According to pro-government sources, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Tiger Forces and their allies have crossed the Euphrates River near Mayadin city and captured the village of Tybian on the Euphrate’s western bank.
Tybian is located south of the strategic Omar oil fields, one of the biggest in Syria.
Initial reports that the SAA crossed the Euphrates appeared on October 17. Then pro-government sources were speculating that the SAA entered Diban and Ruqayb near Tybian.
If the developments are confirmed, they can be described as a start of the SAA advance on the Omar oil fields.
This advance is likely linked with the recent sucess of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the city of Raqqah on which the SDF established almost a full control after a withdrawal of Syrian ISIS members. Soon, the SDF would be able to deploy reinforcements to Deir Ezzor province and to launch an expected push towards the Iraqi border. It looks that the SAA reacts to this scenario.
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About time. Sayonara SDF, no oil for you.
Not really – they already control more than 50% of SAA oil.
Can you back that up .
Check Southfront report on this issue after SDF captured the (Jaffrah?) oil fields north of Euphrates.
They no longer hold them and are still fighting ISIS for control of the resources. Have said there was issues in the SDF before. The US is trying to broker the problems in the political landscape, which is showing their proxy forces are losing popularity. This is why they are resorting to banditry tactics.
Wrong.
ISIS still holds them, SDF is breaking into factions soon US is unable to prevent it.
Wrong again.
Wasn’t this the play all along? I think “reacting” is a bit negative, why waste the effort on Mayadin if Omar wasn’t the goal? It looks like the whole thing will be another big Yankee waste of time anyway, if the Kurdish oil grab in Iraq is any indication, the US will abandon them in Syria as well and they’ll play ball or lose the game.
SDF attempts to link up to make a greater Kurdistan.
Let them try. They are no fighters. Only girlies.
well maybe they didnt give a big fight until now but in more instances they proved their worth…that was until the US made them their fighter-toy. in kobani and other regions they fought well against the rats of ISIS. SO the US from fear that they will leave no rat alive took them under its wing…and made them puppets with the bait of an indipendent Kurdish state
That is right, surely they proved their worth around and in Ain al-Arab (Kobani). But it is a difference if you fight against an enemy without any civilians to risk (all fled to Turkey) and in the favour of house fighting as the defender. Against the SAA and allies they won’ t have any chances or much opportunities. Too much facts are against them. But again, against the ISIS rats they did their job well.
Kurds are used in hit and run tactics. they have been doing that for many years. on the field they arent that effective ,they rely on air support and cobat vehicles that are not ‘their thing’. they wont start a confrontation with SAA. see what they have done in Iraq. fled without a single shot fired. they know what they are doing…they are common thieves, always have been. they try to grab lands-oil in iraq and syria. the main reason is taht they dont have a state of their own so that gives them a big excuse but on the other hand…politics and diplomacy were invented for just that….
You are correct on the start of the YPG/YPJ. Since 2015 they have fielded three large scale offensives, four actually : Connecting cantons through Tel Abyad, liberating Hassakah and region, Manbij, Raqqah/DeZ.
With external airsupport, that is correct and no different from SAA.
Except for a few dozen tanks and DUY APC they did not have much armour. Correct. US did supply much lately and now they have sufficient, except for tanks.
totally agree…..they will never have tanks because of Turkey. on the other hand iraqi Kurds have everything. and ‘waste’ them by trying to occupy iraqi territory. ….but thats what they are doing in Syria as well.
It is up to the syrian kurds now to decide what they will get: self-admin as a part of Syria in their main lands or war. They could face further on other problems, look here: https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21730387-kurds-after-caliphate-syrias-kurds-led-advance-raqqa-now-may
very good article thank you for sharing
After the defeat of IS at Kobane, it was clear some 5 to 10k civillians had remained in the city as unarmed civillians.
Now the general population of the cities in Northern Syria are almost all armed and (lightly) trained and locally organised.
Commenters here do not make a large distinction between kurds of Syria and Iraq. The large difference is that Iraqi kurds are more tribally organised whereas Syrian kurds are politically organised.
Info for you: https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21730387-kurds-after-caliphate-syrias-kurds-led-advance-raqqa-now-may
If they control the roads, SDF is out of the game.
I’m very interested in seeing how the SDF will react. I mean, they apparently stopped their southward drive a couple of weeks ago. They had every advantage over the SAA in terms of speed, since they didn’t have to cross the Euphrates and since they were closer to the price. So, I can only imagine one of two scenarios:
1) The SDF encountered stiff ISIS resistance in the south. I didn’t hear much about fierce fighting along the whole front. But that doesn’t mean that could not be the case. 2) The SDF and the SAA have somehow negotiated some kind of agreement and the SDF stopped its offensive because it was agreed.
I believe the latter is more likely, but I guess we will soon find out based on the SDF reaction.
3) is right. The so-called “SDF” is/was overstreched.
“The so called “SDF” is/was” as in Iraq , the SDF is an American creation , as the Kurdish YPG / YPJ are known to be “socialists” , which is not good for US funding . And so the SDF , but they brought in various Sunni Arab tribal groups in its creation . As in Iraq , we could see the SDF disintegrate , leaving the US an empty shell , Raqqa .
Have a look here, interesting article about the kurds in Syria: https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21730387-kurds-after-caliphate-syrias-kurds-led-advance-raqqa-now-may
Hello Leonardo. I tend to lean towards numbers 1 and 3. The SAA was very frank about what was going to happen if they thought they could land grab and IS has been starting to nip away at them. The next 10 days will be very informative on the future of Syria, in my opinion. I wish well to you.
LAND GRAB ? u write like any other ZIONAZI ,The SAA alliance is the only one liberating the motherland from invaders of more than 20 countries
The SDF have to cross a significantly wide tributary of Euphrates to get to Omar fields. Not aware of bridge status in area, but this waterway vastly complicates the SDF’s advances any further southwards toward Omar fields.
here both, sdf and saa has no word. can happen only that scenario, what is discusse between white house and kremlin.
SDF needs to move fast and cut the SAA off before they can do the same and take those oil fields. The benefits of securing those gold mines under Kurdish control is immeasurable to US economic interests.
You are a dirty fucken fucktard. You need a bullit right now in your head, exactly between your eyes. You filth on earth.
The US would do well to keep her Economic Interests back at home rather than steal other nations wealth thousands of miles away.
But we have the means to do so. Any one would when they have the power to support their own people.
Then again there is the risk of overextending yourself. That’s how all empires collapse. They bite off more then they can chew and then expend themselves in endless wars to keep what they got, only to collapse in exhaustion once they can no longer do so. The smart money is not in playing Team America, World Police! but exert just enough influence for the long term good of the nation.
To steal a term from the environmentalists, it’s all about being sustainable.
So are you are saying that is OK for your home to be robbed to ‘support’ another family elsewhere if the robber has the power to do so ?
Now you show your ugly face – greed is your name.
I think it’s just some account made to parody US state department statements.
Greed is only one of all sins the US politics/militia follows: further sins in their behaviour are hybris (arrogance) and (uncontrolled) anger. But greed is their doctrin, that is right.
If it wasn’t the US it would be Russia or China or whoever that wields the kind of power we do.
For sure, but the Russians or the Chinese pay for the goods the get. The only contract you get from the US is without ink and only violence and steel raining.
I smell a true troll here…
The US does not and has never belonged in Syria, and these “economic interests” are NOT for the US but for the people of Syria…
there is a river there in front of them…can they cross it?
Agreed as for need of speed. However, do not overestimate these rather small oilfields.
AMN just now reported demise of general Issam Zehereddin. If its true? I am sad
It is true, unfortunately.
Was his death due to natural causes of combat ? It is a sad day. This man was of course a Tower of Strength for all the dreadful years of siege.
It is reported it was a landmine.
What a waste of a courageous and indomitable spirit.
I would not call it a waste. I would call it a loss. Great loss for Surya but great example for those alive and fighting for their homeland.
I agree with you Tudor. I will edit my wording. Thank you.
Thank you for your understanding.
I always accept constructive criticism Tudor. That is our strength.
GO SAA and allies – for Issam. Annihilate all there and in the east. Equal if ISIS or kurds.
I hope this can be confirmed as soon as possible..This development would be monumental
I really hope this be true, and SAA stops SDF permanently. Omar oil fields belong to Syria.
i think the river that is vertical to the euphrates will be a border for the Kurdish advance…they will be contained on the one bank…..
How long did the kurds hold Kirkuk and its oil fields for once the Iraqi army moved against them? 2 days? When the time comes the SAA will crush them as well.
There are no substantial SDF forces in the area. It’s the usual Zion-bluff. The underpaid, worn-down, demoralized ISIS are the only ones trying to defend the Omar fields. Fat chance…
Typical there is no outside confirmation of this claim and both Ru MOD and SAA have a bad track record for veracity as of mid september.
Commenters here will be pleased to hear that, also unconfirmed, SDF has crossed the Khabur river north of Suhwar and the roads to the south are open.
As they do not have to cross a wide river by small boats like SAA, SDF has a clear logistic advantage here on SAA in case SAA did really cross the riiver.