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Following advances north and west of Afrin, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and their proxies opened a new front against YPG/YPJ west of Afrin on January 22.
According to media and local sources, forces involved in Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch advanced from from the area of Azaz on the Barsaya Mountains and allegedly captured “multiple” points there. 10 members of Kurdish forces were reportedly captured.
National Army #FSA fighters at Mount Birsaya: pic.twitter.com/zseeNYDTiS
— Ömer Özkizilcik (@OmerOzkizilcik) 22 January 2018
Now the TAF and pro-Turkish armed groups are pressuring YPG/YPJ forces from the three main directions.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Kurdish representatives are involved in the upcoming Sochi peace congress on Syria.
#BREAKING Kurds invited to take part in Syria peace congress in Sochi: Lavrov
— AFP news agency (@AFP) 22 January 2018
The zionists must be delighted with the organised chaos that they have created for the people of the middle east.But with time and patience ,they will get what they deserve,,Defeat and humilation.
Fake news, at least the youtube movie says nothing at all. One cannot infer anything from this.
Worthless info imo.
What is a worser :) If Turkish people could be educated better we wouldn’t need to fight at all.
“Total” education meaning that each and every citizen of USSR should have 10 classes of high school and have a very real possibility for higher education past high school (state paying for education and accommodation during study in University) was one of the main reasons why Jew cabbal hated Stalin so much. That’s if they needed another reason after he busted recreation of Khazarian Kaganat v2 on the territory of Russia. Now they work hard to recreate v3 in Ukraine. Education poses great danger to anglo-zionist empire and that’s why they try to control it as much as they do.
And push the notion that gender is unimportant and suckling on daddy’s tits is a world the west should embrace SOROS education in the US has them in at 28th most educated country It suits the zionist to have the US as dumb as fuck and campaigns that put cross dressers and other fuck ups as major news There Laughable
The YPG is being slaughtered. To those not understanding simple warfare, the turks first bomb designated areas to later liberate areas from YPG through FSA. Afrin is being attacked on multiple fronts, the YPG has not managed to repell a single attack from FSA.
Mindless chest-beating. The outcomes of war are rarely settled on day 1 or day 2. It may well be the Afrin Kurds will be crushed but we will have to wait and see….
Yes but for now turks held the edge in using their Air Force. There’s just nothing possibly come out of the YPG on it’s equivalent.
And congratulations for the Border forces graduation by the way.
So you won’t spewing lies huh?
Turkey has now successfully gained ground on Adah Manli, Ali Bakki, Balal Kuy, shankil, ash shaykh khurus, northern Aleppo amongst others.
Afrin is being bombarded on all fronts, not an easy task, and the liberation of the Afrin area is imminent.
SDF has proven to be nothing without the US so far, I wanted the kurds to use their advanced weapons against the Turkish army to show what they are capable of instead the SDF started murdering refugees in southern Turkey.
So will Turkey turn this land over to Syria upon defeat of the Kurds ?
Turkey has already promised to return Syrian land after the SDF is defeated, a danger to Turkeys national security. Anyone who actually cares about Syria would rejoice that Turkey has turned against the US. My prediction is that The FSA will retreat from Idlib into Afrin to later take Manbij.
The real war will begin east of the Euphrates, lets see if Putin has the balls to make that happen.
It is not the SDF that has US backing – how many times ?.
What you don’t realize Otto-Turk is will Erdogan still be around when his usefulness is no longer needed, that is the question. The FSA forces along with it’s parent HTS/ISIS will be facing defeat before they even can make any serious headway in Ifrin from the SAA and Russian/Iran allies. What will happen is very plain as the SAA will control most of Idlib and a new power struggle will start within the Al Qaeda factions. The SAA keeps growing in numbers and resources as now it seems the US and Turkey are helping supply it’s army by way of seized smuggling operations,lol.
The delusions are strong with you arap. The SAA is not growing in anything, it is what Russia allows it to be. Whats happening east of the Euphrates is the only indicator of how “mighty” the SAA truly is.
Unlike you I see the situation for what it is, the SAA needs Turkey if it ever wants to regain any territory lost to the SDF. At this point I don’t think you even care about the territorial integrity of Syria, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
You truly are delusional if you think Turkey will waste blood , they already have had bloody noses before. The SAA has left that alone why do you think it is so important , as it can be dealt with in time as it is boiling tempest there anyways.
Turkey is about is needed as the proverbial spare prick at a wedding. So far they back the terrorists in the region and getting them caught between 2 forces is what the west wants so they can be eliminated. Turkey is much easier to defeat than NATO so remember that as their army is poorly trained and children.
The territorial integrity is ignored by Turkey as they continue to violate it by building illegally in the region and bringing in Turks seems , they have no interest in Syrian Sovereignty.
One thing you need to learn not everybody is gullible if I can spot it easily I am sure others will soon spot it.
You are not gullible you are batshit crazy. Your entire wall of text has no substance to it what so ever just emotional nonsense.
Put away your twisted sense of pride and trust Putin and Rouhani they have been at this game far longer than you.
You seem to not like facts you can find pictures of the recruited children by the TFA, one point out facts and can’t dispute other than like a hasbara troll by name calling and trying to smear anyone.
You need to stop believing the lies you tell did Avi and Mattis think this would be a good idea and still be able to control the situation. Seems like it is more unpredictable than they thought, Syria ,Russia and Iran want Turkey out.
Keep trying to spin this all you want you have no viable counter other than being like a unter mensch.
The original agreement called for a buffer with NO YPG/PKK troops within 50 kilometers of the border. Those are the facts.
Turks are creating the buffer they were promised.
What original agreement , between who ?
That is not what he said, he was inferring the factual statement, that “you may win numerous battles, but lose the war” …
Also the Turks are not fighting the SDF, that have the backing of the US in other areas, they are fighting the YPG/YPJ forces, with no US backing.
what he did was wrongly assessing the current situation and then painted himself an imaginary scenario, and you defend him…
“Also the Turks are not fighting the SDF, that have the backing of the US in other areas, they are fighting the YPG/YPJ forces, with no US backing.”
Have I claimed otherwise? Its like having an argument with toddlers
There’s no kurds like that. There’s only kurds that refuses to relocate their forces because that means losing office. All kurds in Syria distributed with US Arms aid. It’s only getting apparent that US can’t and have no way to intervene on Turks and Kurds conflict due to it’s recent statement and policy.
Here’s why. US support Syrian territorial integrity – false US wouldn’t stay in Syria after ISIS defeated – false US won’t continue arming the kurds – false US created 30.000 strong BSF with Kurds explicitly placed on Turkish borders then went to say to Turks that they’re not really a border forces – false ?
And for the record the first brigade of BSF just graduated from their training grounds .
It is irrelevant what Turkey has done. It has already been decided by Israel to partition Turkey and give the Kurds their eastern homeland. Turkey is just retaking the western districts for its Sunni brothers. This decision was made at the Madrid conference two years ago and is being well implemented right now. Ask the YPG and their friends.
You should educate us .
Most of the commentors here are not interested in words of reason.
They have no arguments, often only have namecalling.
The Turks and TFSA barely made any inroads into Afrin. Gaining a few kilometers of roads in a mountainous region then stopping usually means that a fighting force encountered stiff resistance. I’m wondering why the Turks decided to do this during the Winter? That’s when that region gets a lot of rain and most of the roads there aren’t paved plus neglected due to this war. Can’t advance rapidly thru terrain like that on muddy potholed roads.
You are right. January is the wettest month of the year in Afrin. It rains on average for 16 days in January. That will also cause problems for air strikes.
As far as is known all, or almost all, attacks have been repelled. So you are having a … dream?
Credible info is lacking, all you tube movies or pics do not say anything.
What is known is intercepted tweets by a FSA commander saying that they have some “problems” and it will take longer.
What problems ?
YPG not cooperating?
Nice propaganda piece u got there, nothing got repelled fool. They are getting destroyed in Afrin.
Namecalling does not prove anything.
As you base your argument on namecalling, it seems to me you are the fool.
You proved yourself that you are the stupid fool here believing child play propaganda. They were prepared for this. They collected all the fake footages photos to spread lies. And you eat it like a kid. Maybe use your brain for once and wait it out. Its obvious they are getting destroyed in afrin. We don’t know how long it will take. But in the end ypg terrorists will lose Afrin.
Proven my point. Thank you. I am much obliged.
As for Afrin being taken in the end, possible. Whether there will be much left of TFSA at that time is debatable.
Whether TSK still has many leopards to be upgraded at that time, that is also something we will see.
Even if they only hold out till mid februari, YPG will have a moral victory. Mighty TSK, aided by (as they claim) 25K TFSA against the puny YPG/YPJ/SDF holding out for weeks/months while Erdodoggy claims he will have Afrin within a few days once the attack was started?
So you give your estimated 35,000 Kurdish defenders until the middle of February before the TFSA , and the TAF defeat YPG . Sad those YPG helped in the liberation of Aleppo , and they never allowed the Americans into Afrin , but still they will be gone . Sad that those Kurds forgot that they were Syrian .
The dead do not dance in victory.
The Turks are using classic tactics. Force a militarily inferior foe to face your superior forces. YPG is not an army. They will learn the lesson many rebels have learned over the centuries.
Yes they will, I am sure of it; but I hate to say that DN in my opinion on this article is correct (my view only) – they have taken a bit of land, killed a few terrorists, but nothing to write home about yet; maybe tomorrow.
8.000 – 10.000 fighters in a relatively small area; you are dreaming if you don’t think YPG/PKK is not being literally slaughtered by Turkey’s air force and howitzers. Despite high number of defenders and natural high grounds that provide additional advantage for defending; PKK already lost important hills and mountains.
By the way, FSA provided pictures and videos while PKK just tweeted, not being able to provide any picture or video.
8k to 10k is the estimate of Daily Sabah, not the most reliable source on any kurdish group.
Local sources claim 35k+ with most of the population armed too.
Furthermore, I have seen the pics too. A few cars in a semi desert? Does not seem like Afrin that is green.
A few militants without background?
All propaganda.
Did someone say “green”? Where is John Whitehot when you need him? He is the world authority of the grasses of Syria!!!
lol
Excellent point. This is a classic encirclement strategy being executed.
The Turks want the YPG to stand and fight. It’s going to be a disaster for the Kurds
The Turks didn’t advance very far along the border. Just took a few kilometers of road at each point before being stopped or pushed back some. The TFSA isn’t doing any better. I suspect their commanders are dragging their feet while watching the TA struggle against the Kurds. That bunch of the FSA had a hard time with ISIS, the SAA and the SDF so probably isn’t any better at fighting today.
Normal tactics. Go read what the Russians did to Ukrainians.
Attack, surround all but one entry/exit point. Pound them as they come and go. Keep bombarding the center till they weaken and collapse.
War is always sad, mothers lose their sons, children their fathers, but I am very curious to see how the Turkish army presents itself in the next few days.
In numbers they are good, equipment etc but I do not think they are in combat, both strategically and tactically.
(By the way, in numbers, for example, the German army is also good, but if you know and follow their status messages, you know that it has become a single scrap heap, only 1/4 of the tanks ready to fight, barely three helicopters can fly… but that is not the subject now I guess, it just shows how reality differs from stats ..)
The Kurds have at least proven many times that they are highly motivated, and even now their morale will be significantly higher than their opponent. (I am just speculating without taking sides my friends.)
I largely agree and you are also correct about German army. It is similar to the Dutch army btw. At least and at last, we now have a government that is going to adress this and they made a new military budget with another billion E or so to restock spare parts, make repairs. In the next years the military budget will expand rapidly, introducing new weapon systems, news naval ships and submarines, more F35 fighters (maybe we can take over the F35 planes Turkey ordered but never will get delivered)
Politicians are always “going to adress” something, I have no knowledge of the attitude of the dutch society towards the dutch military, in Germany it is not a popular subject. It follows that hardly anyone cares that the Bundeswehr is in a miserable condition. Since conscription has been suspended, there are also serious recruitment problems. But there is also a lot of wrong planning and funding, with a budget of 40 billion euros would have to be quite something to build. Every minister of defense has new reforms and projects in his head, and the minister in office, Frau Von der Leyen, is an absolute shame. Since she diagnosed the Bundeswehr with a “Haltungsproblem = attitude problem” and expressed general suspicion because a few soldiers had devotional items of the Wehrmacht on their parlors.
But it is our entire executive and judiciary that has been cut down and is breaking up all the time. Thousandsof judges and prosecutors are missing, cities have too few civil servants to spend money on their plans, more than 20,000 policemen are missing out on urban security. It was again promised a lot and kept nothing … I have to stop now, or I keep on and keep on sum up how shitty the political elites are …
Yea the Turks are known for being terrible fighters…Stop it…I’m laughing so hard now.
I have not written, and I would never, that “the Turks”, the turkish soldiers, are in general “terrible fighters”, I recommend that you please read carefully my friend.
Could you also explain to him, that it is not the SDF that Turkey is fighting.
PS Good comment by the way.
Thanks for the compliment.
As for SDF vs YPG/YPJ, the SDF is an alliance and one of its founding members is the YPG/YPJ, which is mostly kurdish. Other parts of the alliance are christian Syria, arabs, tribal arabs or even mixed forces like JAT, Jaysh al Thuwwar.
As Afrin is overwhelmingly kurdish, the SDF forces there are YPG/YPJ. In the Tell Rifaat area, those are held by JAT, mixed arab and kurdish, just like that region is.
As it is in Afrin, forces are therefore largely YPG. The send reinforcements are likely YPG too. The reinforcements sent to Manbij are likely part YPG (from Kobane) and part arab, tribal forces and maybe some syriac forces.
That is how I read it anyway.
But isn’t YPG / YPJ linked to PKK and if so, the have links to terrorists (as deemed) ?; so I could be wrong.
This is a matter of perspective. PKK is a party and YPG/YPJ are militias controlled to a large extent, but not fully, by the PYD and Tevdem.
So you must look at the relation between PYD and PKK. There is hardly any doubt they share the same ideology (Ocalan).
That does not mean they are coequal. This is like saying all communist parties are the same as based upon the same philosophies.
There are many differences as the PKK is Turkish oriented and PYD is local, kurdish and Syrian. This does not mean PKK would not support PYD if and when they can.
PYD/YPG/YPJ claim not to be involved in any hostilities against Turkey on Turkish soil and there has never been one shred of evidence by anyone they are involved in any way in the fights between PKK and Turkey.
It would not have been in their interest, as shown in Afrin. As long as there are now attacks by TSK on the SDF forces, imo SDF would be wise to send arms to the PKK so as to draw forces away from them. Would TSK invade Manbij too, imo SDF should assault the Azaz colony and if any further escalation, send troops into Turkey, into the mountains there. If Turkey can invade, so can SDF.
The last time the Kurds tried a full on revolt, it ended badly for them. Trying to bring the fight to the Turks will cause massive death and destruction to the Kurds in Turkiye. Bad idea.
They can’t fight in the terrain and wet weather why they halted their offensive against the SAA, they suffered heavy losses 1200+ dead and thousands wounded, along with too many dead commanders. They were too aggressive and paid a heavy price and are limited in numbers. The SAA still pushes swiftly from the east making them send units to defend their rear. Seems you forget they put themselves in a two front war .
YPG is reclaiming hills and mountains north-east of Afrin, FSA retreating to Azaz confirm latest reports, don’t underestimate Kurds,they fought for many years against the mercenaries of FSA. As soon Turks suffer heavy casualties they will abandon mission. Kurds have heavy weapons in the area and receiving reinforcements thru SAA areas.
You do realize the Kurds have never defeated the Turks. Ever.
Im hearing talk about erdogan promising to ethnically cleanse afrin and put syrian refugees back in the conquered areas. If the kurds can actually fight they must now. Weve seen motivated jihadis spring up after airstrikes and advancing armies.
Well, I wonder… What is left for YPG in Afrin, now they’re being attacked by the Turks, encroached by the Euphrates Shield and the remnants of HTAS at the northernmost of Idlib and the Turkish Army operations in the same place? With no support from the US supported Kurds in the East as they’re isolated from them by land? To me it wouldn’t be a surprise if, in the end and after realizing they’re being hit by reality, they ended up asking for support to the SAA from Aleppo and going back into the Assad regime like the prodigal son…
They get reinforcements from Manbij region sorry but SAA doesn’t prevent any reinfocements to the region. US can’t provide any support and neither can Russia seems these Kurds have no understanding how the big political game is played. Tossed aside and still no voice in the talks as it is directed to the Kurds in Syrian Parliament, and not PYD. Their best bet is taking the deal and forget the US which has other ideas now as they are renaming their proxies again to be a Sunni state excluding Kurds.
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There comes a point when a people do not care anymore and fight rather then be cowered. It is the way nations are being born.
As the fight goes rather badly for the Turks and its mercenaries, one wonders how long TFSA will hold up. At Al Bab they had to be directed towards IS with guns at their backs after sustaining hundreds being killed.
While TFSA is not there yet, the indication of TFSA fighting spirits are low, letting themselve be swepped of Barsaya mountain after (partially?) taking the mountain a few hours earlier.
Seems the turds will be at the next round of talks held by Russia in Sochi Isn’t it great how they’ve come to see that shiny new weapons and cash from the US means fuck all when your getting baited and abandoned at the same time Knew the kurdish would see its better to see your family grow up and you grow old and happy, then be used by the US regime and there plan to cut Russian energy giant Gazprom from exporting to europe No doubts the small Baltic states will be soros new play thing in time
Dillon,Tillerson and Trump terrorism plan shattered in Syria.
Turkey is the OTHER Israel- another proxy of the Deep State that has the public face of ‘religious’ protector (Israel, jewish- Turkey, islamic) but is actually ‘secular’ (both nations are headed by people who describe themselves as atheists). And the Young Turks who took controlled of the collapsed Turkish Empire (and then instigated the mass murder of TRUE christians in Armenia) were crypto-jews.
The blood bond between Israel and Turkey and Israel and Saudi Arabia is ABSOLUTE- and isn’t even hidden from the public. It’s just that naive fools say to themselves “all the press sez jews and muslims are ‘enemies’, so the facts I see must be ‘wrong’ “.
Those that say Turkey and Saudi Arabia and Israel are heads of the zionist monster are on the right track. Their goals are most certainly the same.
Poeple are confused cos many ordinary turks seem fine rational people. But then again so do many Americans. But the cells of a body do not necessarily define the thinking of the ‘brain’.
What is so very interesting is that the Roman Empire never truly went away. These three depraved entities represent the EAST half of the Roman Empire. Istanbul is the old capital (under the name Constantinople). The Vatican, of course, is the capital of the West half.
The Deep State is the modern form of the Roman Empire- that empire that used GENOCIDE as a common method of ‘conquest’ and held ‘entertainments’ of mass rape and torture in its public coliseums. Hitler. the british empire, and America, all boast of their direct inheritance of ‘Roman’ ‘values’ and methods.
Extreme amounts of intelligence and planning went into the most awful horrors against children, women and men in the coliseums of Rome. ‘Brave’ gladiators fighting is the public relation face of roman ‘entertainment’ but what really happened in the name of ‘entertainment’ came straight from the pits of hell. Undertstand today by learning about the true facts of our past.
So Turkey is going ‘roman’ on the kurds of Syria- not that the kurds, by being willing accomplacies of the zionists, haven’t helped their fate.
All we should care about is that Putin, by the command of his zionist inner circle, is once again sitting on his hands, letting America and Britain sow the seeds of future hells in Syria. Putin could go to the UN tomorrow and boot the Americans out under International Law if he so wished, but he won’t.
In Britain, a central authority would NEVER allow foreign invaders to interfer in the affairs of the UK. Neither in France, Germany or America or Russia. So why are the ‘rules’ different in Syria. Cos the Deep State is that wicked and malicious, and because the ONLY power that could hold it to account, Putin, refuses to do so “in the name of Israel”. Now we just need crypto-zionist ‘The Saker’ to come along and tell us why Putin can NEVER use Russia’s lawful Empire Power, even when tiny vicious non-entities like Israel do so in a chaotic anti-lawful fashion all the time.
How FAR does a bully go? That’s what crypto-zionists like Saker never want you to ask yourself.
Answer as a far as the PUNCH ON THE NOSE given to the bully by a power equal or greater than it. Saker knows the FIRST time Russia, for fully lawful reasons, punches the Deep State on the nose, it’s game over for the Deep State for many decades to come. THAT is why people like Saker say anything they can to fool you into thinking Russia must never do this.
Soon Raqqa ,Eufrate river dam and Omar oilfields will be surrendered to SAA by USA created terrorist.Turkey will make curd Al Tanf and USA Hasaka terrorists breeding based are closed down.Kurds are visitors to Syria their must respect national resources and national infrastructures and Town’s.Not destroying like their did with Raqqa and sabotage SAA army gains.SDF if you fighting terrorism join the fight in Afrin not hiding behind SAA back which you and your USA betray and sabotage with Israel.
There is no curd Al Tanf.
Had a brain fart?
Original Syrians are in refugee camps under USA oppression while Kurds are killing and busy with land grab and oilfields grab.Cry to your spokesman Dillon or Tim person or your fake angel billionaire Trump.
this is all a game of turkey/US in the end syria is loosing either the establishment of US protectorate mini state… or turkish protectorate mini state. both hostile to syrian assad.
unless SAA is fast enough to overun most of idlib which i doubt and started a new war against turkish north establishment
Kurds are in deep trouble i think…..they cant support all those fronts. Their are cut off from other YPG groups….their allies….US-Israel….are nowhere…..
What you say is not true and they do receive reinforcements through SAA territory are you simply an idiot on spouting nonsense, Assad won’t let Syrians in Ifrin not have any defense that is too stupid to contemplate. This is a guarantee under the Syrian constitution do you think he violates it, you have much to learn about how much of an good honorable person he is, he will provide help one way or another.
ok lets wait and see…..i just said my opinion….they are in a tough spot…..Turkey attacks them from various places..they cant defend all the territory ….Turkey has air and ground superiority…i noone comes to the resque…..they are finished…..Assad wont waste his men to fight for the Kurds…..he has other priorities….idlib for example…..then Damascus….
Assad will likely not interfere actively, correct.
He does not have to. He is passively allowing SDF forces to enter Afrin through the lands south of Al Bab and maybe trough the Nubbol corridor. He should like TFSA and TSK bleed without his forces getting any grief.
It is even possible that Erdogan gets a brain farth and orders attacks on those convoys, reinforcing Afrin. If he does that on SAA held areas, it could suck in SAA into the fighting.
well did you read about the US reaction?they sold the KUrds to Turkey….they will manipulate the situation to establish a buffer zone there….
Syria against the Turks. Anyone realize there would only be one outcome?
russia begins to lose the bases …
I see the USA is fully behind Turkey in this operation. Treachery is a many edged sword for the Kurds. At least they will be able to discuss their demise at Sochi.
NATO ally or rebel force? It was never in any doubt.