A brief overview of the recent developments:
- The Russian military announced the start of ceasefire in northwestern Hama on June 12;
- Militants attacked Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions in Shaykh Hadid, Kernaz and Qasabiyeh almost immidiately after the start of the ceasefire;
- The SAA uncovered a depot containing loads of C4 and TNT explosives during a recent search operation around Beit Jinn;
- Alleged Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) members were filed burning a farm near the town of Tell Abyad;
- ISIS claimed that its members had killed 11 SAA members near Sukhna;
- Turkey claims that the SAA shelled its observation post in southern Idlib.
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It is all good as long as Syria slowely, but steadily eats Idlib pocket away.
Problem is, by the time that pocket has gone, Deash will have probably recaptured most of the territory they previously lost in other areas of Syria! Their attacks seem to be intensifying and the SAA seem powerless to stop them.
This is a tactic of the rebel. Attack weak targets to make the enemy believe you are healthy and energetic and constantly move. The strategy is to seem ubiquitous and unstoppable, but, in reality, these cells are on their last legs and cannot stand up to a determined force out to destroy them. The problem Syria has right now is that they are hemorrhaging resources everywhere. They need to reclaim territory, rebuild infrastructure, defend against attacks from peer-military nations and police its territory. The terrorists are merely criminals with military weapons and the backing of deep pockets. They are, at heart, cowards and will, eventually, be rolled up.