Members of the Syrian Army 5th Corps are at the frontline
The 5th Corps leadership opened its new headquarters in the northern Hama countryside. The Syrian Arab Army’s group is now working to increase the number of volunteers in its ranks in order to expand military operations across Syria.
Commanders of the 5tn Corps declared that the current objective of the Syrian Army is to liberate the entire countryside of Hama from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and the eastern Salamya countryside from ISIS.
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From its side, HTS, Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Izza had sent large reinforcements to Halfaya and launched a counter-attack aiming to recapture the town of Taibat al-Imam from government forces. However, the Syrian Army repelled the attack and its artillery bombed Ahrar al-Sham and HTS in Latamina and Halfaya.
Earlier today, the Syrian Army recaptured Taibat al-Imam after a very intense aerial and artillery strikes on HTS militants in the area. Two leaders of US-backed Jaish al-Izza, “Saher al-Saleh” and “Muhammad Jallad” were killed as a result of Syrian artillery strikes.
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Click to see the full-size image
The Syrian Army is expected to continue its offensive after it finish fortifing the newly gained positions in Taibat al-Imam. According to pro-government sources, the army will storm Halfaya and then advance on Murk and Latamina to secure the whole northern Hama countryside.
As an armchair general, I think I’d be better to try and tighten the cauldron to make them bleed. Too many losses and they might retreat on their own, right? Helfaya sure is a tough nut to crack, maybe try the outskirts. These frontal assaults cost them a lot, I fear.
An SAA advance NW towards Masasnah looks like a good idea, then the Jihadist dogs would be in a tough spot. Appears that they have suffered many casualties from SSA/RU bombardment (good news!)
That does look like a wise move. Advance in force from the south so they’ll control all the land east of the river and from the east to seize the high ground.
One would think that the HTS leaders would be prudent enough to withdraw from Halfaya since it’s now in danger of being isolated, yet they continue to send in reinforcements to the city and to the east. Maybe the US has a spy that wormed his way into the higher HTS ranks and is now or was giving bad advice to the leaders? Several ISIS commanders have slipped out and joined al-Nusra after becoming “disillusioned” with Daesh. I wouldn’t be surprised if the CIA recruited some, facilitated their escape and introduction to the al-Nusra leadership.
I think the SAA is working along the main highway, with a palmyrra like strategy of taking a city, then working laterally for a buffer zone. I think their view is that they will engage the jihadist to learn points of fire, and then to engage with superior firepower in form of aircraft and artillery. So the SAA is jjihadi bait.
The sponsors of terrorism will be getting desperate. What will the US and her vassals do next ? What other dirty tricks does the US have in her Terrorist Playbook ? A False Flag Sarin attack on the Israeli controlled Golan heights perhaps ?
They can’t do shit, 59tomohawk missile on airbase and less than 24hr was operational. It was only cosmetic show of force. they know they are losing badly
Hell, those other 30 missiles sailed into the Syrian Desert to take out roads Daesh desperately needed to hustle men and supplies around the country. The US ain’t talking about it and neither is Daesh since that would reveal their predicament.
And only 23 hit the base lol
They will take over the desert in southeast Syria and prevent Iran from supplying its allies (Hezbollah etc) in Syria and Lebanon. They will cut off the border between Syria and Iraq while building up the “FSA” groups in the area with the pretext of fighting ISIS.
They just do not want this war to end.
They’re gonna clear ISIS and HTS from western Dara and along the Jordanian border then perhaps other “rebel” groups if they attack them.
This would be great, but I think the article was wrong when it said west of Daraa. Looks like the military support against Daesh is well to the east at Al Tanf border crossing. (Jordan supports all Sunni jihadist I think)
Awesome!!! I thought they would have a hard time at taibat al-imam but they took it the wonderful bastards!!! Am so happy they are on a winning streak! And I know they can do it, there is no doubt in my mind they will prevail :)
I’m puzzled by this 5th Corps. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme nor reason to how it gets named here on SF. Sometimes 5th Corps, sometimes 5th Legion, sometimes something else completely. Sometimes even in the same article. What is it? A corps? That’s a military HQ formation controlling an area of operations with several combat and support units attached. Usually at least 2 or more combat divisions. A legion? Other then the foreign legions of France or Spain it has no modern equivalent as a combat unit. And even the French foreign legion is more like the British regiment, a host parent unit of which the battalions share the same military identity and cultural heritage but whose battalions can have vastly different military roles.
Judging by what has appeared on SF this 5th Corps/Legion seems more like a brigade/light division kind of unit, an attempt to create something akin to the Tiger Force or Desert Hawks, rather then an actual army corps.