Following a success of the previous three days, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies gained a number of opportunities to continue their anti-ISIS operation in central Syria.
With the liberation of the Kawn oasis in the province of Homs, the SAA Tiger Forces deployed in a striking distance from the village of Taybah located at the road between Resafa and Sukhna.
In turn, ISIS took a defense posture and is now preparing for defensive operations and counter-attacks in order to prevent the SAA progress in central Syria.
Local sources speculate that ISIS lacks manpower to defend all its positions north of the Homs-Palmyra highway. If this is true, government forces have two key options:
- The SAA and its allies could make an attempt to further advance south of Ithriyah in order to cut off the ISIS-held town of Uqayribat from the rest of the ISIS-held area. However, ISIS has a strong defense in the area and has repeatedly shown that it’s able to repel an advance in this direction.
- Government forces will further advance along the Resafa-Sukhna road in order to link up the govenrment-held areas in the provinces of Homs and Raqqah. If this is done, the SAA will divide the ISIS-held area in the province of Homs in two parts.
Some sources also speculate that government forces may attempt to expand their zone of control north of Palmyra in order to secure the western flank of Sukhna prior to launching further attempts to drive ISIS out from the whole area north of the Homs-Palmyra highway.
At the same time, the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq released a statement claiming that ISIS members have repelled all SAA attempts to seuze the village of Humaymah located near the border with Iraq. This may indicate that the SAA shifted further the focus of its operations to central Syria.
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Thunderstorm of steel and fire – that’ s what the terrorists are needing.
It could save a lot of lives and avoid a lot of injuries, that’s for sure. After years of atrocities there wouldn’t be much sympathy for the Jew world order terrorists.
Indeed a perfect killing ground where new Russian ordnance can be tested.
No doubt.
Off topic:
The Iraqi forces, PMU finally begin their strategic Tal Afar offensive west of Mossul. Good news for the SAA and allies. it is now important to destroy ISIS east of Hama/Homs and to march on DE city. There and in DE countryside the last leftovers of ISIS will be purged.
SAA strategy of stretching the front line in order to stretch ISIL resources was always going to be a double edged sword. IMHO the main goal was to outmanoeuvre ISIL out of large chunks of Central Syria rather then to engage them in pitched battles, using heavy arty and airforce to pummel them in the opened desert. That’s why they keep letting semi encircled ISIL units slip away. Now, sooner or later ISIL is bound to turn around, stand their ground and face the music. And ISIL tactics favors more fluid front lines, run and gun battles and general mayhem on the ground – so they won’t wait for front line to become a straight line from Suknah to Euphrates. IMHO as soon as ISIL starts counterattacking more frequently SAA will stop advancing towards Der Ezzor , go on defense along most of the front and start closing these semi pockets and eliminating them one by one.
With satellite surveillance it’s difficult to move any quantity of people or equipment in the open desert undetected. All of central Syria is increasingly looking like a giant kill box where the regime change elements will be eliminated with minimal infantry engagement by crew served heavy ground weapons and air power. With infantry used to clean out remnants and secure areas cleared ahead of them.
And surveillance part is the biggest problem. Russian satellite network is 30+ years old and they have small numbers of recon drones operational.
“Between 2008 and 2015, the Russian military launched three Persona-class surveillance satellites. The first was lost in 2008 due to a technical fault. The second and third devices (launched in June 2013 and June 2015, respectively) remain in perfect working order, and rumor has it that they are being actively used in Russia’s anti-terrorist operation in Syria.”
Russia’s Advanced New Surveillance Satellites to Keep an Eye on US … https://sputniknews.com/…/201607291043764817-russian-satellites-potential-capabilit…
The Persona satellites orbit 750 km above the Earth’s surface. Each orbit takes about 1 hour 40 minutes. This is fairly useless for detecting fast moving ISIS raids or vehicle borne IEDs out in the desert. Not all that useful in urban operations either. ISIS are able to move mortars, rocket launchers, artillery, recoiless rifles and anti-tank guided missile launchers from spot to spot in built up areas. More persistent surveillance is required for desert or urban operations- drones and high flying reconnaissance aircraft.
Your link should be:
https://sputniknews.com/military/201607291043764817-russian-satellites-potential-capabilities-analysis/
The quote is from that article, it’s the same one that I linked to. The Russians have a multi layered surveillance capability including manned and un manned aircraft, recon and intel teams, local intel, and satellites. Combined they have a pretty good idea of what’s going on where.
Thx for the clarification. If I understand it right VBIED attacks can only work if they are a surprise, which shouldn’t be possible in open desert. And yet it happens again and again. May also be a factor in how the various stripes of moderates *still* have tanks after over a year of air strikes.
Wrong, Russia military satellite are renew all the time. They can see and ear anything inside Syria. Drones are just another tool.
Overall number and tech level is a problem – to be fixed not to moan about. And they started with the drone game dead last – with help from Israel of all people…
Even the Russians admit they have problems:
“Viktor Murakhovsky, retired army colonel and member of the expert council of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission, began by admitting that “as far as optical-electronic intelligence is concerned, we have fallen far behind the Americans.”
https://sputniknews.com/military/201607291043764817-russian-satellites-potential-capabilities-analysis/
And what the US has is far behind what some ETs have. That doesn’t mean that what the Russians have isn’t capable of dealing effectively with the regime change elements.
Theoretically!