Map Update: Gains And Setbacks Of Syrian Army In Northwestern Hama

– Explosions hit two large oil tankers in Sea of Oman –

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/13/598390/Oil-tankers-Sea-of-Oman

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:00 A.M.) – The jihadist rebels launched a heavy assault in southwestern Idlib last night, targeting the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) positions in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region. Led by Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham, the jihadist rebels began their attack by storming the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses at the town of Qasabiyah.

A fierce battle would then break out between the two parties, resulting in heavy casualties for the jihadist rebels that stormed the eastern axis of Qasabiyah. According to a military source near the front-lines, the Syrian Arab Army was able to beat back the jihadist rebels, forcing the latter to retreat to nearby Abedin. The jihadist assault on Qasabiyah came shortly after Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham announced their formal rejection of the ceasefire that was brokered by the Russian and Turkish armed forces. The ceasefire was expected to last for 72 hours and pave the way for a humanitarian crossing so that civilians could flee from the war zone. However, like the last ceasefire deal that was brokered last month, the jihadist rebels have used these agreements to launch new attacks against the Syrian Arab Army in northwestern Syria.

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:15 A.M.) – The Turkish military sent a large convoy to the western countryside of the Idlib Governorate, opposition activists reported this morning. According to the opposition activists, the Turkish military entered the Idlib Governorate from the Hatay Province; they eventually made their way to the Jisr Al-Shughour District.

The activists added that the Turkish military began patrolling the area between Jisr Al-Shughour and the northern countryside of the Hama Governorate. This move by the Turkish military comes just 24 hours after a 72-hour-long ceasefire was announced in northwestern Syria. Despite this ceasefire announcement, the jihadist rebels and their Turkish-backed allies launched a heavy attack on the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) positions in the southwestern countryside of Idlib. The Syrian Arab Army managed to repel the attack on southwestern Idlib after several jihadists were killed

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:45 A.M.) – A Free Syrian Army (FSA) sleeper cell attacked a Syrian intelligence post in northern Daraa, today, killing at least two officers. According to a local source, the Free Syrian Army sleeper cell carried out the attack at an intelligence post south of Busra Al-Harir.

Following the attack, the Free Syrian Army fighters fled to an unknown location in the northern countryside of the Dara’a Governorate. The Free Syrian Army sleeper cells have been carrying out sporadic attacks against the Syrian intelligence forces in southern Syria These attacks have resulted in the death of several Syrian intelligence officers over the last five weeks; this has prompted the military to send several units of reinforcements to the Daraa Governorate to help stop these ambushes

There may have been a third tanker hit:

“An oil tanker owned by Norway’s Frontline has been struck by a torpedo off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, shipping newspaper Tradewinds reported on Thursday, citing unnamed industry sources.”

– Frontline oil tanker struck by torpedo off UAE coast –

https://in.reuters.com/article/mideast-tanker-frontline/frontline-oil-tanker-struck-by-torpedo-off-uae-coast-tradewinds-idINKCN1TE0PO?il=0

The SAA should advance on Abidin and Hobait from the west and from southeastern Idlib from the east towards Khan Shaykhun and liberate it. After a northern Hama pocket is created, Russia should pressure Turkey to leave its observation posts in Morek or they won’t sell their S-400 system to them. When the observation posts is abandoned, this pocket should be bombed to hell and the SAA can liberate it and then advance deep into Greater Idlib from the south.

One of the tankers is evidently on fire and adrift.

“While the US Navy claimed it had been assisting the tankers, the Iranian rescue vessel was first to reach them and rescue the crew, who had plunged into and were floating on the sea to avoid the fire.”

– Iran rescues all crew members of tankers hit in Sea of Oman –

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/13/598402/Oil-tankers-Oman-Sea-Iran-rescue-44-crew

At the moment, it is difficult to see any uniform professional and responsible behavior of SAA. In some areas behave brave, without fear, professional, and responsible, but in other areas just behave like stupid, fearly, unprofessional, and without any responsibility to his country.