© AFP 2017/ GEORGE OURFALIAN
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has managed to recapture over 70 square kilometers from western-backed militants in the vicinity of the al-Seen Military Airbase east of Damascus.
Government forces have captured Beir al-Siba, the Mount Sabahiyat and the Rishi and Tal Shahab in the area near the airbase. The SAA has also imposed a fire control over the Baghdad-Palmyra road in Badia Al Sham.
A rough look at the government advance in the area
The SAA has made their gains after minor clashes with militants from Assoud al-Sharkiah and the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo that seized this area last month after rapid advance against ISIS. Indeed, ISIS terrorists just withdrew from a large area in the Syrian desert because of a lack of manpower and military equipment as a result of losses in Syria and Iraq.
Separately, the SAA has begun deplyoing more reinforcements, including battle tanks in order to develop the advance in the area.
The SAA aims to develop its operations and reach the areas controlled by the 5th Assault Corps in the area south of Palmyra, north of Sawanah village.
Thus, government forces are aiming to prevent various factions of the Free Syrian Army from liifting the siege from Jaish al-Islam in eastern Qalamoun. If militants succeed in this, they would threaten the al-Seen Military Airbase and the government-held area near Damascus.
Alleged photos of the government reinforcements deploying to the area:
Source: https://twitter.com/NatDefFor/
Source: https://twitter.com/NatDefFor/
Well done SAA.
Those in the photos are support troops bring up the equipment, fuels and airing tires. I doubt if the front line SAA soldiers will run into many ISIS fighters since most were withdrawn earlier and those left behind with vehicles probably left once their food supplies dwindled down to nothing.
Nice! Now through that ISIS held terrain lets reach the other comrades in Palmyra and, finally, march toward Deir Ez Zoir
This way, besides securing south Plamyra and eastern Damaskus, the Qalamoun pocket will remain as such: a pocket, and this is also a great achievement.
I was hoping so much SAA to tactically act just like this!!!
It should look easy since the FSA is turning over that area to the SAA since they’re no longer needed to keep ISIS in check. Now the SAA can eliminate the remaining ISIS units around the phosphate mines. Those should be holed up at the few villages on the roads where there’s water and food since the mines are dry. Syria made some serious money exporting phosphate rock (was 6th largest in the world before 2011) so needs the mines back. They have a rail line running from the mines to Palmyra and on to the coast so should be back in business fairly soon if ISIS didn’t screw up the equipment.
To screw up any equipment by ISIS could easily be avoided with powerful airstrikes.
When is russia going to send in its regular troops to help out? The Russian could take care of check points and stalemate areas whilst the SAA concentrate a bulk of their forces towards Deir Ezzoir. The Middle of Syria needs to be retaken to stop those NeoCons from building gas pipes from Qatar. NeoCon assholes were behind this Isis uprising all along.
Those soldier look rather relaxed and happy. Probably were told that ISIS has cleared out of the region except for a few trapped around the mines. The long cannons on the tanks can reach out to take them out from a good distance. They should have a field day.