On Monday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) continued efforts aimed to clearing the road linking the Tiyas Airbase with the town of Salamiyah in the province of Homs. The SAA and the NDF expelled ISIS terrorists from a number of points near the al-Mahr gas field and deployed in a striking distance from the strategic Huwaisis village. If Huwaisis is liberated from ISIS, the whole ISIS pocket in eastern Homs will collapse in the nearest future.
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That pocket has been a problem for a long time, many villages and a perfect base for ISUS in Western Syria, really surprised they took so long to eliminate it, maybe it was in the too hard basket? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/92cbe1486487814b1431ca3092b3b1f806c5b0f2e917253278285981e862380c.png
I was baffled by it for years as well, especially it being so close to Salamiya. I think it was an issue of having too many fronts, Latakia, Aleppo, Damascus countryside, Palmyra etc. They can focus on it now that there is technically just two fronts, Daraa and Dez. This area is needed to reach DeZ and once it is taken, it saves SAA lots of resources to move troops and equipment from one front to the other.
Yes indeed – looks like they are going to hit it from the South, East and North and about time, will be interesting to see what they uncover there in those hills.
Yes and it seems there is very little civilian population there (most fled when ISIS came), Hope it is a Maskanah type of operation, quick and smooth.
Hmm.. i think opposite.. I think that ISIS had some kind of agreement with local population in this pocket thus it was hard to made any gain there..please correct me if i am wrong…
Likely, the area is a dominant Sunni area; however, Syria is different to Iraq, in the sense that it’s more multicultural and people know which side to be on (the side that doesn’t chop your head). Capturing of half of Iraq is the example that you are referring to. Gains were not made because they had more immediate concerns. Cheers.
That was my guess too. Some areas will be more expensive to hold than to leave in ISIS hands. That way if the population suffers it’s ISIS fault. You ‘liberate’ the hardcore religious nuts last. With a little luck many will have felt or died by then.
Also, maybe someone could explain why this part is so cramped for many years. Why SAA didn’t expand this tight corner before?? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/03435a7bcf658deb1b21f10fc2badf7cd5cdaa61977042e10da403d1664e9570.jpg
Many active fronts and strong isis defenses and numbers and isis friendly tribes like in dez. In fact they still cant advance from salamiyah and ithriya directions and need to encircle and cut off.
Thanks!
welcome man
Another option could be an advance in Deir ez Zor from that direction bellow Raqqa, do you think this is possible?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/56e0b30d9db50a53e97e897aad81abd03e3cc8d5fae3e31479827892654593d6.png
Their flanks may be too exposed in this option… Definitely it will be Palmyra-DeZ road axis of advance. That’s what all the stuff of fighting in southern desert is for-protecting flanks on that axis.
Indeed, it seems that SAA will possibly cut the southern escape route for fleeing Isis members from Raqqa.
They will do things slowly and carefully this time , they learnt the lesson the hard way last year. First the e hama pocket and east of khanassir, then arak t3 and desert flanks south of palmyra (this one almost done) and then also northwest north and ne of sukhnah close to tabqah and raqqa / maadan. Once flanks are sealed on to sukhnah – kobajjep – dez direction. At this rate maybe around or even before xmas. Pray for the saa heroes and their allies!