Russian attack helicopters play an important role in the ongoing battle near Palmyra
Russian combat aircraft delivered 64 airstrikes on ISIS terrorists near Palmyra during the night, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Sunday morning.
The statement added that as result the Syrian Army repelled all ISIS attempts to seize Palmyra.
“During the night, Syrian government forces, actively supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, repelled all attacks by terrorists on Palmyra. The attacking side actively used car bombs, armor and rocket artillery systems.”
“Eleven battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, 31 cars with heavy machineguns, and over 300 militants were destroyed.”
Syrian government forces are in full control of the city.
Earlier unconfirmed reports appeared that the Russian Aerospace Forces used Tu-22M3 strategic bombers against terrorists in the area. This is possible – Russia uses strategic bombers to target terrorists in central Syria on a constant basis.
Other reports in some Arab and pro-government media aruged that the Russian military also used Kalibr missiles. This is hardly possible because cruise missile are not the tool that is useful in a battle against a manoeuvrable enemy like ISIS.
Earlier in December, pro-government sources speculated that Russia was set to deliver cruise missile strikes against targets in the Eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.
As anybody can see missile strikes on targets in Eastern Ghouta have not been delivered.
This morning, ISIS has launched a fresh attempt to advance against the Syrian army in Palmyra outskirts. Heavy clashes and airstrikes are reported north and east of the city.
Syrian government forces, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, liberated Palmyra in March, 2016, about a year after it was captured by ISIS.
These event are consistent with SouthFront’s earlier analysis and demonstrate their masterly understanding. I think they read and interpret the situation far better than anyone else.This comment excludes the western media since they are just squalid liars and so don’t even merit consideration.
According to some pro SAA sources,Palmyra is in process of falling to ISIS.If this is true,this is very sad news.Anyway after the pocket in East Aleppo is liberated,Palmyra will again return to SAA.
Terrorists have been pushed back and suffered major losses.
Unfortunately 1 hour ago they launched new offensive and the situation in the city is very bad.
More info- https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201612111048417760-russia-palmyra-airstrikes/
ISIS is not fighting to Al-Bab not even to north where there are Kurdish militias. Also the Western coalition is not bringing even a bomb on ISIS territories. Have you noticed that?
Yes I have noticed that.Unfortunately Palmyra will fall in the next 2 hours.The mistake here was to put NDF in charge of the city.The only positive thing is that city is not of strategic value.After Aleppo and Idlib,the Palmyra and Deir Al Zor will be liberated.
PR and perception are essential in war. That was why the Russian orchestra did their show in the Roman amphitheater, to show the difference between the barbaric artifact-desecrating head choppers of Islamic State and the cultured civilization of those that have liberated Palmyra.
When Palmyra was liberated, the neo-con scumbags like Charles ‘Luster’ and Michael D. ‘Wuss’ who keep professing their undying love for Daeshbag cock were crashing and burning as they attempted to spin the narrative of Russia helping the militants and more of the brainwashed west realized that Russia was getting results.
It is absolutely essential that Palmyra does not fall.
Of course,but unfortunately a lot of reliable sources are reporting that Palmyra fell.SAA should have expanded their territory after they took Palmyra in March.Not doing nothing.Palmyra will liberated again,but it will take few months.And also ISIS using the same tactics like before and SAA again cant stop them.
Not sure what sources these are that you call reliable…
So far, we can indeed say this: nobody really knows what the fuck is going on there…
The sources are pro SAA.I doubt they will lie about ISIS takeover of the city.I feel sad right now.
The gas fields have fallen they have more worth then the city.
Russia Insider tends to be up to date, hoping its accurate:
http://russia-insider.com/en/russian-bombers-interfere-isis-attack-palmyra-dozens-moderate-rebels-killed/ri18128
Other than that, totally agree with your statement. There was a video commemorating the Spetsnaz Forward Observer who suicided himself to avoid being captured by Daeshbags. His death should not be in vain. They should have at least fortified the Palmyra position so that it would remain impenetrable while the rest do the grinding progress in Aleppo and elsewhere. If not for those Russian gunships it would have been like in the days before the Russian intervention.
Well at least Aleppo will fall.I really want to be this week.
This is more like it – mass extermination of vermin. Keep it up and try harder to improve on the tally.
Over 300 ISIS fighters killed. WOW that would have demoralized any army but these madmen continue to attack in waves…
It’s a final hoorah, most likely these guys are from mosul.
No final hoorah, the bastards have taken Palmyra. NB : Mosul is cealed, the jihadis don’t come from there.
*this morning. “Today morning” isn’t English.
Correct but who cares? MI6 language police. Pathetic.
Wow, conspiracy theorist much? What a loser! This is supposed to be journalism and yet there are constantly mistakes, it’s unprofessional for them to never, ever edit their articles. And this particular mistake has appeared about 3 times in 24 hours.
No conspiracy. That was joke about how stiff you are, but you did not get it. Sad. Preferring formalism over truth is kind of blindness. I am sure they’ll improve their English skills.
I didn’t get it because any time you utter one word of criticism about Russia, Syria or this site, you’re labelled as a fucking jihadi supporter, so your comment fitted that mould. Who said I preferred formalism over truth? Why shouldn’t a news site check their articles before posting? Every other one does. It’s basic. Why would you be sure of that? See how long they’ve been doing this. I would never, say, post articles on a French language site without being sure of my French being correct, that’s absurd, and the fact that you’re defending this is laughable.
You’ve just confirmed what I said above. Of course constant improvement is a must.
They wouldn’t have to improve constantly if they simply checked their writing before they posted, like every single news site on the internet. Like professionals.
You are absolutely correct. I volunteered to do free work for SouthFront a few months ago, checking their articles for English-language mistakes and correcting them pre-publication, because I was irritated just like you by the constant bad English and spelling, grammar and vocabulary mistakes on this site. Completely for FREE and without requesting anything in return, done in my spare time. They accepted and over the next couple of weeks sent me a few articles, which I made the necessary corrections on, and which were printed a few days later. Then, suddenly, they stopped sending them to me – just like that! No warning. No apparent reason. No explanation given. Nothing.
I have noticed that SouthFront spelling and grammar are/is improving. Perhaps you have made a positive impact on this website. A few days ago one of my postings just disappeared. I may have said “bomb the sh__ out of them”. Do they search for bad language and remove it? I have seen much worse.
Dear friend, Please, contant us on this issue via email and we will be glad to involve you into the project again if we’ve lost the contact by some reason. Anyway, thank you for the support.
For months I have been reading “today morning” and it didn’t bother me one bit. I am grateful that someone out there is helping me find the truth and he is not even paid. You are free to explore the msm. I am sure you will enjoy their editing and content. By the way, you can apply and start editting for SF.
I’m afraid that you are missing the point in a big way.
They edit their articles all the time, whatcha talking about?
I agree there are simple mistakes made by the article’s writers that could be corrected by a spell checker, like the red lines that underline words in most comment boxes today.
ever heard of language barrier you fucking moron
Why do you call him a “fucking moron”, you lowbrow idiot? A “language barrier” is an excuse for a tourist or an ordinary person trying to communicate with foreigners – not for people publishing things or running a news portal. If you’re going to attempt to run a website or news portal dealing with important topics and addressing an international audience in a certain language, then you have to make sure that the language used there is as flawless as possible – if you want to be TAKEN SERIOUSLY, that is. And what makes this whole thing really pathetic, is that most of the English mistakes on this website are easily correctible, even elementary.
SHAME ON YOU HYPOCRITES YANKEES AND YOUR PUPPETS.SHAME FOR YOUR DOUBLE MORAL .YOU ARE THE SAME BARBARIANS LIKE YOUR SPONSORED ISLAMIC ANIMALS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV3YnL-TF9w
They need to take the ISIS cities. So long as ISIS has towns and cities they will keep drafting thousands of poor suckers as cannon fodder to fling at the defences of the civilised world.
Sad day . Palmyra has fallen https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1
Well I said it here.NDF again shows that it is useless force.Well there is one positive thing – SAA is advancing in Aleppo and it seems that the Al Zinki child beheader have been captured.
Anyways lets wait and see what will happen in next 24 hours.I think this was some kind of distraction. Its strange that this occurred just after the negotiations between Russia and US. Maybe they switch Aleppo for Palmyra (Hipoteticaly)
Well Aleppo have far more strategic value than Palmyra.Palmyra is mainly for ruins and PR.It will not effect anything else.
Yes but there are oil fields in Palmyra countryside ( i know they are destroyed but anyways)
Dont worry.After Aleppo is fully liberated,Palmyra will be liberated again and I hope for the last time.
“…Palmyra is mainly for ruins and PR.It will not effect anything else…
The ruins are interesting, but not the reason Palmyra is strategically important. Palmyra is the natural gas transit hub for gas fields in the east of Syria going to the population centers in the west. Aleppo, Homs and Damascus are dependent on Palmyra gas pipelines and pumping stations for just abut all the natural gas they use. In addition, there is little coal or hydro power in Syria. 90% of the electricity is produced by natural gas-fired power plants. No gas – no electricity. No electricity, not fresh water which needs to be pumped from deep aquifers or through miles of pipe from the Euphrates.
ISIS has zero use for that gas – they have plenty from the other fields/facilities they’ve stolen. They are after Palmyra and the gas supply because the CIA told them that Assad will fall if the gas supplies to the west are cut off. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have been shipping mercs (masquerading is ISIS or al Qaeda) to central Syria for years in various schemes to disrupt the gas supply.
ISIS may make some money selling a little gas to the Syrian government, but their main purpose is to deny the Syrian government control over the supply. Their current push coincides with winter/colder weather and increased gas demand. This is the U.S. and GCC desperation to force Assad to permanently give up part of Syria for a terrorist Sunnistan. The effort will ultimately fail of course, just like all the others.
Why did Russia send Airborne and mechanized to save South Ossetia, While leaving Donbass to be arty death each day and this limited* support For Syria. Same for Iran. …who could put 30,000 in without blinking.
Neither owes it to Syria or Assad, But Jesus Christ!…this recent chaos in Palmyra is command/Intel FUBAR.
This would not have happened so quickly had Russia placed some Airborne on the ready line…and after the Palmyra perimetter attacks of last week….ample time to put a blocking group in with call fire for TAC air.
I’m really disappointed Russia will not use its military.
Good point. The large Ash Shaier gas plant was blown up earlier this year by ISUS before SAA could take back area. But I don’t think ISUS has any strategic planning here. They got many reinforcements from Mosul front and are looking for any win to boost morale. They got Palmyra, but will be worn down by relentless airstrikes. ISUS also built up force around Deir Ezzor, but SAA will not bend there (much activity reported). The russian backfires may be reloading right now. Do you think Iran will give them forward basing again? Only this time more hush-hush. Also read that SAA is pushing E Aleppo pocket again. This may warm many Syrian hearts, cutting down on the need for natural gas heating.
I am seriously confused, as I have just read another article and found it funny. How Lyndsey Graham and ISIS were freaking out, because the Syrian Forces and Russia had razored Palmyra, after taking out the innocent civilians. If it was razored, how did 4000 ISIS (or whatever they are now called) suddenly turn up and claim victory?
Like you, it ain’t all over till the fat lady sings and wish Syria all the best.
the main issue is a failure of intelligence…….how can that force of ISIS travel and get organized in a area they is pretty out in the open….intel dropped the ball no sense freeing cities and areas if you cant hold and defend them its like wack a mole strategy.
russians knew everything
https://twitter.com/hashtag/EasternHoms?src=hash&__hstc=143095274.5092bc5db0de533c5a8de5f0cd0bc50e.1478883382976.1481477898086.1481502582460.53&__hssc=143095274.6.1481502582460&__hsfp=1560442766
Aleppo victory will be overshadowed with this ISIS victory and that AL bab might fall to turks along with SDF making gains soon probably in Deir zor or Raqqa, I think Assad should try to reach Manbji and connect with SDF so they can sell them gas.
ISIS victory is not so big.On the other hand Al Bab and possible Raqqa victory is very important.Assad needs to take Aleppo within this year and also to regain Palmyra and go to Deir Al Zor,before SDF.
the SDF will not go to Deir ez Zor and although they are more than 50% arabs, they did not cross non-Kurdish territory. The time for nusra and the rest of the moderates has finished, at least up to re-start the latakia/idlib fronts. It is now the ISIS beast what must be confronted, with the elite troops and the militias and also, the both air forces, the isis will have a hard 2017….well, I hope
ISIS victory in Palmyra is pyrrhic victory.I just hope that the Iraqis will take Mosul within 2 months.
There might be a deal between SAA and SDF to relieve pressure off pocket by taking oil fields.
this is big victory. what do you mean, who ill fight for syrian animals??? they are able only to retreat. fuck such stupid nation! in 2 days loose palmyra. there is no sence to help them. assad is not able to recruit normal army. 10 million pinhabitabts. should have 500 000 soldiers! why should die irakians, iranian, afghanis, lebanese, russians for such cowards? if they don want fight, then let them die.
This display showed SAA isn’t serious about Deir. Plus majority of bridges that cross Euphrates are gone.
But the ISUS victory over Palmyra is big in their thinking. Strike them hard with SA/RU air before they can dig in. You are right about NDF forces, they are conscripted and have no will to stand up to ISUS attack. You are wrong about SAA command decisions. Their priority is Aleppo and western syria, is this not correct? Even the allies where surprised by 2nd Ardennes offensive! But this time there are less trees to hinder airstrikes!
wasn’t he killed some months ago? I mean, I remember seeing a pic of him on a stretcher, missing the left side of his dome.
Are you sure, because ISIS (or whatever they are called today) and the US Senator are freaking out, owing to the battering they took from the Syrian Forces and Russian Forces? Where they evacuated the residents of Palmyra and then razored ISIS?
Seems the report is inaccurate and Palmyra has unfortunately fallen. Please update !
They will update it soon.I thought that nothing will happen to Palmyra,but again I underestimated the useless NDF and the stupidity of SAA command.
almasdarnews.com is reporting palmyra taken over by IS after tactical retreat https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-isis-militants-capture-palmyra-city/
Goddamn it.
My advice is simple to all progressive forces in Syria (Government side), the field commanders must not allow politicians to stop the final assault on remaining pockets of resistance in E. Aleppo. There is no more time for diplomacy if a force has over 90% of battle initiative. Quickly deal the enemy that lingering fatal final blow and achieve both victory and history. The Washington -Ankara- Axis of Evil are doing “diplomacy” as cover-up and a decoy to reinforce their ISIS proxies elsewhere. If trapped civilians can’t be saved then there are far fewer chances of helping them. If they are families of the ‘die-hards’ they may never disentangle themselves from their “husbands”.Then what? They may also not retain the decision to stall an impending victory for the other side that’s on the verge of bringing an end to the apocalyptic war. Quickly settle the Aleppo equation, reinforce its defenses and move on to “sledge hammer” the advancing ISIS demons around Palmyra. Remember Raqqa is your trophy to take!! Be brutal with clear military targets like ISIS. These are no type for any form of negotiation with; this seed must be mowed down mercilessly to the last man.They cannot reach Canaan!!
farsnews – so the Iranian – quotes
“Massdar news reported that the Russian Special Forces …. played a crucial role in recapturing lost region in the Palmyra operation.”
The original source is “Syrian Army counterattacks on Palmyra outskirts in order to secure the city” which is written by a guy with a typical Arab name :-) ” Ivan Yakovlev ”
But my question is: what is the ” official unofficial” site to read from the Russian MoD what’s happening on the ground? You know what I mean… I thought it was southfront :-)
https://twitter.com/hashtag/EasternHoms?src=hash&__hstc=143095274.5092bc5db0de533c5a8de5f0cd0bc50e.1478883382976.1481477898086.1481502582460.53&__hssc=143095274.6.1481502582460&__hsfp=1560442766
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/video-isis-seizes-syrian-tanks-russian-vehicles-left-behind-palmyra/
Palmyra , is a wonderful distraction , out flank them , Deir az Zor has been left lightly surrounded , break it free ! ! It has value . Raqqa is already under “coalition” attack , let that happen ,, secure the south . The Air Force can eat away at the ISIS in Palmyra , if it has indeed fallen . Aleppo , before Xmas , Godspeed .
I am seriously laughing at the US Senator and what he had to say, with regards the legal Syrian Forces, and Russia hurting his little liver eating, head choppers in Palmyra.
In a scathing statement released after Russian aircraft vaporized dozens of ISIS fighters, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham accused Moscow of
“trying to break the backs of terrorist organizations — and terrorist movements — all over the world.”… http://russia-insider.com/en/russian-bombers-interfere-isis-attack-palmyra-dozens-moderate-rebels-killed/ri18128
value of Palmyra is that the enemy concentrates and exposes himself. a lot of armor has been destroyed, and that’s good. a good counterattack and air presence will likely break ISIS. Russians and SAA would be mad to let them dig in.
Well bad news, but more a symbolic defeat than a strategic one. Palmyra can be retaken soon since ISIS forces are overstretched. As for Al Bab, ISIS is a formidable force and it’s better for the SAA to let the Turks or the Kurds to do the dirty job against ISIS. That’s why FSA and YPG don’t move for weeks.
Moscow must stop the games.No bombard because the corrupt west media will accuse Putin.Every time S A A and allies advance come Lavrov with humanitarian ceasefire,Are they serious want to help`?This one step front two stop policy is a disaster and unprecedented in the world history.There are informations from “addiyar.com“ that ISIS striked Russian base with many Russian casualties
I am asking myself how could such big IS forces gather and go to Palmyra unnoticed by Russian and Syrian reconaissance?
Wars are not won with silly concerts or ceasefires. Wars are won by killing more of them than they kill of you and end when they are either all dead or can’t take it any longer.
These lessons seem to be lost in Russia today.
Putin trying to win the war on the cheap. comes back to bite you
Not trying to win the war at all. That’s my point. Only seeking to gain status points vis-a-vis the US and be recognized as an equal partner/achieve a strategic deal..
well look, this war is not only this war. it’s gradual, methodic dislodging of USA and it’s allies/controllers from the position of more-less global hegemony. this is done by a coalition of relatively weaker players (Russia, Iran, Syria) who are made to be circumstantial allies and which do this to protect their own independence. THIS is the actual purpose behind war in Syria. this is why the steamroller strategies are both impossible (at least f SAA is your boots on the ground) and too expensive (economically and diplomatically) to conduct. and also situation is syria is way too complex (kurds, turkey) to be solved by only military might.
i’m sure they’re doing their best, taking into account all necesary things, beyond just the military aspects of war. this is the sorry reality of the moment.
I understand your point-which you very elegantly and thoroughly presented, but my main disagreement is that what is holding them back is not so much a position of relative weakness but the desire (in Russia’s part at least) to be..a “member of the club”. That is, to be “accepted” by the West as an equal partner and together form some sort of post-US Empire, multilateral security architecture. The problem is that this desire is perceived and exploited as weakness by the West, while it does not take into account the fact that the West itself is more and more weakened by the day. Also, as a matter of principal, you can’t win a war-or anything-by half trying .
The latest “Aleppo ceasefire”, just like all the other ceasefires, was stupid. It is self-defeating idiocy for the Syrians and Russians to let themselves be shoehorned into “ceasefires” over and over and over again just when they are on the verge of complete victory, allowing the other side to survive, recover, regroup, and start an attack on some other front where the Syrian army is weak and/or inactive. It is likewise MORONIC for the Russians and Syrians to stop bombing jihadi-held areas in order to avoid harming a few jihadi-supporting civilians and try to look good to the dishonest Western press. The Syrian-Russian side will NEVER win like this; and truth be told, they don’t DESERVE to win. The war strategy of the Putin government is cowardly, stupid, and unnecessarily prolongs the war and suffering.
Only the hardliners Putinistas can not see that.That one step forward two steps back policy is unprecedented in world history.That will be taught like the most failed policy in the diplomatic and war games schools.
Well bad news, but more a symbolic defeat than a strategic one. Palmyra can be retaken soon since ISIS forces are overstretched. As for Al Bab, ISIS is a formidable force and it’s better for the SAA to let the Turks or the Kurds to do the dirty job against ISIS. That’s why FSA and YPG don’t move for weeks.
It has been quiet about Al Bab for quite some time. Did the Turks tell their ISIS friends that they would take a pause so that ISIS could concentrate on Palmyra?
they can take areas but they need roads to resupply they have no air force so they cant hold territory. it will be bombed
These battles ebb and flow with changing fortunes. It is still too soon to be sure of the outcome. May be the situation will be confused for sometime yet. Don’t underestimate the Russian fighting man.
More breaking news: The SAA have renewed push against E Aeppo pocket. In Palmyra, ISUS has taken high points around city, SAA forces may have to withdrawal from city. They must hold a wide perimeter around T4 airbase for counter-attack (I assume this base is still being used for air support) They should be hit by all air assets now, including bombers out of Russia! Do not give them time to dig in. ISUS have lost at least 40 vehicles. The tanks and bmps will be hard to replace. They even used small IED drones in battle.They have given it their all. The Jihadist hopes should be crushed!! No doubt the night hunting helicopters are active right now.
You could see it as a loss, or a golden short lived window of oppertunity presents itself to break isis back by nuking the Tadmur site and Tar mountains that is largely devoid of civilians and crawling with several thousands millitants in a confined area (i feel sorry for the historic buildings though). There and a small tactical nuke right on the ISIS/FSA frontlines of al bab to deal a devastating double blow with relatively small collateral damage, and shorten the war by a year or two (actually sparing civillian lives) however i would be worried of the polical fallout rather than the radioactive fallout, it would not sit well with the Pentagon, who themselves ended WW2 with nukes, but see that as their privilige…
No need for nukes, the Russians have Thermobaric artillery and possibly aerial bombs. According to http://www.almasdarnews.com it looks like the SAA was able to evacuate the civilians. Palmyra only had a few hundred people, so that was feasible. Buildings can be replaced, people cannot. So yes, wipe out the 4,000 ISIS fighters reported to be there.
As an American, I have nothing but contempt and vulgarities for the people in my country making accusations against the Russians for helping the SAA in Aleppo and accusing them of not fighting ISIS. These idiots are ignoring that Assad is fighting a two front war between ISIS and Al Qaeda.
None of this is a problem. The headchoppers are on hiding to nothing without air cover. The Russians will vapourise them.
never
https://twitter.com/hashtag/EasternHoms?src=hash&__hstc=143095274.5092bc5db0de533c5a8de5f0cd0bc50e.1478883382976.1481477898086.1481502582460.53&__hssc=143095274.6.1481502582460&__hsfp=1560442766