relief of Deir Ez-Zor will take a bit longer than anticipated… But that delay will not change the outcome of the fraud ISIS being beaten..
You didn’t talk about the russian help. Russians are making airstrikes everyday. SAA is weak. There soldiers even don’t have helmets. They can’t defend against israel aircrafts. They have no chemical weapons.
How do you think are they gonna stop ISIL fighters from resupplying their Hama front through that thin Resafa-Suknah line if they can stil loose around 15km in dept in just one day? ISIL will just adapt to the situation and continue using B or C roads for resupplying and raids against SAA every day. They’ll get served Kornet ATGMs on the silver plates all around that thin stretch waiting for them to take it…
I aggree. However I think SAA was probably stronger before the civil war. Concerning Golan as you know Syria lost the Golan Heights after its repelled attack during the kippur war. That’s the hard law of the war.
The Syrian army can’t be everywhere at once. This attack is a diversion and should be ignored.
of course, the saa can not be in idlib now. but nearby maadan should be :P
SAA is a weak army and now has no more chemical weapons. Thanks stupid FSA that have been fooled by USA by making false chemical attacks. The goal of USA was to remove chemical weapons from Syria arsenal.
Good job stupid FSA.
Well, I see you got your sense of humor back. Yesterday you where being very bitchy and wining a lot. :DDDDD
FSA has killed syrian civilians twice in chemical attacks just to blame Assad. You see how these people are psychos and stupid and don’t care for their own people.
USA has used them because they are so stupids. Even israel ius using them to kill Syrians. It’s just unbelievable how stupid they are.
Stupid or greedy ? The FSA expect to be part of a Warlord structure that will terrorise and plunder civilians under their control. Just like the Lords and Barons etc who gave fealty to the King/Queen ( Chief Warlord) in return for the freedom to loot heir subjects. The Chief Warlord in waiting is the USA.
Stupid. Because the lords and barons were not working for foreigners.
In some cases they were. Anyway, greedy criminals are international and always have been.
They are called Jewish human organ thieves , they are international harvesters. Israel has a 90% rate of transplant patients with the fewest donors in the world. They harvest Human Organs biggest business , the Kurds do this also with their kidnap victims.
There will come a day when these vile people will be bought to account . Sooner than later I think.
They try but there is too much corruption in the US Judicial system and no one is willing to enforce rigid penalties.
They harvested the dead bodies for organs it is a thriving Jewish business take them at gunpoint and from the body after you behead it.
It was the US and UK who colluded with the FSA for the false flag chemical attacks.
The US uses these stupid FSA to destroy syrian chemical arsenal.
It was a good thing that Syria’s historic chemical stockpiles were eradicated as that was to be the trigger for a US/NATO invasion.
Having chemical weapons is not a valid reason to invade a country. USA is terrorizing the world. USA has to be disarmed.
When has a “valid ” reason ever mattered to the US?
No. But, it should matter for the rest of the world.
I would agree that the US should lose her power to terrorise the world BUT we are where we are and giving an excuse for the US to invade is counter productive to world peace.
Crack Head hallucinations brought on by your despair over Daesh and Qaida being minced, diced and sauteed. No one wants to hear your insane rantings except Ottomans, Wahhabists and brain dead @sstards like McCain.
No aerial support!? No artillery? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r7YHR1Yscc
Why dont you drop some troops behind enemy lines now :D
No doubt Daesh trash are being aided by US intel for this advance to occur :/ But it’s probably just a tactical retreat.
Lol aided by US Intel, what pipe weed are you smoking ?
Are you still that naive or living in denial?
US is their creator.I really thing they still helping them.
Vidura There are confirmed press releases of the US – UK, CIA – MI6 who have supplied all the communication equipment for Terrorists in Syria.
The communication equipment reveals most of what is going on and location of Terrorists inside Syria.
Can we access one if these press releases ?
Vidura
You can google it.
Just some examples:
Britain supplying communication equipment to Syrian opposition http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9466143/Britain-supplying-communication-equipment-to-Syrian-opposition.html
“…Britain would supply mobile and satellite phones, along with radios, which “could be used to warn civilians of impending regime assaults”. Equipment of this kind could also be used to coordinate military operations….”
Revealed: What the West has given Syria’s rebels http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/revealed-what-the-west-has-given-syrias-rebels-8756447.html
“…five 4×4 vehicles with ballistic protection; 20 sets of body armour; four trucks (three 25 tonne, one 20 tonne); six 4×4 SUVs; five non-armoured pick-ups; one recovery vehicle; four fork-lifts; three advanced “resilience kits” for region hubs, designed to rescue people in emergencies; 130 solar powered batteries; around 400 radios; water purification and rubbish collection kits; laptops; VSATs (small satellite systems for data communications) and printers…”
please, put here evidences, or we well cal you drunken lady in pub :)
I don’t actually believe it, I was just trying to irritate Vidura :DD
do you know, what are you?
T R O L L
:))
cheers, bro!
Solomon what a nice zionist Israeli Hebrew name you have. I have no doubt why you support them…Why don’t you tell as that you are a Jewish also. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bc8548a3ebf72fd64249ac7cccf5e5cd3367243f27a4b3209f753c504bdfc937.png
ice, what a nice coldbrain name do you have.
i have no doubt, why do you write bullshits. why dont you tell us that you are a zika virus survived guy also?
US ARMY CONDUCTS HELIBORNE OPERATION IN EASTERN SYRIA, TAKES ANOTHER ISIL COMMANDER AWAY – MEDIA
and? why does this mnot ruaf or syaf??? these commanders go in guantanamo, boy!
You put in paratroopers to support an attack, not suicide them behind a front line you retreat from anyway. Furthermore, the area is way too large. It was a quite limited induction of paratroopers / special forces in central Syria.
And for sure, the intel required for such an assault wasn’t gathered by some little drones from Daesh.
Vidura is just being a smart ass troll.
Just debunking the nonsense which then everyone can read. =)
I agree with you my friend. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bc8548a3ebf72fd64249ac7cccf5e5cd3367243f27a4b3209f753c504bdfc937.png
who has too much friends, has no friend :P
US-backed ISIS Militants.
The question I always ask myself is: How is it possible for ISIS with minimal manpower and weapons to attack and gain so much ground in a matter of hours and SAA with all available manpower and weapons inches its way through ISIS territory? I can’t explain this to myself but maybe somebody knows. People talk about SVIED’s but is it all that is to it?
If you are a group of mercenaries loaded with American taxpayer bought and paid for weapons, what do you think?
northerntruthseeker . “…loaded with American taxpayer bought and paid for weapons, what do you think?…”
These Terrorists are willing to fight and die, “Martyr”, they know they cannot take US$s with them.
DJ Double D “…How is it possible for ISIS with minimal manpower and weapons …”
There is a good reason why Netanyahu and Putin consider themselves to best friends because Putin is dishonest and a slave of Israel just like the USA.
Putin is allowing this to keep Syria destabilized to prevent the fall of Mr Assad’s Government which would allow the Saudi oil and gas pipeline to be built across Syria.
Putin – Russia are also bleeding Iran dry of hard US$s for every piece of military equipment supplied to defend Syria.
Interesting!
Leon Auguste Everything Putin does in or for Syria and Iran relates to control of Oil, Gas and Money in the interests of both Russia and Israel.
As an example Russia will sell the S400 missile system to Indonesia, Turkey, UAE but will but will not sell the S400 to Iran.
Due to Israeli objections, even the delivery of S300 missile system to Iran was delayed by almost 10 years until that technology was out of date.
Putin will not sell SU35 jets to Iran only up to SU30 series.
There are millions of sunni will always help other sunni jihadists to crush the Assadist, Iranian & Russian..
The SAA has made excellent progress down the Euphrates valley from Resafa and good progress to get to Sukhnah. Some people seem to expect that each and every ISIS counterattack should be instantly stopped. That is unrealistic. In war the enemy (ISIS in this case) always gets a vote to decide the outcome. The momentum is with the SAA… these reverses are temporary.
maadan is crucial. much more importzanrt then resafa. therefore yes, saa MUST hold the ground.
Crucial? Why? Just another town in the Euphrates River valley isn’t it?
because 1) blocks SDF jumping through the river, 2) it is important to push on DEZ city from north. Firstly they should take the right bank of euphrates and close isis in this large pocket. after that (maybe parallelly) split the pocket to smaller entities. until saa is not the lord of western bank of the river, the yanks always can make paratrooper action and build up camp, with 50 miles safe zone. such could block the movement of saa. and in maadan was also bride. therefore for the future i vey important. where was already bridge, is easy to build new one. also temporary, army bridge.
Graeme Rymill
The Syrian Military has no Battleplan, it fights the same battles over and over.
In modern warfare, Battleplan is required:
Intelligence Gathering of Terrorists and their Movement. Force Ratio of Men and Equipment to absorb an attack, repel and counter attack Terrorists.
Seal off ISIS in a pocket…cut the pocket off from the population centres in the Euphrates valley…slowly crush the pocket…advance to Deir Ezzor. Isn’t that a battle plan? Isn’t that the SAA battle plan in fact? How is that fighting the same battles over and over again?
Graeme Rymill “…Isn’t that a battle plan? Isn’t that the SAA battle plan in fact? How is that fighting the same battles over and over again?…”
Sealing off, in Battleplan is called Seige.
Seiges have been implemented in many parts of Syria but do not work because Russia allows IS to be resupplied by the “Terror Axis” countries led by the USA.
“US coalition” planes fly freely in Syria and drop supplies to IS who are under Seige.
The Syrian Military is fighting the same battles over and over
Homs v1 2014, Homs v2 2017, Palmyra v1 2015, Palmyra v2 2017, Al Tanf v1, Al Tanf v2, etc etc.
Reports shows Terrorists are still embedded and fighting in Damascus area / region (July 2017) Hama area / region (June 2017) Homs area / region (June 2017) Aleppo area / region (June 2017, July 2017, August 2017) Palmyra area / region (June 2017)
There is a good reason why Netanyahu and Putin consider themselves to best friends because Putin is dishonest and a slave of Israel just like the USA.
Putin is allowing IS attacks to keep Syria destabilized as well as prevent the fall of Mr Assad’s Government which would allow the Saudi oil and gas pipeline to be built across Syria.
Putin – Russia are also bleeding Iran dry of hard US$s for every piece of military equipment supplied to defend Syria
The Syrian Military has no Battleplan, it fights the same battles over and over.
In modern warfare, Battleplan is required:
Intelligence Gathering of Terrorists and their Movement. Force Ratio of Men and Equipment to absorb an attack, repel and counter attack Terrorists.
Capturing towns and villages with great losses, exposing flangs and then getting attacked with great losses, surrendering recently liberated towns and villages with great losses – not a great military success story no matter how it all ends.
I find it very odd that AMN has not released a report about the Maadan front. Try not to be so pessimistic. More info will come to light tomorrow. GODSPEED SAA https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fd9199ccb3d84152fc1466e80d2e450b602af628842894aa6f2c8ac3f6adaed3.png
when problem occurs, leithfadel does not write
If it ends with the SAA lifting the seige of Deir Ezzor it will be a great military success. It is war… not a comic book. The surprising thing would have been if there were no ISIS counterattacks.
Granted. But how can they lift the siege in a way that we all are hoping for if they are pushed that back so fast, that’s the puzzle. We all know that Deir Ezzor will eventually be recaptured, but the basic point of my comment is clear – they loose it so fast in shortest time than they get it and it’s high time something was done.
At least some of the Tiger Forces have moved at least 100 km from the Euphrates to attack Al Kawm and further south. This is a calculated risk and likely weakened the SAA forces around Maadan. The potential rewards of creating a huge pocket are worth it though.
Mobile desert warfare has been described as being more like a naval battle. Holding territory isn’t necessarily the first priority as you rarely have protected flanks. So the battlelines often move rapidly back and forward. You can’t be strong everywhere.
The extent of SAA’s territorial losses near Maadan are still unconfirmed. It may turn out to be greatly exaggerated or it may be that a counter offensive quickly recovers any lost ground. It is too early to be disheartened!
Now if they do what I think they did is launch an offensive to the east and drew around ISIS to the rear , that would tie up a large portion of ISIS in a pocket called the Maadan pocket.
Question is if the SAA manpower is sufficient for such a counter attack, then this Daesh assault would die from its rear. We will see how the situation around Ma’adan develops.