On Wednesday, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that its fighters captured 10 farms around Markada town in the southern al-Hasakah countryside. The SDF also said that its fighters killed 5 ISIS fighters and captured their weapons during their advance.
Moreover, Kurdish and Syrian opposition sources claimed that the SDF captured Markada town. However, no official source of the SDF has confirmed these claims so far.
The SDF also advanced in the northwestern Deir Ezzor countryside and captured al-Harmushiyah al-Kabiyra, al- Harmushiyah al-Saghiyra villages and Kasrah, Abu Fahed hills south of Kubar village. SDF fighters killed 20 ISIS fighters during their attack south of Kubar village.
In a related development, SDF fighters captured 4 new positions in al-Nahdah district in the center of Raqqa city, according to Kurdish sources. 11 ISIS fighters were reportedly killed on Wednesday in al-Nahdah, al-Fardous and al-Kurd districts in the center of the city.
The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that ISIS fighters killed 27 fighters of the SDF in the norther part of Raqqa city on Tuesday. Amaq also claimed that 13 civilians were killed in a US-led collation airstrike on a water well in the northern part of the city on Wednesday. Opposition sources confirmed ISIS claims.
The SDF is still unable to penetrate ISIS defense lines in the northern part of Raqqa city, or around the national hospital in the center of city, even with a heavy air support of the US-led coalition.
Deir Ez Zor and Raqqa are very strategically important to both Syria and Iran.
These two areas should never have been lost, Iran should have put 100,000 of its military in each area back in 2013.
Not sure about Dez being very relevant to Syria. For 50 years, no Syrian President even visited Raqqa. Far more important to Syia are N Aleppo & Idlib. Rebuilding the Aleppo Region is critical to Syria recovering from the Civil War.
Aleppo used to be the economic, industrial, capital of Syria.
Aleppo region now divided in 5 parts. Azaz colony, Afrin, rebel held west ALeppo country side, Aleppo city held by SAA, kurdish enclave within Aleppo city.
It will be difficult to rebuild an integrated economic structure there.
Idlib has ever been agricultural, not that important.
DeZ and Raqqah were important for raw materials but were more or less internal colonies, no investments, no infrastructure, no future for the young.
Agreed. Prewar the Aleppo Region produced as much as 60% of Syria GDP, the oil & gas at Dez about 2% to 5% of GDP. So while the Dez O&G is valuable, it is not nearly as important as the Aleppo Region.
That being said, it is Russian National Interest to destroy Isis, thus sending 2 Armored Brigades & 10,000 Chechenyans to Dez to quickly clear Isis from the Euphrates River Valley from Dez to Ramadi would be a good plan.
Whatever. Eufrat valley is a very important food supplier and DEZ is a maincnter for oil and gas tranports as well as using it for something.
But You are right about that and other districts. Those are “forgotten” in the devellopment as other parts, but also in some matters hard to raise from tradition.
Thats why ISIS could take them with relative low resistence.
Kennethllindsy All the areas are important, this news article relates to Deir Ez Zor – Raqqa.
Scroll up, I posted the reasons for this areas strategic importance.
More, the only real relative significance of Dez is to external actors like Iran for border control with Iraq and Russia to defeat Isis etc.
Damascus has neglected Dez CS for decades and the tribal areas are only nominally Syrian.
It’s not worth SAA lives to go die in the desert at Dez CS. Plenty of Russians, Iranians etc are willing to do so though….
Kennethllindsy During the past this area may not have been of strategic value, it was a forlorn neglected area.
When US$ Billions are involved, in future this area will be of high strategic value.
Around 2012, the Iran – Iraq – Syria pipeline project was announced which caused the Raqqa and Deir Ez Zor to become a hotbed of ISIS (US led “Terror Axis”) occupation.
Picked articles at random for you to review.
The Oil-Gas War Over Syria, In Maps http://rinf.com/alt-news/editorials/oil-gas-war-syria-maps/
Negative article: The Myth of the Iran-Iraq-Syria Pipeline https://iakal.wordpress.com/2016/08/14/the-myth-of-the-iran-iraq-syria-pipeline/
Thanks. I’m already pretty familiar with the O&G issues involved. Yes, the Qatari Gas pipeline may be important; but then it would still have to cross Iran controlled Iraq which makes it unlikely. As for the O&G fields at Dez, they aren’t significant to either Russia or Saudi Arabia in amount of production.
Kennethllindsy
The Iran – Iraq – Syria pipeline would cross Iraq.
The Saudi (Qatar) pipeline would cross Jordan and into Syria.
whahahahaaa where you were all this time
John Whitehot Hold your breath a little longer, LoL:)))
ISUS can’t be …@##$ everywhere! Syria should have/needs to….Putin snap out of it!…take back the Tabqa Dam and roast everything that flees! I can’t accept the Russ/Iranian tip toe reaction to the unfolding in Syria. What’s the problem? …want US and Israel to @ rape you again? Where’s Assads Syrian Army?….are they relaxing in Latakia coast resort , chasing girls in Souk market ? This is wincing painful to watch……as Kurd girlies occupy Syrian oil fields
Have been reading Serbian complaint about Russia. It’s not hysterical reach……They got shafted by Russia.
Putin smiling and shaking hands with Netanyahu, Erdogan and Saudi Trash is just Too disturbing
Yes, like doomesday is a fleemarket or something.
Do you mean “freemarket” or “fleamarket”?
Flee market meaning very mixted, very difficult quality and unorganized in many matters. Im not a nice person.
Brad Isherwood “…I can’t accept the Russ/Iranian tip toe reaction to the unfolding in Syria….”
Putin – Russia’s involvement in Syria is to prevent competing pipelines through Syria, one of which is through Deir Ez Zor – Raqqa.
Iran is probably being coerced by Putin to tread slowly in Syria.
HAHAH!!
All areas of Syria are important. A country is a country and can’t be whole with any parts missing.
Well said.
DJ Double D Yes agreed. However if Iran (with over 1 million IRGs plus more in other Armed Forces) had intervened earlier in Syria then much of the current battles would have not been necessary.
As soon as ISIS and other related terrorists are taken care of, then these places will be addressed.
One of many, many possibilities. It would be nice You had same kind of entusiasm for peace.
Peace is good but not at the price of Syria’s sovereignty as that must remain.
IH8Lies
The “Terror Axis” countries surround Syria, particularly Turkey in the north and Saudi via Jordan in the south who will continue to operate the “Terrorist Conveyor Belt” with logistics, financing, arming and training of terrorists sent into Syria.
Even if IS is defeated whilst it is armed, trained and financed with no costs spared by the US led “Terror Axis” countries, there will be other groups ready to destabilize this area, e.g. SDF, etc.
Facts: The UK refuses to publish report on Saudi Arabia funding of Terrorism http://www.newsweek.com/uk-report-terror-saudi-arabia-public-finding-618508
U.S. support for Saudi Arabia tough to explain for top State Department official http://www.newsweek.com/state-department-official-struggle-us-support-saudi-arabia-618327
You are one creepy SOB. And getting creepier.
Kira Binkley “…You are one creepy SOB. And getting creepier….”
You looked in the mirror and decided to write what you saw, LoL:))))
Why are they “strategically” important to Iran? Perhaps you mean in terms of Kurdish involvement?
Its a kind of everlasting fantasy of the myth of the Irianian strenght and expansion. The facts is Iran has no religios and political real support apart from the few homegrown in Hesbollah.
It has been used since 670 to make tensions and fighting in islam to split and gather flocks of sheep and make them kill each other, so only enemies of islam likes it.
Iran never can have any real power there, but of course they can export war and having some rockets for sale and reach israel better.
Itan never can supply and army there. They might win some battles, but never a war or terrain. ………………………
The kurdish one more local is much more important. They have their own and parts of them are hostile and do have good connections to Turkey as well as Iraq. So some stability in that corner is vital.
Jens Holm “…Its a kind of everlasting fantasy…”
The fantasy is in your Khazar head, LoL:)))
Which is the reason why the feeble and cowardly Khazars have to use Gentiles to make constant threats and impose sanctions on Iran.
I asked you not to reply to my posts. It is a waste of time and energy on your part.
Kira Binkley
There are three reasons for the importance of Deir Ez Zor and Raqqa, there may be others.
China: Route of China’s New Silk Road via Iran – Iraq – Syria to the Mediterranean.
Russia, Israel and US want to prevent this pipeline. Route of the proposed Iran – Iraq – Syria pipeline to Cyprus and onward into the EU.
Israel and US: Land bridge for supply from Iran through Iraq into Syria through to Hezbollah, Lebanon.
http://schillerinstitute.org/economy/phys_econ/2016/1227-project_phoenix/lg/middle_east_map-syria_highlighted.jpg
I’m not worried. For one, I can’t see Russia, the U.S. and Israel agreeing on anything. For another, I’m not sure who really wins with a pipeline to the Mediterranean. Not needed.
Kira Binkley “…I can’t see Russia, the U.S. and Israel agreeing on anything….”
In Geopolitics, non agreement between countries can work well, as very little progress can be made or achieved, i.e. no progress in building either the Saudi pipeline or the Iran – Iraq pipeline through Syria.
“…who really wins with a pipeline to the Mediterranean. Not needed….”
The EU and Turkey are the two largest customers for Russian oil and gas and contribute many US$100’s of Billions to the Russian economy.
If either the Saudi pipeline or the Iran pipeline to Turkey and the EU are built then the winners will be the oil and gas consumers who would get lower energy prices whilst Russia would lose its dominant market share and be starved of income.
There is more, maybe for another time.
You’re jumping the gun here. There are more important and significant chips on the table in the immediate theatre.
Kira Binkley Your reply is not related to “Pipelines”.
Not in this particular message, no. You stated: If either the Saudi pipeline or the Iran pipeline to Turkey and the EU are built then the winners will be the oil and gas consumers who would get lower energy prices whilst Russia would lose its dominant market share and be starved of income. I said there are more important and significant chips here, but didn’t elaborate. I just jumped to the “vile entanglement” of Leftism and Global Deep State involvement with their attempt at world control. Things like this: http://www.rense.com/general64/wwtt.htm Sorry.
Kira Binkley Thank you for the link, reviewed it, its out of date with Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc.
US Presidents / Administration is controlled by the Neoconservatives, the names change, their ideas develop and wait or get fulfilled.
It happened. Will you please read my comments? If you do, you will become abreast of events and event makers. Vladimir Putin, myself, and others have vowed to exterminate the “vile entanglement of Leftism and global deep state” that has been working for years towards global governance.
Are you part of it?
Kira Binkley You are living in fantasy, LoL:)))
To the unintiated, to those living in the land of unreality, sane people appear crazy.
Kira Binkley You know delusional fantasy not facts.
Keep replying to me, More. We will find you.
Kira Binkley “…Keep replying to me, More. We will find you….”
Delusion is one step from madness, LoL:)))
You are wrong. Delusion is madness. What say you to that? I think, More, that you are attracted to me. In some sick, sexual manner. It has happened before with sick men. Watch out.
Kira Binkley “…Delusion is madness. What say you to that?…”
You know this from personal experience, LoL:)))
Won’t work. I know more than you. Much more.
Looks like, if the U.S. cannot get Assad to step down, they will work to divide Syria.
I told you to get out of Syria, America. Your image in the eyes of the world is getting worse and worse.
Ever since the Syrian ‘civil’ war, the view of the U.S has been tarnished to an irreparable degree. So many people are finding the truth due to this war. Quite ironic if you think about tie.
HOORAY SDF! ABORTION RIGHTS FOR RAQQA AND THE OIL FIELDS!
Didn’t I shut you up last time?
Moussa Saab Clearly not, that person posts / boasts / relishes about the killing of human life.