Warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out on October 18 a series of airstrikes on terrorists’ positions in the southern Idlib countryside.
According to opposition activists, the Russian airstrikes targeted the towns of Rakaya Sijneh, Sheikh Mustafa and al-Naqeer.
Earlier, helicopters of the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) conducted several airstrikes on terrorists’ fortifications in the town of Kabani and its vicinity in the northern Lattakia countryside.
Both southern Idlib and northern Lattakia are a part of the Greater Idlib region, which is controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other terrorist groups.
Pro-government activists are claiming that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is now preparing to launch a ground operation in Greater Idlib. However, these claims are yet to be confirmed by any official source.
The time has come… SAA already got positions north east of Idlib. Now the question is where to go first: across Euphrates toward Iraqi border or to down town Idlib?
UPDATE:
Actually reporting done by John Helmer on the subject shows a COMPLETELY different picture:
http://johnhelmer.net/in-the-war-for-syrias-highway-m4-the-kremlin-turks-have-been-beaten-to-the-punch-by-the-russian-general-staff-foreign-ministry-for-the-moment/
Seems my first feeling was more true than i thought.. With the Turkey-NATO agreement, Erdogan has turned the tables, has now the backing of the US and with the US the NATO, and Erdogan is NATOs man in Syria now, replacing the US. So it is coordinated by US and Turkey, and in turn Erdogan is now in an extremly strong position when he speaks with Putin. Like i said before, Erdogan has outsmarted everyone. And Trump coordinated with him, and still does. Those who believe in a Russia Turkey alliance have been fooled. Erdogan was NEVER to leave NATO, only when forced out, and now that Trump has decided to abandon the Kurds, he ambraced Turkey FULLY as an ally again. One can say many things about Erdogan, but this was brilliant.
bullshit. just a coordinated move. nothing else.
Okay Wolfgang, What are your sources in the Russian general staff and Kremlin? Or is that just something you want to believe?
I believe after reading your link that John is dreaming. Compare what John is saying with what Erdogan said today.
““There will be a meeting with Putin in Sochi on Tuesday. Our aim is to identify an acceptable solution. We want the areas under the control of the Syrian government to be cleared of militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK] and the Self Defense Forces [YPG],” told a news conference in Istanbul on October 18, according to the Russian news agency TASS.”
“The Turkish President went on to state that he has no objections against placing the “safe-zone” under the Damascus government’s control.”
see: https://southfront.org/erdogan-says-he-has-no-objection-to-damascus-control-over-northeastern-syria/
Everybody in the area seems to be on the same page and it is to address Turkey’s legitimate issue of the PKK/YPG all while helping to restore Syrian soveignty. The US/Turkey talks are a smoke screen for the US public and to delay/halt any sanctions
They had to kick the Kurds under someones controle. Turkey was the best way to do it.
Can’t believe you read anything Helmer writes.
Why is that? He is brilliant, has excellent sources (opposed to all of us here, and all bloggers that SF sources their articles from), is now swimming with the masses on either side and is able to think himself instead of just believing what MSM writes or self proclaimed propagandists like the Saker on the other side. He is always able to defend his reporting when one writes him, and has experience on his job like no other journalist (or blogger). I dont agree with everything he writes, but i respect him for the above mentioned reasons. And when he reports something, you can count on the fact it is well sourced, and can base your own judgement on those sources of his, no matter if you follow his conclusion. Or is there anything else?
I just recall his anti Putin (or otherwise) propaganda from the past. Turned me away from wanting to read any further of his writing. I’ll have to reconsider given what you say.
If this was some kind of a military operation it’s gotta be the dumbest one in history.
You don’t stab allies in the back, give up hard won cities to your enemy, give control of your border to your enemy and give control of the strategic M4 highway without a fight when all you had to do was pull the Kurds back 30 km and allow the Turks to take over their positions in an orderly fashion.
Yeah, this is all totally bizarre. And i guess we will only know for sure in some years what is really going on behind the scenes. If we will ever truly know.
Only things that are sure: All sides either hide facts, change their position faster than one can can track. And it is becoming more and more obvious that the “partnership” between Russia and Erdogan is not because of aligned objectives, but a fierce fight behind the scenes on all levels. Erdogan will take as much as he can chew, get the benefit of good relations with the US, while not totally making Russia angry. Its a tightrope walk, and he is a true master of it. In his interior policies like with the US and Russia.
No side trusts the other, every side schemes against each other, allies for a day, than makes a 180 turn.. I just hope the new renewed backing of NATO for Erdogan makes him not too hungry when he deals with Putin.
Bullshit
Hello Biased. I have disagree with you. The Occidentals right now, are the equal of the KeyStone Cops. Everything that is happening now is devastating the plans laid by the CIA in 1985 and all active efforts since before 2011. There is no way to make the whip cream stick on this one. If one concept needs to be put forward as a governing impetus, I would peg it as BRI. Erdogan, as well as the EU and NATO has lost huge here; no way around it. Turkey either plays ball or is shut out of the biggest economic development the world has seen since the Silk Road first began to function.
The details, names and dates, are too bulky to put all into a simple comment. That said, I don’t see Turkish President Erdogan as being in a strong position right now. Otherwise, the SAA/F and Russian Aerospace forces would not be bombing the hell out of them as they are now. My take, I wish you well.
Crowd funding on social networks !!!!.
Turkey and the US are the supporters of AQ and ISIS. Russia simple must annihilate Idlib, regardless the collateral damates. Russia will save Europe – over 700 million people.