Illustrative image: Omar Sanadiki/Reuters
Russian servicemen supported in the Syrian military operation to free ISIS hostages in the province of Hama on November 8.
“On November 8, 2018, Syrian forces carried out a carefully planned special operation under the guidance of Russian military officers from the Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Sides in Syria, rescuing 19 civilian hostages seized by the ISIL [ISIS] more than three months ago,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on November 9.
According to the statement, the Russian and Syrian troops freed 15 Druze children and four women, who had been captured by ISIS in Suwayda province in July 2018. It added that they “are receiving the necessary assistance so that they can return to normal life as soon as possible.”
Speculations about a possible Russian involvement in the operation appeared immediately after first reports aboout it by the Syrian state-run media. Now, these speculations are officially confirmed.
They come amid reprots that Russian Special Operations Forces troops were deployed in the province of al-Suwayda in order to support the Syrian Army advance on ISIS positions in the al-Safa area. MORE ABOUT THE ADVANCE
So, they basically admit it was a prisoner exchange, mediated by the Ru Center for Reconciliation…
Good one! I did not see that coming.
Sometimes you can be too sinister. I believe it was a real covert operation that freed the last 19 hostages. Many IS members were killed and this would not have happened in a prisoner exchange. Finally, a bit of good news! I am a combat veteran, and there is no experience like mixing it up in combat. The SAA and Russian special forces are becoming a tough, well trained, and experienced fighting force. I would not want to mess with them. They are now real bad asses on the field of battle!
What a stupid comment!
Well, if you take out (according to the AMN report) 6 beards of hate (or ISIS headchoppers), that doesn’t qualify as a prisoner exchange.
So the terrorists went from Al sanf to Hamimah passing quietly to Al Tanf with the consent of the Americans.
Would not be surprised to hear of Russian special forces freeing American special forces from terrorists within Syria.
well it wont happen simply because all terrorists in SYria are US employees. so why arrest your boss’s people?
Enhancing your negotiating position with your boss…
Hilarious! The kindly Russians might ‘deprogram’ these deluded Americans of the notion that they are official soldiers of the US – impossible, because the US is not officially at war with Syria or anyone else, before returning them to the USA. ‘Thank you Russia, for saving our lost tourists and freeing them from the effects of terrorist propaganda.’
Tell us again how that small spec of land al Safa has been surrounded for ever and yet impenetrable by the full force of Syrian and Russian military. Yet ISIS can come and go as they please. Just last week Russia-Syria-Iran resupplied ISIS with at least 4 truckloads of food, money, ammunition and arms.
Don’t be so silly! The US and it’s so called coalition shelters ISIS. They feed them, arm them, protect them, and send them out to do the bidding of the coalition. Just today, the Us announced that “…it will take decade…” for them to defeat that small group of ISIS fighters. Therefore, the US plans to illegally occupy Syria for at least the next 30 years. Yo see, the coalition can’t defeat ISIS because they don’t want to loose their trained assassins. This is of course is the main way Syria and the region are kept unstable> And in this way they try to justify their illegal occupation of the middle east. Russia, on the other hand, is in Syria legally, having been invited by the internationally recognized government. Also, Russia would like nothing more than to stand down and withdraw the majority of its troops in Syria. Russia wants peace and it strives for that daily with reconciliation work. No my friend, you have it backwards. The antagonist war mongers are not the Russians; they are the Americans!
Seems Russia has decided to give their special forces the advantage of combat experience against their probable adversaries – US and Israeli special forces aka ISIS
I can’t help but think that most probably the operation was Russians only, and that its being touted as a joint operation to make the Syrians look good. As overall the Syrians have not proven themselves to be that capable fighters. They’ve gotten a hell of a lot better these past years thanks to the Russians training them, but Syrian special forces on the same level of Russian special forces? Doubtful. But I’m willing to admit that they could be good enough and that it actually was a joint operation. Russian led and planned still, but most of the grunts Syrian.