The National Front for Liberation (NFL) destroyed on December 26 and 27 several vehicles and positions of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the southeastern Idlib countryside with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).
The Turkish-backed group released videos showing its fighters destroying a van, a T-55 battle tank as well as a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) of the SAA near the towns of al-Tuh, Maysruni and Abu Jurf.
In two other videos, NFL fighters can be seen destroying two ATGM positions of the army in the towns of al-Tuh and Rab’a al-Jur. Several Syrian service members were killed in the strikes.
Earlier this year, the NFL joined the Turkish-sponsored Syrian National Army (SNA) and participated in the Turkish-led operation against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria.
Despite its growing cooperation with Turkey, the group maintained a presence in Greater Idlib, where its militants are supporting al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as well as other terrorist groups. Despite this, Ankara still supports the NFL.
When will the Arab fighters ( in general) learn that military assets of any kind are not be openly exposed at the battle front at ranges less than 4-5km. The carelessness ( on both sides) does not stop to amaze me, 8 years into the conflict, so many preventable losses.
I totally agree, and its not as if this sort of thing has not happened before on a regular basis. Its madness.
I doubt that they have not been warned about that. Bad discipline! is the probable answer.
In the final video there are allegedly 4 SAA troops on the roof of the building which is being targeted. There are also 2 others one approaching the building and disappearing behind an exterior wall. The other appears to be also walking towards the building, at 27 seconds on right of frame, without combat jacket or weapon. This combatant sees the ATGM a second before it strikes the make shift sentry box at the top of the stairwell On the roof top all of the alleged soldiers appear to be wearing full black head-scarfs, screenshots of frames cannot confirm this absolutely. ATGM launch system on roof top was not the target which suggests the attackers are very experienced as the shock wave would take this out. The launch platform cant have been much more than 1K away and at a much higher elevation. Would expect SAA to control highest vantage point in the immediate area or take it out as a matter of course if not under their control. There are two explanations for the above. The first is that SAA had taken control of the area, which was then handed over to supporting troops who were not as diligent as they were trained to be. The other possibility is that there is a fight going on between headchopping factions.