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On August 12, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and local fighters launched a ground attack on the remaining positions of ISIS in the heavily fortified area of al-Safa north of the governorate of al-Suwayda, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The UK-based monitoring group said that the SAA is currently clashing with fighters of ISIS in the desert of Damascus around al-Safa. The SOHR added that the SAA artillery is supporting the attack and shelling fortifications of the terrorist group.
Few hours earlier, the SAA secured the administrative border between al-Suwayda and Damascus and besieged ISIS cells in al-Safa.
From its side, ISIS cells released a new video showing two of the hostages, who were abducted from the eastern al-Suwayda countryside two weeks ago. The two hostages “Suad Abu Amar” and “Abir Shaguin” said in the video that all the hostages are in a good condition and waiting to be freed under a deal with ISIS.
Local observers believe the upcoming hours will be critical for the fate of the hostages because the remaining positions of the ISIS in the Damascus desert are about to collapse.
Remaining positions? Er…. what about the 2,500 or so head-choppers that should be there now?
The SAA is stretched pretty thin to camp out there for months on end hunting them down, but the Druze militias and SSNP (Hezbollah too, I think) would be interested in doing this. They should be a lot more focused on exterminating them entirely – wherever they’re hiding – rather than the few dozen they’ll get by ‘taking ISIS positions’.
Not directing the question at you guys, SF. I know this is the way SOHR and other outlets are reporting it, but it just doesn’t make sense. In fact, it’s so nonsensical tactics-wise considering al Safa that it calls attention to itself. It’s almost like someone is pushing the narrative that it’s only a matter of taking out a few more head-chopper positions and ISIS is gone – mission accomplished!
I hope the guys on the ground there have more sense than that. Otherwise, in another month or two, they’ll be mourning more of their own dead from suicide bombings and have lost another dozen or two women and children to ISIS as hostages. I have no idea what purpose it would serve to convince anyone outside of Syria that essentially all ISIS in al Safa will soon be eliminated. I’m just making the observation that there’s a complete absence of reports or concern about what should be a substantial number of ‘missing’ ISIS (and their families, for that matter).
“They should be a lot more focused on exterminating them entirely – wherever they’re hiding – rather than the few dozen they’ll get by ‘taking ISIS positions'”
Whether you want to exterminate or capture them, you need to “take their positions” anyway, because they are what stands between you and your objective.
To make it short, ISIS isn’t prone to be mass executed on the spot, someone must go there and destroy their defensive devices to break their will to fight.
There are also the ISIS reinforcements in Al Tanf and the save haven there for ISIS fleeing across the desert to consider I think John.
No, there is not. Tanf is semi-FSA and Coalition by USA.
If You insist in ISIS troops there, You as a minimum has to be more specific. Al Tanf is made to block for ISIS transportation -whcih is the opposite.
Assads has gained for that too, because ISIS have had delays in transportation fx to south of Palmyra and their positions there incl. oilfields.
Al Tanf is made to block Syrian transit to Iraq. Where do you think ISIS transport comes from! The lava fields? :DDD
That too.
But I related to ISIS should posses the Al Tanf area. They dont.
msm doesn’t tell it, but most informed info-sources on Syria say that several ISIS groups have found their safe heavens immediately outside the US area at TANF.
This is because the US defacto has put up a “forbidden” air space which extends a few kilometers from the border area.
Of course, in this way they are giving terrorist a narrow belt of terrain in which they are safe from airstrikes.
And of course, the US military doesn’t even think of bombing ISIS garbage sitting practically one mile away from them.
The US may tell whatever it wants, but the truth is that they support the worse form of terrorism to ever exist.
The US will protect the devil itself and its armies, if it was something that befits the israeli agenda.
Bollocks Jens. The refugee camp there that houses 75,000 people is run by the jihadis and used as a pool for recruits.
No fight and no food for your families.
These are token defenses with a few dozen ISIS stragglers despite the fierce fighting, not positions manned by 800-strong ISIS units. And they’re mostly positions the FSA or the government has taken from ISIS before – in some cases, more than a few times. Everyone changes colors on their maps and declares the area clear, but still can’t account for the thousands of head-choppers that should be there. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be working through the territory like they are. But if they don’t have a pile of 2,500 head-chopper bodies when they declare the area ‘clear’, then they haven’t cleared it. Simple as that.
ISIS are very mobile gueralli infantery. Most of them are veterans as well. They just move to other places – and are not killed.
So its like that. The mouse is the cat and the cat sometimes is the mouse. Hard to get for people, which hardly can fight at germans did at WW2 with the possibilities, they have.
So we again see the elefants move and ISIS fast around them with their small knives.
Too many elephants die or are wounded for lifes, but it seemes to be the only way. No wonder Assads has lack of troops and ISIS still are alive between grenades and bullets in random directions. Many hit nothing, because ISIS drink tea and sleep under ground level.
Terrible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ITcdxlpks
xDDDDDD
I am against the use of Elephant in the circus for us to have fun of them. They are intelligent, their brain size is a little bigger than the men brains, and they deserve respect as a different specie. In order for them to perform this type of acts, men punish and give bad treatment (in general) to these animals.
Those are not a few dozens. I wonder where You has got that number from. he rest is crap too. SAA right now are trying to do exact, what you propose.
A big stupis angainst a small clever. You cant just say Goliat never wins. Sometimes David do. Other solutions are possible as well.
leave David and Goliath outside real combat subjects.
they pertain to israeli/jewish propaganda themes.
There’s not many places out there were ISIS can hole-up en masse due to the lack of water sources. I noticed in one photo shown in an earlier article 2-3 250 gallon plastic liquid containers at a remote ISIS base that was captured by the SAA. They were empty so probably held water.
Or fuel.
I agree in most of it. No credible rapports from there too.
Oi dude I will say just one thing to you since I can tell you trying to work out what’s happening on the ground , trust your instincts as they are right
All I’ll say is track back to the yarmouk camp when daesh fighters were quietly taken out at night and where they were taken then what certain suswedia family’s said when reported on watching them be brought back after they fought so long to of previously removed them
It was not like the Russian tiger evacuations where everything is well documented ( only friends of Syria were in yarmouk camp when finally liberated
Then search for a very well known mosques near yarmouk and so well protected by our allies and their relationship with the Palestinians who live beside them pre war and their yarmouk alliance pre war
Search into how the 600 al rahman fighters in jobar who didn’t have to sign a deal just switched sides and these sites reported they joined SAA
( SERCH AND YOU MIGHT JUST FIND ) SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT
SERCH for alghouta tunnels that led to a mosque and areas in pro state held territory
Search where the daesh fighters who surrendered on Lebanon border were taken to after cutting a deal and what happened while they were being bussed out there
And search for two Iraqi villages before this had Hugh operations to drive daeah out of them and where they were not killed but forced out to on the other side of border in Syria
Then you might start to understand when the Syrian army be is used at times yet it is not Syrian army operations but others who are under their umbrella and have been strickly pursuing another’s agenda in terms of regional strategic goals
Then just maybe if you do you never know what might start to add up and you find
Then search the refugee camp around al tanf where the two USA backed jihadist groups still are but who and how many other jihadists have been carefully pushed out there and who controls most of the many exits of the refugee camp near right on al tanf
And when u hear SAA used ( look deeper ) if you think few hours will be enough time put in to find truth then don’t bother if you spend real time and you then follow and search the names of sheiks people tribes and groups that are mentioned during your research
You won’t read another article from all these sites ever again
Depending on what you find if you go down the rabbit hole it will sting and hurt what you will start to find
Then if really love to get into the real game search back over the Syrian Arab army one military command centre when it was being gutted and many of their best men martyred some in very interesting strange circumstance at times but mostly by the opposition groups
And how it became divided divisions with divided military operations and led to so many groups being created and financed by businessman and others And who started to fill many important positions in the Syrian infrastructure. And then maybe if really like to exhaust all avenues don’t wonder or ask yourself why were the has an led tiger forces military operations ever let in Damascus to lead operations until 18 Feb 2018 when they bursted in and announced they will be leading the alghouta operation in countryside Damascus
Then the rest is history all secret tunnels of supply lines shocked many a tiger when mourned right thru some and sewn where they led to ( the go pro helmet recordings of some has that but you won’t fi d that on these sites
Alghouta right thru Damascus pockets then into yarmouk camp down to the south and the tiger steam rolled all areas
Not because the story sold that Russia made a deal with Israel they had deals all years they didn’t have any deal except the ones they put on table from the real Syrian men who after steamrolling alghouta had in their possession that much stuff when cones to who did what who travelled where who were making fat money sitting on their little slice of the pie that the tiger just entered a d said playtime is over everybody
Even they didn’t know how much they would find but many local sheiks who feared punishment and got nervous began to hand over all the intelligence and knowledge to the tigers led operation
Or you could just blow thus of and don’t worry about what doesn’t add up
Just keep following sites like this
Anyway long live the Syria people and their elected leader ( the IRONMAN BASHAR AL ASSAD AND THE TRUE LEGENDARY SAA AND LOYAL ALLIES who are on a rampage AAnd EVERY FOREIGN AND REGIONAL NATION and all the sheiks don’t want to play no more with the tiger ever since he entered Damascus on Feb 18 the 2018
The game was up everyone who were playing now have no position of strength and Isis daesh loool been a very handle tool to use as a name when if are in the real circles you will get a detailed break down of who every group and people are called daesj these days
And the groups in suswedia who hung men and chanted Allah Akbar are not and will never be with the has an led tiger SAA military operations
Who were in yarmouk basin on a tear and were blackmailed to call of their operations or the prisoners of suswedia be killed
Who post everything down their and now removed have no strategic cover against Israel that deters Israel from confro to g them as the under belly of Israel is in Syria’s south
Lot of dead Palestinian s too maybe they have good mates other side of the combatants fence
But who knows aye I guess if some do they don’t say for what ever reasons
But I guess it would really hurt and many emotions especially anger if isome people played both sides of fence when need suit theyre own agendas
Dirty game on all side is Syria especially when Assad most loyal and best soldier didn’t get into Damascus until Feb this year
But meh Pets go see what almasdar news is saying Lmaooooo
Goddammit when are those IS pests finally terminated? I ll celebrate that moment!!
Killing for security? Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
As a popular American song goes, there is no justice in the world, and the Palestinians may know it better than anyone else. They’ve been expelled from the land, fed with empty statehood promises for 70 years, and now shot at and killed in mass for the sake of providing “security” for Israel. Is that likely to prompt any international response beyond the standard condemnations? To discuss this, Oksana is joined by Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization PLO.
Assad knew what he was doing by busing out ISIS fighters and their families out into that desert. That put a major strain on ISIS’s meager resources plus got them out in open country that lacks any natural cover.
It was a trade. The usual distortion seen all the time. The Heros of Damskus and their Baaaah-Baaah thistas always right, no reason for uprise, clever in warfare and even no water in that desert because You have seen some buckets or whatever with no water.
The desert seems to offer many hiding positions. Maybe they should continue to perfom surveilance reconnaissance patrols once they label an area “clear” instead of holding victory celebrations in their barracks while isis is outside blowing stuff up.
Syria will need to stay sharp forever there can be no going back now.
Can the syrians keep their attention focused for long stretches of time? Hasnt been encouraging thus far.
Another usual joke version. ISIS has many local supporters – but as usual they in Your context are foreigners, and arabs all support the Arabic State of Assad, which hardly is Syria as a country at all.
the only solution I see to that, are armed drones. And is humanly impossible to cover all areas, especially in Syria’s case, with armed forces, unless you arm the civilians and in that case you have no warranties they will not begin to kill each other and go back to the stone age they are just coming out off it, so to speak.