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On October 22, clashes resumed between the Syrian government forces and the Al-Nusra-led coalition of militant groups in Aleppo city. Next days, heavy clashes were reported in the southern neighborhoods of Aleppo – Amiriyah, Sheikh Saeed and the 1070 Apartment Project – and in the southern Aleppo countryside.
Within the ceasefire, Al-Nusra (al-Qaeda) and the so-called ‘Free Syrian Army’ additionally contentrated about 12,000 fighters outside the city of Aleppo and declared the goal to break the Aleppo seige from the southwestern direction. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the deployed terrorists also had optained from their sponsors portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS), and now they are preparing to attack the government forces from the southwestern direction.
The Syrian military decided to counter this threat during a fresh operation in the same area, taking control of the Air Defense Battalion south of Mushrifah. Some 30 terrorists were killed in the clashes there. The strategic goal of the operation is Khan Tuman that remains the advance base of al-Nusra-led coalition. The Syrian army and Hezbollah also seized the strategic Bazo Hill (Tall Bazo).
Dead Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in the Air Defense Battalion:
Aleppo ; Several Bodies of JN in the air defense battalion South aleppo pic.twitter.com/wuCT54Gpln
— Yusha Yuseef (@MIG29_) October 24, 2016
Air strikes have been reported inside and outside Aleppo since October 21. According to local sources, the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force have bombed al-Nusra’s supply lines southwest of the city. Unspecified number of air strikes was also delivered inside Aleppo, according to pro-militant sources.
Drone footage of the Air Defense Battalion captured the government forces:
#Syria #Aleppo | Drone footage of the Air Defense Base captured today by the #SyrianArmy alongside #Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba (Iraqi) pic.twitter.com/R8cSs00D9m
— Syria Today (@todayinsyria) October 24, 2016
A short explanation of the coverage of operations in Aleppo and Mosul by the mainstream media:
last time i read,the number of the jihadist reinforcement was 1200. not 12000. Can anybody confirm one way or another? coz i don’t see them coming ahead with 12000 men, but if it was the real figure, it would be very difficult to deal with them without additional air and land assets deployed
You will find that 12000 is a fair estimate but these are outside Aleppo, what is inside is anyone’s guess but it would be substantial for them to hold a supposedly 270000 civilians as hostage. MY opinion is that there are nowhere near 270000 civilians.
I also doubt 12 000, seems way too large a body to move into the area so quickly. Agree east Aleppo enclave would have less than 40-80 000 civilians still trapped there, most civilians have long ago fled to government safe areas or Turkish border, who would willingly stay thru 5 years of Islamic rule ?
It’s the 2nd report I have seen with that number.
I thought that there were 1,200 reinforcements but 12,000 total troops.
Whatever the number, it’s the MANPADS that shall increase Russian/Syrian casualties by both shooting down planes and reducing the number of successful air raids against the terrorists – thereby reducing the Syrian Army’s ability to resist the new terrorist offensive. Also note that the Turks and FSA are within striking distance of Aleppo City from the North.
lol. ragheads have possessed manpads since the start of the war in 2012, have deployed them against russian air force without success (the helicopters which have been lost seem to have been hit by ground fire, according to vids). In addition, the Turks and “FSA” should always take into account what Konashenkov said about anybody trying to strike syrian troops. They have no hope to go against the air defence systems now deployed in Syria, also being alone in any kind of funny thing they ‘d start, as the US “coalition” is not going to support the turks in syria anymore.