Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[RIA] A sudden escalation: militants from several extremist groups attacked positions of the SAR government forces. The terrorists managed to capture a number of settlements, bring up reserves and consolidate their positions. The army is trying to recapture what was lost. RIA Novosti reports on the situation in the north of the Middle Eastern country.
THE DASH TO ALEPPO
The offensive began on the morning of Wednesday, November 27, in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo. The Jabhat al-Nusra and Syrian National Army
| …a combination of Turkics from the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, and China, Syrian Muslim Brotherhood types, and ISIS remnants united by Turkey paying their salaries and set to guard Turkey’s new territories on the Syrian side of the border. From time to time they also harass the native Kurds… |
groups managed to secretly move significant forces to these areas in advance. Violating the de-escalation agreement concluded in 2020 with the participation of Russia, Turkey and Iran, they attacked on a broad front and reached the outskirts of Aleppo, one of the largest cities in the country, which was the site of intense fighting in the 2010s.
According to specialized Telegram channels, the situation around Aleppo was rapidly deteriorating. Militants were advancing from three sides at once: to the west in the Bashnitra area, to the southwest on the cut section of the M-5 highway, and to the south near Saraqib. Government troops are still holding this settlement. One of the strongest units is operating here — the 25th Special Forces Division, trained by Russian instructors. The militants were unable to pass through it.
On Thursday, the Defense Ministry reported that extremist groups had suffered heavy losses in equipment and manpower. "Government forces are confronting terrorist organizations with various firepower and together with friendly forces," the communique said. However, militants' activity has not decreased.
On the same day, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants and their supporters began storming the city of Anadan, nine kilometers northwest of Aleppo, to cut off an important route north to Nubol and Az-Zahra, where civilians could theoretically be evacuated and troops could retreat. Apparently, they want to encircle Aleppo.
To the west, heavy fighting continues in the vicinity of Kafr Dael and Bashkatin. To the south, the militants have occupied Jamiyat Kahraba and Khan al-Assal, capturing many trophies there - artillery, tanks, ammunition, cars. From there, the terrorists are advancing towards Aleppo itself.
On Friday, the Syrian army counterattacked. More than 400 militants were reported killed. The Russian Aerospace Forces provided active support to the government forces in repelling the offensive, including strikes with aerial bombs with universal planning and correction modules (UMPK), which are used in Ukraine.
UKRAINIAN TRACE
Moscow has already responded to what is happening in the northern regions of Syria. The president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin is in favor of constitutional order. He described the militants' actions as an encroachment on Syria's sovereignty. Iran has responded more harshly. The official representative of the Foreign Ministry, Ismail Baghaei, said that all this is part of Washington's plan to destabilize the region in general.
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Be that as it may, the militants' tactics clearly reflect the experience of others. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has published footage of objective control of the combat use of FPV drones, as well as drones designed to drop homemade ammunition, on its Internet channels. The extremists' UAVs are hitting army armored vehicles and field positions. They even claim that a kamikaze drone destroyed a government helicopter. It appears that the operators were trained by foreign instructors.
The Middle East Spectator reports that Ukrainian field commanders have been spotted among the militants attacking government troops. Ukraine, in coordination with the United States, has long been training Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*, as Ukrainian media outlets themselves have written about. At the same time, Kiev is conducting large-scale recruitment campaigns in the region to make up for the shortage of manpower in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The final touch is that the Islamist militants wear armbands made of blue and green tape. Just like in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
TIME BOMB
| According to experts, the hand of not only Washington and Kyiv, but also Ankara is visible in this. |
According to experts, the hand of not only Washington and Kyiv, but also Ankara is visible in this.
"First of all, these are Syrian-Turkish problems," said Andrey Grozin, head of the Central Asia Department at the CIS Institute. "Erdogan and his proxies in Syria, who are currently attacking, have recently had strained relations with Damascus. Assad is strengthening his position in the regions under the control of pro-Turkish militants. A spring offensive by his army would be entirely expected. Syrian sources have indicated a high probability of such a development. Turkish proxies want to play ahead."
The survival of the friendly Syrian regime is extremely important for Moscow, the political scientist continues. The withdrawal of the Russian military contingent from the Middle East would further complicate the already difficult relations with Ankara. It is also necessary to take into account the Iranian factor - Tehran will not like it if Russia leaves Syria. Therefore, we should expect an intensification of the Russian army's actions in this region.
As observers note, there are many Central Asians among the militants - Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. Having gained combat experience, they will return home. And from there they can get to Russia under the guise of migrant workers. There is no doubt that Western "partners" are preparing such scenarios. It is best to defuse this "time bomb" as far from the Russian borders as possible.
More from RIA Novosti
The Syrian army has taken control of several areas
The Syrian army has not allowed terrorists to pass north of the city of Hama and has taken control of several important areas, a source from the Syrian Defense Ministry told the Al-Ikhbariya TV channel.
"Our Armed Forces units <…> managed to take control of a number of areas after expelling terrorists from them, the most important of which were Qalaat al-Madiq and Maardas," he said.
According to the TV channel’s source, dozens of terrorists were killed there, and the rest escaped.
At the same time, units operating at night in the northern outskirts of Hama reinforced defensive lines with firepower, personnel and military equipment and prevented the terrorists from breaking through, the source added. As a result, according to him, thousands of militants have been eliminated over the past three days.
The Syrian air force continues to destroy terrorist strongholds in the vicinity of Aleppo and Idlib , the channel’s source concluded.
On Wednesday, November 27, groups belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* violated the de-escalation agreement and attacked the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. They struck settlements and military positions on a broad front.
The Syrian army responded to the attack, as a result of which the terrorists suffered losses in manpower and equipment. According to the deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria Oleg Ignasyuk, over the previous day, Syrian government troops destroyed at least 300 militants in Aleppo and Idlib.
Syria has been in the grip of an armed conflict since 2011. After the army liberated most of the country, scattered terrorist groups operate in the desert regions of the north and northeast.
Militants periodically carry out raids on civilian and military vehicles on highways and terrorize residents of remote villages. The Syrian army continues active targeted operations to eliminate the remaining militant units.
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