On December 13, the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) group – Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra – announced that its fighters have repelled a alrge attack of ISIS on the “55km region” around the US-led coalition base in al-Tanaf, near the Syrian-Iraqi border.
The Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Hammurabi’s Justice News reported that Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra killed 14 fighters of ISIS, injured 10 others and captured 4 while repelling еру attack. Moreover, the US-backed FSA group destroyed at least 3 vehicles of the terrorist organization during the clashesб according to the source.
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Meanwhile, opposition activists reported that US-led coalition warplanes detected and destroyed several convoys of ISIS that was on its way to the area of al-Tanaf.
Officials from Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra claimed that ISIS attacked the al-Tanaf area from the northern direction which is under the control of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies. However, they didn’t accuse the SAA of allowing the ISIS attack.
The ISIS attack on al-Tanaf is likely another desperate attempt of the terrorist group to regain some ground in Syria, just like its ongoing attack against the SAA and its allies in the western bank of the Euphrates River.
The US has committed yet another Blue on Blue attack I see. The ISIS terrorists were only seeking to rejoin their units in Al Tanf for Rest and recuperation and the USAF bombed them. :)
They must be seen to do the right thing as an excuse to stay in Syria. Personally I think it is probably all US make believe.
Scattered ISIS groups in the desert are probably running out of supply (petrol, etc) after losing the Euphrates sources. So they scurry around like rats leaving a burning building, trying to find a new home. Sorry, no where to go for this group. HAHA
It might be a bit of a stretch, but is it possible that the slow SAA response to the ISIS attacks from the Eastern bank of the Euphrates are to allow ISIS to leave the desert and return to the Kurdish held areas ? So by returning the ‘compliment’ to the Kurds :)
It’s another way to say the US camp and prison in Al-Tanaf is still relevant.
Have you heard the news and analyzes that say “ISIS is migrating from Syria and Iraq into Egypt and northern Africa”? Ever wondered which route they are going to take? In other words, what piece of land happens to exist between Syria and Egypt with a good relationship with ISIS and probability of giving them a pass-to-pass?
Acc to the logic of Ass-adophyles as applied to SDF, the fact IS coming from SAA held territory means IS and Assad have merged and SAA = IS, something which can be seen near Hama too. One has to be consistent, right?
Imo reality is a bit more complex, showing that a colour on the map does not mean one side is in full and total control of said area.
It also shows that IS remains fight capable and dangerous, to all parties.
Lastly it shows weaknesses in Russian surveillance capabilities.
What a load of tosh.
If “IS and Assad have merged and SAA = IS” …..then the Russians or the Syrians would have monitored every step of their journey; but I can not believe they are AT ALL.
But you are onto something, as in where the hell did they come from – https://southfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/14dec_Iraq_Syria_War_Map.jpg?x82576
Although I appreciate that surveillance abilities are much more advanced than in WW2 for instance, they still depend a lot on the eyeballs looking at the data. I would think in the deserts of North Africa in WW2 that the Germans hundreds of miles behind the front lines often thought of the LRDG raiding parties ” Wie sind sie hierher gekommen? “
Agreed to some extent. Even more likely is that, given technical capabilities up to even satellite monitoring, either was no surveillance or the surveillance was not screened in a timely fashion by analysts. Sometimes there is an overload of data and there can be a time lag in the processing of the data.
I somewhat agree, but it is nearly Christmas !
A recognised and major problem today are the millions of ‘Needles in haystacks ‘ that are now found by advanced systems that are overloading the capacity to use the information in a timely manner.
Your second line quete is my translation of Assa-adophyle reasoning as applied to SDF. In my second paragraph, I have stated that I think reality is more complex.
So we agree in fact that the reasoning of : they come from SAA held lands means they merged, that that is a load of bull, both applied to SDF and to SAA.
So nice that one finds one is in agreement with a bit of more concentrated in depth reading.
ISIS may have intended alliance with the occupation forces at al Tanf. What a surprise to be attacked by their former sponsers.