The Syrian Air Force has conducted a series of air raids bombing ISIS positions, manpower and military equipment in the Salamiyah countryside.
According to pro-government sources, Syrian warplanes have bombed ISIS targets in Jorouh, Salba, Qulaib al-Thaor, Jana al-Elbawei, Dekaileh Shamaliyeh, Dekaileh Janoubiyeh and al-Azib and destroyed 5 ISIS vehicles equipped with machine guns and a unknown number of the terrorist group’s members.
The Syrian state-run media also argues that at least 4 ISIS field commanders were killed in the recent clashes but don’t provide their names.
It’s debatable whether the best East Salamiyah strategy is to expel Daesh or to pocket them. I favor the pocket strategy, but maintaining offensive pressure on all sides of the pocket is advantageous.
It might be favourable to create a terrorist infested pocket in terrain less favourable for defence.
Orcs do love tunneling!
True. But you have to work with what you got and they are in this area, not flat terrain. With the SDF making progress in Raqqa and Al Nusra consolidating in Idlib it seems prudent to pocket ISIS in this area and push forward into Deir Ezzor, rather then get bogged down trying to defeat ISIS in this area and then have Al Nusra launch yet another Hama offensive and the SDF take Deir Ezzor province.
Yea I think hama and stuff can wait, getting to DeZ is way more important, but the most important I think is keeping Damascus secure :))
Exactly. And imagine what ressources SAA will get when the Rep. Guards and allies in DE City are freed. They could take part in the upcoming battles in Idlib (I expect the attacks of HTS/others very soon), purge the pocket then in eastern Hama and go alongside with tribal forces over the Euphrate to clear DE Contryside there.
It seems that the SAA and allies are waiting in front of Maadan and Soukhna to get the eastern Hama countryside cleared und then to march together on Deir Ezzor city.
But I remember trustin judeau said once that it will take a long time to clear hama :(((
It is possible that SAA and allies are coming from southern Raqqa to Soukhna and create a fine pocket for ISIL east of Hama. In direction of Al Bukamal nothing happens to build up a third frontline alongside the Euphrate to Deir Ezzor. Maybe intel has some information why it is better to install positions and to wait.
I think the SAA/tigers coming from southern raqqa should just go straight for dez while staying close to the Euphrates so they dont have to traverse through areas where they have to protect both flanks. But yes I agree in direction of al bukamal, SAA can secure that area and the border and head to dez from there too :))
Very nice how all these rats got incinerated/fried in huge flashes of fire :))))