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Voiceover by Harold Hoover
On September 18th, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Syrian Republcian Guard (SRG) officially crossed the Euphrates River using a pontoon bridge and amphibious vehicles. They then engaged ISIS terrorists on the eastern bank.
The SAA and the SRG advanced on ISIS positions in the Saqr Island and captured a major part of it, liberated the village of Sabha, and entered the villages of Marrat and Mazlum.
ISIS counter-attacked against government forces in both areas with the support of 3 VBIEDs but failed to stop the government advance.
According to the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq, about 40 SAA troops were killed in the clashes there.
On the northeastern flank of Deir Ezzor city, government forces liberated Hawi, Zughayr, Hamad, and Shumaytah villages and entered the nearby oil wells area.
On September 19th, the SAA and the SRG continued developing their advance on the eastern bank in order to liberate Khasham Fooganni, al Abd, at Tabiyah, Albu Muayt, and the al-Tabiyah oil field and to build a buffer zone near the SDF-held area.
Meanwhile, Russian-US negotiations continued behind the scene as the sides were attempting to reach an agreement dividing spheres of responsibility in combating ISIS in eastern Syria.
The SDF, supported by the US-led coalition, has advanced against ISIS in Ramilah, Tishrin, Al-Amin, and the Al-Hani neighborhoods of Raqqah city and captured a notable part of Ramilah and Tishrin.
Since the start of the operation in the city, the SDF has realized major progress and is now pushing towards a final stage of the operation.
that is real good to know the russian led coalition is winning inevitably …. while all yankees led coalition losers are the bearers of fake/false news
America is there in Syria to steal oil and gas rich land from Syrian nation. Kurds and Israeli refugees are similar in their own terrorism against Middle East.
I agree with what you say about the US’s plan, but when it comes to Kurds and Israeli some distinction has to be made. The Kurds are always so easily tempted to make the wrong alliances. 1st world war they joined forces with the Ottoman empire… and lost. Now, their savior is America. I believe that they deserve some kind of autonomy under the supervising of Syria and Iraq, since they are indigenous people. But certainly not the buffer state US would have wanted to establish. I think they want to go all in a very difficult moment and it won’t turn out well for them. My point is, some are being used and some are the ones using them.
SDF and ISIS both are united against Syria. You are SDF and ISIS supporter.
And you are nuts! Calm down with your fanaticism and think strategically. Even studying some history could enlighten you!
Yes
So have they got the Al Tishrin oil field or just striving for it?
they are attempting to build a ‘wall’ for the sdf forces. as they did in idlid for Turkey-fsa
Widen the bridgehead and seal inept SDF, moving north east reaching the Iraqi border; the oil fields are secure from the thieving Kurds and their masters. Russia should tell US that their sphere of influence should be within US and their lapdogs’ borders, not in Syria. US bargaining position is weak since SDF’s military capabilities are minimal.
why so hurry, jesus? 8 months you systematically wrote, there is plenyt of time for east bank and sdf and kurds will stay at raqqa until xmas.
you ar not only pitiful fool, but also weathercock.
They need to drive straight toward Sinjar, to minimize future infection, just as they did NE of al-Tanf.
Once the bridgehead is widened SAA and allies can outmaneuver SDF and get on N7 and proceed north west towards Iraqi border. SDF positions are rather porous and indefensible against armored units in open positions. They can meet PMU forces at the border and put the squeeze on the Kurds.
I agree with Jesus about the SDF command being inept and that the US position is very weak. The SDF/PKK in the east have been all tough talk about the SAA and allies ( life is not a Hollywood movie fellas ), yet they are bogged down in the only really well fortified position that IS has to my knowledge, in that area. Not impressive at all. Also, I have noticed a very big difference in the comportment of the SDF in Afrin to the west and the guys from the east. I would almost be willing to bet that these different groups do not have the same ideas as to how things should go.
I am nolonger a fan of the SDF in the eastern part of Syria. They are probably full of fighters from Turkey, Iraq, Iran, as well as Syria and have aligned themselves with IS friendly elements. They are trying to grab what they can get and to hell with peace or anybody else. They will suffer the consequences of this. A good day to all.
Spot on, except the Kurdish leadership in Afrin is also a problem. No doubt there are a minority of good Kurds loyal to Syria and Iraq, but the leadership uniformly stinks.
There are few Kurds in the ranks of the SDF fighters moving on Deir EzZor and they are mostly commanders. Most of the SDF cannon fodder in that campaign are the regional Arab tribal fighters, some ex-FSA, some not. Some of those SDF tribal fightes want the oil fields for themselves and have no intention of letting the SDF claim them as state property. Some tribes don’t care who owns them as long as they can benefit financially somehow.
It was the FSA/al Nusra that originally took over al Bukamal, Mayadin and most of Deir EzZor in 2013. The FSA/al Nusra also took over all the oilfields (including al Omar) that year – to generate cash and to keep it from going west to government areas. They lost all those areas to ISIS in 2014. Some of the tribes pledged loyalty to ISIS instead, some just fled.
Today, some of those tribal fighters are allied with the SAA to take back the Euphrates valley and the oil fields, some have joined the SDF instead, and some have remained neutral and are waiting for the situation to resolve. The Kurdish commanders and the US are calling the shots on the SDF battlefield, but their bullet-stoppers are mostly lightly-armed regional Arabs. Everyone has an agenda there beyond just ‘killing ISIS’. The US/Kurds hope to control the SDF-istan Arab tribes after ISIS is defeated, but it will be like herding cats. *IF* the SDF takes the Omar oilfields, the Kurds and US will be protecting it forever from the local Arab tribes.
Thank you Pave. Nice stuff. I would think it is going a bit rough for the ´unadvertised specialists´, as the Russian MoD refers to them.
Good analysis. I am sure the whole ‘SDF’ thing will implode sooner or later!
“I am nolonger a fan of the SDF in the eastern part of Syria. They are probably full of fighters from Turkey, Iraq, Iran, as well as Syria and have aligned themselves with IS friendly elements.”
this statement confuses me! SDF is full of Turkey, Iraq as well as Syria and have aligned themselves with IS friendly elements??
Please explain more! To the best of my knowledge, Iraq,Iran, Syria and Turkey are all completely against the SDF now! Your statement doesn’t make sense.
I was neutral to positive on the SDF for a while. I don’t like what they are doing now in DE. I think they are being used and encouraged to do bad stuff. that’s it. Have a good evening Justin.
ok cool! Thx
God damn Turds are the new obstacle. However, they’ve tried many, FSA, Al Nusra, Al-Penis (Formally known as Al-Testicle) and all they’ve really achieved was setting themselves back further and further. The SAA & Allies has overcame literally everything they threw at them, making them the strongest and most competent fight force in the world (no joke). Technology means DICK, look at those Saudi’s in Yemen.. SAA & Allies will give the Turds (SDF/YPG/FUKME) a good spanking very soon. Good enough to knock the Kurd back into them and they’ll be sent back into the desert where they belong with a bandaid on their assholes. Syrian government doesn’t just make sense, it makes Dollars. They’d better do what the Turks do and know who to side with
Since when do Turks know with whom to side? FUKZUS snookered Turkey in with Erdogan’s neo-Sultanic dreams, but all he succeeded in doing was stirring up his own Kurdish problem. Now he sees his mistake, but nobody in their right mind trusts him.
Looks like the battle of Raqqah hasn’t proceeded smoothly. By the time ISIS is expelled the whole city will be in ruins… Are the SDF/Kurds and the US coalition going to rebuild it?
they dont care.its an arab town.no Kurds there.all they want is the publicity
The SDF/Kurds want to de-ISIS Raqqa so they can force the tens-of-thousands of Raqqa refugees off of ‘Kurdish territory’ and back into Raqqa. The SDF has no budget or resources to rebuild anything in Raqqa – they just want the refugees gone.
The US will be busy throwing tens of millions at ‘their’ Tabqa Air Base and expanding security for it – they don’t have the time to worry about the little people in Raqqa. We’ll send a few planeloads of rice there so CNN has some ‘generous Americans’ footage. BTW, the residents of Tabqa (right next to the airbase) still don’t have water, electricity have little food. They’re probably wishing ISIS was still in charge. The young and elderly are dying of cholera or whatever from the filthy water and lack of sanitation. The ‘new’ US airbase probably has plenty of water and food, but that’s for the Americans, not those filthy Tabqa Arabs.
The attack of HTS led forces in Hama show that Astan thing is pretty much worthless . People will ask but why the rebels didnt attack before . The answer is that the rebels after their last Hama offensive lost a lot of armor and manpower and needed to stay quiet for some time . Also there was infighting in Jule between AAS and HTS
The Turkish agreed to partition idlib. says turkey can deploy its own troops up to 35 kilometers into idlib, which will be their partition. Certain to include jisr al shagour.
I am not sure turkey will use this to safe haven the HTS. Much of HTS territory is deeper in idlib province. Either HTS is going to retreat, or turkey agreed they have to be destroyed.
HTS is not a friend of Turkey. they support other terrorists there. So they made a deal to attack HTS on 2 fronts.one will be the SAA advance from the South(?) and the other from the North(?) will be Turkeys contribution to eliminating HTS. That will leave a lot of SAA forces available for other frontline battlefields.
Who’s financing the HTS army? Idlib province doesnt have any oil for them to sell. It has to be someone who can afford to throw away billions of dollars a year.
Usual suspects:
Saudis Qataris Kuwaitis Emiratis
correct…..the usual suspects……
In Raqqa the Zio/Nazi Kurdish terrorists are not fighting ISIS. ISIS where re-deployed from Raqqa city to Deir Ezzur and other areas to fight Syrian government forces by the US handlers more than 3 months ago now. Since ISIS left the native Assutprian and Arab populations of Raqqa had raised the official Syrian flag over their city in expectation of the Syrian government forces. But instead the Kurdish terrorists appeared. The native inhabitants of Raqqa and their tribal leaders do not want to be forced out of their homes and beloved city. They belong there. So they are being massacred from the air by the US aircraft and on the ground by the Kurdish terror squads who are breaking into homes at gun point and forcing the native inhabitants out. Those who refuse are mecilessly shot by these foreign invaders. The aim is toatal ethnic cleansing of the city from its native Assyrian population, both Christian and Muslim, and the invasion of the city by US/Zionist friendly Kurds from Iraq and Turkey. Once the demographic situation of Raqqa has been completely altered, they would then hold a sham election and vote for independence amoungst illegal Kurdish and co settlers with pre-determined results. This is the reality of events. The Assyrian native inhabitants of Raqqa are passing from the same agony as the Rohinga. Yet there is a total media blackout about this genocide committed by the US tyranny and its slave Kurdish terrorists.
This fast and forceful motion is exactly what must do Syria-Iran–Russia-Hezbolah ground troop, and the work that aerospace Russia force is doing is just impressed. We hope all this fight continue in the same way and even increases the protection and support up to the end. The war is over until is over, there is no way to stop it. If SDF want war, they will get what they want. SDF (kurds, USA-puppets) must back off, stop being just opportunists.
The Iraqi army should be granted permission to enter up to 50 km into Syria. Then, they well be the first to capture the Syrian oil field from Isis.