This map provides a general look at the military situation in Syria’s Afrin after the three days of Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch. The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) captured a number of villages north and west of Afrin but failed to establish control over the strategic mount of Birsaya. The main problem of Turkey-led forces is a low persistence of FSA fighters. In some cases, they hadwithdrawn from the recently captured positions without showing a significant resistance to Kurdish YPG/YPJ forces.
I hope the Kurds get soon around 20 000 support fighters from Raqqa & Der Zoir
and subsequently saa takes raqqa and DEZ :)
fyi: if turkey send the whole 21nd army, kurds will desintegrate from syria.
It all depends on Russia and US what they want and what will happen. Russia first move is done, now the Kurds want to help there friends and this mean that from Raqqa, Der Zoir and more all Kurds will move back . When IS atack again this open left space Kurds will need to make a Choice. Open war or SAA/Russia support
With the Kurds moving back north to help out in Afrin , the SAA could sweep up from the Iraqi border . Without the oil fields Syria will be strangled economically . Of course that is what the US wants , but they will not risk boots on the ground against SAA .
Dream on man. There still are no bridges over the river and there are no spare pontoon elements left for SAA. Intelligence will tell SDF if and when SAA is starting something.
If they do, it will onle give islamists in Idlib the change to regroup and counterattack.
exactly. and just therefore did not hot erdogan with full power. he is waiting for remove of amricans from manbij. if this will happen, then will come the endgame for kurds. if yanks stay, slowly will finish the olive oil making.
the 2nd you mean… But it is not that strong…
PMU would be a good security support group with SAA for controlling Syrian Iraqi & Turkey borders. Possibly a 30 Km security buffer all disarmed Kurdish PKK or any other affiliated groups allowed inside of zone. All ME members of Syrian coalition has declared no new Israel will be allowed in ME.
PMU , great idea , should start with the Iraq – Syrian border , especially keeping control of the Kurdish north near Turkey .
First they still have to kick the USA out. For that to happen the whole region need to unite against any kinds of USA occupation. That includes Kurds as well. Any dreams of their autonomy to statehood should be shared together with their arabs and other minority ethnic neighbors. Only then it can work. Kurds hope that the west spoon fed them into statehood will work out even if it goes against the wishes of their neighbors. It wouldn’t happen. Israel in example will cease to exist without any support from the west.
That would be awesome , then SAA can reclaim its oil fields on the east bank of the river .
But its still up to Damascus how do you think those Kurd’s from Raqqa and Deir Ez Zor will get to Afrin, fly with Commercial Liner, LOL, SAA has to let them trough via their roads.
Perhaps with the services of “Air America”?
I thot Afrin is in the South Eastern region, not near the Southern Turkish border…OR…what IS that city that’s right on the Eastern border of Syria W/ Jordan[?]…{Where the American forces are said to be}?
And WHY are the Turks so “hell bent” to invade the Northern border of Syria?? The Peshmerga cleared that whole area of ISIS didn’t they?
OBVIOUSLY I’m ignorant, & asking humbly for the answers…It just seems to me that Turkey has more interests than “clearing out the Peshmerga” in that region…RIGHT? Even Asad doesn’t want the Turks in there!!
Afrin is up in the Northwest region of Syria (http://i.internethaber.com/uploads/content/afrin-haritasi-afrin-operasyonu-afrin-neredejpg8icgWwoM.jpg?v=1499325814).
FYI, the Turks do not get along with the Kurds because of their separatist aspirations. Kurdish enclaves span across FOUR nations (Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran). There is no way the Kurds will be able to create their own nation that is surrounded by enemies.
Thanks Ivan! REALLY GREAT map! You & Jakke are a REALLY big help! The M.E. is not in my Research work, but I’m interested…Don’t really trust Erdorgan…and wonder as to the ENTIRE “Take Down Asad” doctrine…The B.O. regime was REALLY after him, (and Trump is listening to his Generals too much & following Obama’s lead!??)…We REALLY NEED to get our fingers out of “Country building / destroying”!!!
Sorry to inform you but the mape dates back to late 2016, early 2017. The DAES areas do not exist anymore, east of Euphrates taken by SDF, west of Euphrates taken by SAA and a small area around Tabqah also taken by SDF.
No DAES on that map.
He was asking where Afrin was located; he confused it with Al-Tanf.
Thanks “Dutch”! I’m catching up & on to the REALITIES there in Syria…
You want to hear the honest truth Christian? ill give it a shot anyways
Erdogan is a national treasury, this man created a proxy army (FSA) on his own and rules them with an iron fist. That itself is a feat to be admired, Erdogan did not only kill his enemies SDF/ISIS but he did so without risking any Turkish lives. Erdogan will continue to appease the FSA by constantly bashing on Assad, thats the only way. Turkey knows that the FSA is holding a greater purpose than fighting Assad and that is to kill the SDF (which they are doing right now)
Putin and Rouhani has already put their full trust in Erdogan, through the ceasefire areas and the S-400 Erdogan was given. Not to mention that Russia gave Turkey green light to invade Afrin.
The tides have already shifted, Russia is allied with Turkey all but in name through carefully intertwining their economies, building gas, oil-pipelines and nuclear power plants in Turkey.
Thanks s Silpy, for the input! I’m STILL learning but VERY INTERESTED…
Your “South Eastern region” is the area around Al-Tanf, which is under control of the USA and some friendly proxies. Out of reach for Turkey, obviously.
Turks have a dream of a big Turkey full of Turks and no Kurds (or any other non-Turks). They try to suppress any Kurdish dreams, not just separation from Turkey but from anywhere.
Also, this attack seems to serve the purpose of showing some balls and muscles, a big issue for dictators in general. It’s relatively risk-free as all other parties are busy somewhere else in Syria. Only problem is going to be keeping Afrin against a guerrilla. So expect some incursion, then negotiations with Turkey getting something out of it.
I think you are refering to Al-Tanf, it’s not a city, it’s actually a large border crossing post. There are no Kurds there in the south, only in the north and the northeast of the country. The Americans are indeed there, actually it’s one of the few places in Syria where they admit they are (last summer they even bombed the SAA, because they were coming to close to their units and their “allies”). Why Turkey has invaded Syria (again)? Well, for a myriad of reasons. The Turkish state and the Kurds have had troubles with each other for decades now, with Kurdish elements resorting to terrorism attacking Turkish security units. These Kurdish “terrorists”, (according to Erdogan) or freedom fighters (according to the Kurds) have found safe havens in Syria and Iraq. Again according to the Turks , these safe havens are being used as bases to attack Turkey. That’s the reason Erdogan gives in public for the ground invasion. The main reason to me is :Turkey wants more influence in the region, this conflict is slowly grinding towards the end and Turkey wants to be at the negotiation table to have a say in what is going to happen afterwards. Yes indeed, nobody wants the Tuks in Syria, but Erdogan has shown himself to be unstable factor with his own agenda. The Turks didn’t invade to go after ISIS, but to attack the Kurds. Also the Peshmerga are the Iraqi Kurdish forces, not the Syrian, apparently there is a big difference between the two. I hope to have made clearer a small part of the most complicated confict in modern history, even World War II was more easier to comprehend. Kind regards!
THANKS Jakke! I REALLY appreciate you’re thorough explain…That clears it all up for me…and now that you’ve reminded me, I remember the Al-Tanf post and that bombing incident,[NOT accident!]…And I agree with your assessment of Erdorgan’s craving for admittance to the Negotiation Table, (because he’s a Dictator looking to expand his territory!)…
Turkey operations will take very fast because their do what their supposed to do.No negotiation no free luxury buss riding for terrorist.No moving for terrorists from one place to another to perform terrorist activities.Erdogan knows USA is a shithole country and that their are behind creation of Israel no fly zones and Syrian destabilization.
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I thought the FSA was in the east? FSA won’t fight YPG.
they fight whoever their employers, (Turks, Saudis, or Qataris), are paying them to fight. They are nothing but MERCENARIES.
I’m not surprised. why would FSA “moderates” risk their lives for Turkey – okay they “owe” them but still they don’t want to end up as meat mince whilst the Turkish troops are firing from a distance and wait to march in unhindered. Maybe that’s why we should call them moderates, because their style of fighting is just that. HTS & ISIS terrorists would jump right in, knife between teeth, grenades wrapped around their waist – they are permanently on drugs, they’d do anything to die and reach their heaven (=hell for us). Maybe Turkey should use some of those terrorists with funny looking cars but deadly load? Damascus would be happy to send them by express post free of charge from Idlib. It might not look so good on the international stage, but then, Turkey managed to receive thousands of ISIS oil tankers from hundreds of miles away and everybody looked the other direction (until the Russians came – are you reading Solomon Krupacek?), so surely they’ll manage to disguise those HTS and ISIS fighters as well? Maybe dress them in Dervish skirts
To all the idiots who doubt Turkey, mount birsaya is back under FSA control. There is too much lies and deceit here on the comment section, just tell it like it is the Turks have overwhelmed the SDF on all fronts. If you see a retreat from the FSA its only TEMPORARY to prevent ANY UNNECESSARY casualties to later airstrike the same area later on.
https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq
“idiots” “lies and deceit” … “If you see a retreat from the FSA its only TEMPORARY to prevent ANY UNNECESSARY casualties”……
Insults; everyone who doesn’t agree with you is a liar; bald assertions backed up by zero evidence and arguments in capital letters in case we are too stupid to get the point….
You are going to fit in very well here on SouthFront! :-)
“Insults; everyone who doesn’t agree with you is a liar”
bs, most of the times it’s trolls posing as people who do not agree, because nobody who’s going to take the time to read and comment has a genuine pro-US or Israel opinion.
Also, I’ve never heard these “people” defending a policy, a side, a country – they are only here to criticize mostly Russia and Syria (and now Turkey possibly, because it was a good guy until it tried to remove Assad, now it’s a bad guy because it kills zionists).
State on which side you are and then people will start thinking you ain’t a cheap propagandist.
The other man’s grass is always greener I guess……
xDDD
I provide you with evidence from a credible source which has documented the current events and previous ones for that matter, not only have you not been able to refute the evidence, you keep at it with the lying.
You are a deceitful man.
To further embarrass you the FSA has now claimed several positions as we speak: the village of hamam, adamli village, rajo area and there is only a matter of time before the south western afrin is under FSA control
Slippy: Now who is lying ? Please, change the acronym FSA to FFHMB which stands for: Free For Hire Mercenary Bastards It will be great help if you add CO = Cash Only, or, NCC = No Credit Card. and give your banking details in Saudi Arabia, in Qatar or in Istanbul. Is Slippy your surname or it is the state of your sister’s body after her long service in Jihad -el- Nikah for the Wahabis ?
Btw liar, Southfront just posted an article 2 hours after I made my comment that mount birsaya is back under FSA control.
To anyone reading our conversation this is why I call Graeme a filthy liar
lol… what was my lie? please spell it out for me.
“bald assertions backed up by zero evidence and arguments…”
I gave you plenty of evidence which you somehow rendered null and void, thats why I called you a liar. My “bald” assertions seem to be facts by now.
This was the bald assertion I was referring to:
” just tell it like it is the Turks have overwhelmed the SDF on all fronts.”
Bombastic bullshit as its best……
Jesus…. whats the next 5 words in your quote?
no need to call me “Jesus”… Graeme will do…..
Report is already old. All TSK and TFSA incusion have now been repelled except for the small one in the north with a depth of maybe 2 to 3 kms and a width of 4 to 5 kms and counterattacks are going on.
The number of TFSA killed is mounting rapidly. The number of turkish soldiers too but less rapidly. Even the number if tanks destroyed is rising.
Barsaya mountain was recaptured by YPG, sweeping TFSA forces away while likely they only held part of the mountain. Even turkish media accept the mountain being retaken.
AMN is reporting that reinforcements are still passing into Afrin.
It is becoming more urgent that SDF forces counterattack into the Azaz colony and try to wipe out TFSA forces there.
The Syrian government footprint grows every day as your Jew world order terrorists that you shill for every day are defeated. Israelistan in Kurdish areas is coming apart faster than many expected.
Once again the Kurds will be the victims of their own leaders’ stupidity. As in Iraq, they relied on the most dishonest, unprincipled and deceitful “ally”, i.e. the US. The offered themselves as a hired gun and a proxy. Those in the PKK and PYG believed that the US will swap them for Turkey, a NATO member, oldest friend of Israel and on outskirt of Russia and central Asia. Do those dysfunctional brains believe that D Trump is born again Trotskite ? Let be stupid and say yes, Comrade Trump is a founding member of the 5th International. Who will protect the “People Republic of Afrin ? Do Comrade Trump will send his soldiers to face the loyal, the brave battle hardened and 10000000% patriotic Syrian Arab Army. To all my fellow Syrian Kurd I’ll say: Return to Mother Syria …… The future is bright and the future is SYRIA.