Syrian army troops, backed up by Russian warplanes and attack helicopters, advanced further against ISIS terrorists east of the ancient city of Palmyra in the province of Homs.
Pro-government forces have reportedly reached the al-Talilah area amid sporadic clashes with ISIS members. This advance was a part of the wider government forces effort aimed at building a larger buffer zone around the government-held city of Palmyra.
Yesterday, government forces captured three hills from ISIS in the eastern Homs countryside, putting an dditional pressure on the ISIS pocket south of the Bilas field.
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To slow. I dont know how many troops had isis ? How they could slowing down SAA so much. I dont understad this strugling from SAA… Very slow progres…
I must agree with you. ISIS shouldn’t be able to defend its positions anymore. But SAA can only liberate three hills? It seems like a joke for me. I hope that the Syrian government is just preparing a much larger operation in the area and this is the prelude of that.
I understand that we used to see fast progres like was in east Alepo region,but still something is strange here around Palmyra. Al Busairi crossroad must be priority for SAA. After al busairi they can fight east of Palmyra..
Probably SAA is lacking of manpower in the area. So let’s wait a few days and see what’s gonna happen.
There is no point in taking a piece of desert unless you can hold it. That is why the red areas of the map are around oil fields and towns – strategic resources and towns are the things that matter. It is not in SAA’s interest to chase handfuls of insurgents in the vast deserts by committing thousands of troops to the task. Many IS areas just do not have enough fighters to justify such an effort, and around Busairi crossroads this seems to be the case. You notice that SAA just took Zaza checkpoint south of Busairi. This is to set up a defensive trip-wire in case FSA near Jordan border supported by US SFs start advancing North from Tanf crossing to cause trouble. IS is still capable of causing a lot of problems. They are constantly supplied with accurate satellite intel by the Israelis and this makes it possible to effectively slow down SAA’s advance. By now the road to Deir Ezzor will be extensively mined and set up with suicide bomb ambushes so it will be a dangerous undertaking even with overwhelming numbers. When SAA gets as far as Al Sukhnah things will really start looking up.
Excellent observation here ! “This is to set up a defensive trip-wire in case FSA near Jordan border supported by US SFs start advancing North from Tanf crossing to cause trouble.” Jordan and US have no legal rights to strike SAA within Syria. Weak FSA is on it’s own, and will have to surrender some territory. Good news. :)
and saa can not aatck americans. they already blocked the border. from syrian site. that meas, the gates remain opened and the flow of jihadists will continue.
Russians will do some precision bombing, it’s not like they haven’t bombed americans fighting along the jihadists before.
:) you are pathologically optimist
You sound like a terminal pessimist :)
realist
and the reality is dark
yeah yeah , lets commit a massive suicide, instead of running around like a headless chicken and tearing feather out of your butt, one needs to think of solution … ah nvm .. who i was talking to :)
why are you extremiist?
i wrote several times, the jordan border is important. first time 14 momnths ago. the saa was slept, here are the consequebcies. they fear now the same things, whyt i wrote earlier. that´s all.
importants are, who controls the border. and now are americans.
Yes, of course it is important who is in control of the legal borders (as opposed to de facto borders). US has no mandate (UN, congressional or invitation) to be there at all and its presence is an illegal invasion. The fig leaf of fighting ISIS is now full of holes and most people can see through it to the regime change plans (again 100% illegal act). Now US has adjusted, realising that Syrians cannot be split very effectively, and the strategy seems to have changed to blocking all of Syria’s natural borders only allowing free access to the Mediterranean (kind of permanent sanctions). In the North US hopes to set up and control a Kurdish area. In the South a FSA enclave is envisaged. In the East the hope has been of a “salafist principality” secretly friendly with the US. The East is not going to work now that IS is collapsing. Both the Iraqis and the Syrians know that their shared border will be vital to their interests, and they will control it. The East is the key. Israel wants to block it to stop Iranian help, KSA and Qatar want their pipeline to Europe, US wants to keep controlling Iraq and wants to benefit from the oil in E-Syria. It is a massive criminal enterprise to benefit the elites (not us). US soldiers too are just cannon fodder to those who control this operation.
There is no border in desert , be serious…
i am serious. syria has border.
They dont control shit yet, only PART of it. A wide swath is still open between tanf and abukamal and no one has ability to predict the future
Thanks for clarification. Well done.
Well, SAA has small manpower and many fronts but now after descalation zone i except big progress
This is a well worn lie; by Southfront’s own numbers, they outnumber all terrorists, ISIS or otherwise, by 3 to 1.
There has got to be a runway near bilas field. The rebel pocket north of Homs had been supplied with guns and ammo for years and it must have been getting smuggled from Isis territory to the east, somewhere around bilas field. Near The oil field would be a great spot for unloading and driving supplies to rebels north of Homs.
The Syrian perimeters are too long, and easily smuggled thru, especially the eastern side that is desert terrain.
exitos al ejercito sirio en esta campaña de liberacion, exitos y a acabar con el terrorismo
That was a good move and very soon SAA will liberate all part of Syria from terrorists whom were sent by Saudi. This there be no one single wuaabi in Syria and the kingdom violated their rights hence they are talking about when you ask a question about what kind of government system in Saudi Arabia the answer is dictatorship system of government where there is right for any individuals.