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On September 9, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the Desert Hawks Brigade, the Syrian Marines and and Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) started a full-scale advance on Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham (formerly Jabhat Al Nusra) and Jaish al-Fatah terrorists in the province of Latakia. The advance was massively supported by airstrikes of Russian and Syrian warplanes and followed reports that 1,000 cadets completed a 6 month training cycle for the Syrian Marines by Russian military advisers and had been deployed at the frontline in northern Latakia.
By September 12, the loyalists captured a group of villages in northeastern and northwestern parts of the province and finished the day with pushing the terrorist alliance from the strategic Al-Ra’i Mountains. The control of Al-Ra’i Mountains allows the pro-government forces to overlook the countryside of Idlib province and the strategic village of Kabani.
The pro-government forces have also stormed Kabbani and the nearby mountaintops of Jabal Hassan Al-Ra’i, Tal Haddadeh, and Jabal Tufahiyah. As result of this move, the Syrian army and its allies captured Jabal Hassan Al-Ra’i and Jabal Al-Tufahiyah. However, they were unable to push terrorists from Kabani. Further attempts to do this are expected in the nearest future.
Meanwhile, reports appeared that Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham have agreed to surrender the last terrorist-controlled district of Homs, Al-Wa’er, to the Syrian government. The agreement includes transporting 300 militants and their families to the northern countryside of the Homs province.
Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, one of the largest Syrian militant groups, rejected the proposed ceasefire deal that would end all hostilities between non-terrorist factions inside the country, Al-Arabiya News reported on Sunday. Ahrar Al-Sham’s spokesperson “Abu Yousif Al-Muhajar” stated on Sunday that this ceasefire is “unacceptable” because it allegedly strengthens the pro-government forces. If true, this will likely undermine the shaky stability needed to implement the proposed agreement on the ground.
Why on Earth would you release a video before checking it?? The audio is awful.
“Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham have agreed to surrender the last terrorist-controlled district of Homs, Al-Wa’er, to the Syrian government. The agreement includes transporting 300 militants and their families to the northern countryside of the Homs province”
These “agreements” with jihadi terrorists whereby they are allowed to get away with their lives, their families and their weapons when cornered, are stupid, self-defeating, and one of the main reasons (along with external support for the jihadis, and lack of sufficiently powerful Russian support for the Syrian government forces) that the war is getting prolonged on and on. STOP with these stupid deals already, which amount to letting terrorists get away scot-free. Just surround them, completely cut them off, and give them the choice of unconditional surrender or annihilation. When the jihadis have Syrian soldiers besieged or cornered somewhere, do you see them ever letting them go as part of a “deal”?
Tactically, ending a siege can be a good idea.
It can free up forces needed elsewhere and open up roads behind the frontlines.
A siege where civillians are included is furthermore often a bad idea and might easily end up as warcrimes.
It is often better to compromise than to lose on a gamble.
The deal the SAA made to remove militants out of Darayya and ship them to Idlib province freed up 11,000 SAA soldiers that were sent to reinforce urgent fronts elsewhere. The SAA has manpower shortages so they have to make compromises at times. But maybe slowly getting all militants and jihadis into one place – Idlib – isn’t such bad strategy – after all they can be tracked and then bombed there and eventually surrounded when time comes – they may even flee to across border into Turkey at that stage – making them Turkey’s problem.
“maybe slowly getting all militants and jihadis into one place – Idlib – isn’t such bad strategy – after all they can be tracked and then bombed there and eventually surrounded when time comes – they may even flee to across border into Turkey at that stage – making them Turkey’s problem”
Optimistic thinking – but what if it DOESN’T happen like that, though? What if, rather, it leads to their really consolidating Idlib as a permanent jihadi stronghold province with the support from right across the border in Turkey – and eventually breaking it off completely from Syria?
Anyway, why SPARE jihadis and TRANSPORT them to be CLOSER to help from their backers in Turkey, instead of attacking and destroying them when you have them isolated and surrounded near Damascus?
Yeah obviously ideally SAA could snuff them all out rather than let them get away – but infantry manpower is an issue. In truth Syria is effectively at war with USA/UK/Turkey/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/Jordan – all these states directly and indirectly train, finance and supply islamists/mercenaries and weapons into Syria – that is a lot for a small third world military like SAA to have to deal with. I don’t disagree with you but the SAA are stretched and tired and just need a break at times.