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Syrian War Report – May 5, 2017: De-Escalation Zones And Advance On Deir Ezzor

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Iran, Turkey and Russia have signed a memorandum on the creation of four security zones in Syria during another round of the peace talks in Astana on May 4. According to the document, security zones were proposed in the province of Idlib, in the area north of the city of Homs, in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus and in southern Syria.

“Guarantors within five days after signing the memorandum will create a working group at the level of authorized representatives to determine the boundaries of disarmament, areas of tension and security areas, as well as to address technical issues related to the implementation of the memorandum,” the text of the document reads.

All technical issues, including borders of the zones, should be solved until May 22. The next round of the  Astana peace talks will take place in mid-July when the trilateral group will report about the process of the reconciliation.

If the initiative achieves at least partly success, this will likely mean that in May or June the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allied forces, backed up by Russia and Iran, will launch a large operation against ISIS in central Syria, aiming to reach the key city of Deir Ezzor besieged by ISIS. However, these will be possible only if the situation near Damascus, Daraa and Homs will be calm.

The SAA, led by the 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard, stormed the remaining militant defense lines in the southeastern part of the Qaboun district in eastern Damascus and captured a number of buildings from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Al-Rahman Corps.

Reports appeared that dozens of members of HTS and the Al-Rahman Corps fled the Al-Qaboun district and arrived the Eastern Ghouta through underground tunnels. They will help their counterparts in the ongoing fight against Jaish al-Islam in Eastern Ghouta. If confirmed, this move will weaken further militant defenses in Qaboun and will lead to more gains by pro-government forces.

There are also reports that Qaboun militants and government representatives are now negotiating on a possible withdrawal agreement from the area. This is another move that could lead to a full liberation of the area.

In Eastern Ghouta, the Al-Rahman Corps and HTS launched an attack against Jaish al-Islam in the town of Arbeen. The Al-Rahman Corps and the HTS seized a major part of the town after a fierce battle with Jaish al-Islam members. The fighting is ongoing.

On May 4, a number of media activists and media outlets reported that ISIS withdrew from the town of Tabqah and the nearby Tabqah dam in the province of Raqqah and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) got full control over these sites. These reports appeared to be untrue. The SDF press center officially denied them in a statement at its website and said that clashes continued in northern Tabqah and near the dam. On May 5, clashes continued in the same area.

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Nigel Maund

Good short briefing!

Stephen

Who created ISIS, FSA, New SA, Al-Qaeda etc. This would be the most idiot, stupid, dumb nation that don’t wanna know the truth, and does not talk against their idiot stupid politicians and governments as well as it will be the most idiot, stupid and dumb politicians and governments that cheat their own nation and the nations in other countries by spreading lies by MSM and making their own brutal conspiracies against innocent defenceless nations in the world to sink whole nations in that conspiracies. Today Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, African, Asian and Latin American countries nations are burning but tomorrow this brutal conspiracies can sink your whole nation as well. To be wise.

Attrition47

The Syrians and Russians are really taking the piss now; the Washington barbarians must be seething. We can only hope that they try to violate the zones and get blown out of the sky, although they’ll probably reserve that job for their antisemite zionist proxies.

Jens Holm

And the hindus.

jj12131

Excellent video presentation-keep up the good job!

gustavo

Syria Safe Zones are applied to ALL THE COUNTRIES but USA, Israel and NATO, you will see it.

Brad Isherwood

Putin just threw Iran under the bus…..future US/Israhell war on Iran. US will have missile defence in Iraq at bases it’s currently building,…probably In US occupied Syria. US political if not military pressure now on Hezbollah and IRGC to get them out Of Syria.

Safe Zones is just Talmudic/Masonic stratagem game …..a game Putin is playing. Russia is Talmud Snake worshippers and Masonic at the top. Europe’s past wars…from Napoleonic Era was Masonic wars,…they actually Do fight each other ….assassinate Kings etc..

It’s a game with colorful coverage like Rudyard Kipling.

When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains, And the women come out to cut up what remains, Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains  An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.

Solomon Krupacek

safe zones…. east ghouta. perfect!

homs pocket. perfect…

idlib, daraa, no closed birders, smuggling of weapons and jihadists will countinue…

superperfect

cortisol

Idlib and Daraa flows are general knowledge, there is currently and for foreseeable future close to nothing that can be done about them regardless of truce or not. The motivation behind the new zones and Deir-Ezzor plan is the fact that Isis moved the capital to Deir-Ezzor and US coalition has allowed and is trying to squeeze Isis transfer soldiers from Mosul and Raqqah there. In any case at least East Damascus suburbs and Homs are in an isolated pocket and no supplies “should” be getting through.

Jens Holm

And they will get armed old telefoneboxes and only fight with pocket knifes…

Stephen

Russian de-escalation zones idea in Syria is an excellent intelligent move. It will allow SAA and its allies to wipe out all proxies and spies of foreign countries from Syrian land.

Jens Holm

You must be related to Cimic Ali in Bagdad declaring that there is a Syrian Nation. There hasnt been since the third star went of the flag. And thats a long time ago.

Look at the map. Are You blind. 57 silly flags, warlords, religios extremists, sekularist.

Baatistqas are corrupt mafiosas, which has stolen it from its people.

You have estimated 300.000 dead. You have many, many 10.000 in diffrent jails. 8-10 millions dont support either Assads, uprisers or the kurds.

Thats a nation. I anything THEY ARE, because they are not violent support to the madnes orcestred by the Baathistas and the 2 Assads.

In the other they dont fight for their country. But of course some might come back, when all the killers dead.

Might be their first president would be a kurdish woman.

Rodney Loder

The Astana success is due to Turkey’s participation, a development of Kim Jong Un’s now perceived correct strategies, but who is paying the price and will it be worth it?. This depends on Popper Xi Jinping, if he sinks the boot into Trump’s guts right now the chocolate cake will come out of his mouth along with his teeth, that has always been the problem with US Opponents, they never consolidate their victories, they always fall for the sickening cliche ” and now that you’ve won we can all become friends”, in the real world all my friends fell for it, and consequently, they are all dead, eliminated while thinking friendship was coming, what really came was always a bullet in the neck. The revolution usshered in by KSA has failed, stopping the aerial bombardment is a necessary move but the war must go on, if the moderate rebels go quiet while the SAA eliminate IS and al-Nurash that means the moderates are done for already, the threat will then come from SDF who will be using US protection, Syrian allies can counter this and nip it in the bud by congratulating and supporting the DPRK.

Jonathan Cohen

Or Russia and DPRK can outbid the US for SDF loyalty. US can bid more but has not done so yet.

Rodney Loder

It could happen it’s not really a turf war between the SAA and SDF Syrian Kurds at 9% of the population and being spread out haven’t got a chance of real autonomy, their driven by stupid ideologies that are fed by money and weapons gifted by Mossad and the CIA and that was before Clinton then Kerry started supporting them openly with both, what with their leaders oftentimes traveling​ to the West business class, all expenses paid where they are greeted as heroes. Alas ! moreover apart from that, there they are very popular amongst their countrymen who are a bit like Cuban defectors, and get treated like Royalty by the rednecks in the US in particular, but if they see the writing on the wall it could happen as you say.

Jonathan Cohen

I Kurdish refugees come from Turkey, Iran and Iraq, YPG can be a lot more than 9%

Rodney Loder

I don’t think that is possible in today’s international political climate, Iraq especially is tamperproof as far as attacking Kurds outright goes, the West will direct Sunny militants to direct their anger towards Shi’ite that goes with US aid if you can call it that, and Iran is stable as long as US hostility towards them lasts, but Turkey is the Wild Child, I think there are more Syria refugees in Turkey now than what there were Iraqi refugees in Syria immediately post 2003, but not that many more, Erdogan I know is contemplating a population swap with Syria Kurds for Sunnies, but the mist will stop him, the climate is against it.

Jonathan Cohen

Kurds don’t need to be attacked in order to migrate to Rojava. They could simply be attracted to the abortion rights or other PYD policies. I don’t understand what “mist” would stop a population swap, with or without Erdogan’s help.

paolo duchateau

do you really think that the globalists will not attack from irakien/jordanian/syrian border in direction of Deiir er Zohr?

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