Syrian Civil War (Graphic Photos/Vid Not Allowed)

[Hindustani78]

14:09
Russian military receives 16 Su-34 bombers from defense industry, 6 of them operating in Syria - Russian Defense Ministry

http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/us-syrian-fighters-facing-little-resistance-at-tabqa-dam

WASHINGTON — A U.S. military spokesman says the Syrian Arab and Kurdish fighters airlifted into combat in northern Syria earlier this week have encountered only light resistance, suggesting that the operation caught Islamic State militants by surprise.

Col. Joseph Scrocca, spokesman in Baghdad for the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq, said in an email exchange Friday that the U.S.-backed Syrian forces have managed to build up their numbers by bringing in additional fighters, along with armored vehicles, using boats on Lake Assad.

A view from the top of the Tabqa dam under construction on the Euphrates River around 1973.
Photo Credit: AP

24.03.2017

Free Syrian Army and other Syrian opposition groups take Suran district under control as they continue to attack to Assad regime forces and break through the center of Hama, Syria on March 22, 2017. ( Mahmoud Faisal - Anadolu Agency )

HAMA, Syria
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/syrian-opposition-reaches-hama-outskirts-field-sources/779016

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and other armed opposition groups have recently advanced on the city of Hama and now stand only 3 kilometers from the city center, sources in the field told Anadolu Agency.

The latest advances come within the context of an opposition campaign launched earlier this week from the Al-Qaboun and Jobar districts of Damascus with the aim of preventing regime forces from pushing into Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of the capital.

Recent days have seen the FSA and other opposition factions recapture several key positions in Hama.

Mohamed Rashid, a spokesman for the FSA-affiliated Jaysh al-Nasr (“Army of Victory”), told Anadolu Agency Thursday night that opposition forces had captured a number of regime troops -- he did not say how many -- and Iranian-backed foreign fighters.

Opposition forces, he said, had also destroyed two regime tanks on the Hama-Mharda highway and another four in the Souran area, while also capturing arms and ammunition stores.

Rashid went on to assert that opposition forces -- led by the Jaysh al-Nasr -- had also managed to establish control over much of Hama’s northern countryside, including the towns of Maardis, Al-Majdal and Shizar.

This means that opposition forces currently stand roughly 3 kilometers from Hama’s city center and 4 kilometers from Hama’s military airport.

Earlier Thursday, opposition fighters claimed to have struck the military airport with rockets, destroying two Syrian warplanes.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than a quarter of a million Syrians have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.

Opposition forces break through the Qaboun siege
DAMASCUS, SYRIA - MARCH 20: Smoke rises as opposition forces clash with Assad regime forces' in Jobar district of Damascus, Syria on March 20, 2017. Assad regime forces were moving towards Qaboun from Jobar district of Damascus. ( Diaa Al Din - Anadolu Agency )

Clashes between Opposition groups and Assad regime forces in Damascus
DAMASCUS, SYRIA - MARCH 22: Smoke rises from the debris of a building as clashes between opposition forces and Assad regime forces continue in Jobar district of Damascus, Syria on March 22, 2017. ( Ammar Suleyman - Anadolu Agency )

 

[ultron]

 

[ultron]

https://twitter.com/x/status/845566709801082880

https://twitter.com/x/status/845545753602899968

 

[Hindustani78]

"Seizing Tabqah Dam will isolate Raqqah from three sides and give the SDF the strategic advantage and launching point needed for the liberation of the city," said the release. But while the US says they're mainly backing local forces, they seem poised to take on a more active role with conventional forces fighting ISIS on the ground in Raqqa.

The Pentagon has been considering sending as many as 1,000 ground troops to help take back Raqqa from ISIS, which would signal a reversal of the Obama-era policy to fight ISIS via train and equip methods and airstrikes.

The coalition says they've conducted more than 300 airstrikes around Raqqa in the past month.

Head of Syrian opposition delegation, Naser al-Hariri (C) speaks during a press conference after a meeting with United Nations' Syria envoy on February 27, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. ( Mustafa Yalcin - Anadolu Agency )
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/syrian-opposition-committed-to-political-solution-/779217

The head of the Syrian opposition delegation at peace talks in Geneva stressed their commitment to a "political solution" on Friday.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura met delegates from the Syrian regime, headed by Bashar al-Ja’aafari, and representatives of the opposition, led by Nasr Hariri.

"We are here to remove terrorism from our country. However, in order to liberate the country from Daesh, we should first liberate it from the regime's state terrorism," Hariri told a news conference following his meeting with Mistura.

The two had "a positive and fruitful meeting," Hariri said, adding they mainly discussed a transitional government in Syria.

"We are still committed to a political solution," he said.

About a possible Raqqah offensive against Daesh with the involvement of the PYD/PKK terrorist organization, Hariri said:

"We do not want any force which has violated human rights to attend such an operation. Only the national forces should attend it [...]"

The last round of talks on Syria began on Feb. 23 and ended on March 4 without any clear result.

De Mistura said he did not expect a miracle or a milestone this time but added that negotiations with representatives of the regime and opposition would continue on Saturday.

He previously urged participants to “do the necessary preparations in advance of the fifth round to be ready to engage substantively and proactively on the substance of all four baskets on the agenda in parallel”.

Before leaving for Geneva to attend Syria peace talks, Mistura had met with Turkey's Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Umit Yalcin in Ankara and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

 

[500]

Khamenai aka Assad terrorists massacre 17 people in Hamouriya, East Ghouta today

 

[Selim I]

Hama Battle: Jaish Al-Izza struck with TOW a gathering of pro-Government forces on Maarzaf front.

 

[500]

Assadists killed in Qabun. Virtually all from Tartus and Latakia, yet Assad propagandists keep telling stories that Assad army is 70% Sunni.

Poor Alawis, Afghan and Pakistani Shia migrants are daily slaughtered for Rami Makhlouf billions and for Khamenai empire fantasies.

https://twitter.com/x/status/845683367228166144

 

[ultron]

https://twitter.com/x/status/845723107914592260

 

[Selim I]

Assadists killed in Qabun. Virtually all from Tartus and Latakia, yet Assad propagandists keep telling stories that Assad army is 70% Sunni.

Poor Alawis, Afghan and Pakistani Shia migrants are daily slaughtered for Rami Makhlouf billions and for Khamenai empire fantasies.

https://twitter.com/x/status/845683367228166144

What would your estimate be of Assadi army? How much Alawite, Shia, Sunni?
And how many foreign fighters? Irani army, Hezbollah (and as you said Shia Pakistani's, Afghans etc.)

The SU-30 can provide close air support similar to an A-10 or SU-25 and it can prrform precision strike as well as air superiority. The fact is you are angry because the terrorists that Israel supports are being chopped into minced meat; and what is it with you and the white helmets? By now everyone knows they are nothing but propagandist that have been caught staging fake rescues. They are regarded as terrorist sympathizer and collaborators even by many in the west including western journalists that have been in Syria.

So in your opinion any group against Assad is terrorist? That's amazing. The majority of Syria is then a terrorist in your dictionary lol. If Russia didn't intervene, how long do you think Assad would last? Even though he had much superior firepower? Let me tell you some months, not more than a year.

Even now, after so much bombardment from Russian planes, so much support from Iran army, Hezbollah and other Shia milits - Assad still can't form his sovereignty even after intense support for no less than how much - 3 years now?

 

[ptldM3]

What would your estimate be of Assadi army? How much Alawite, Shia, Sunni?
And how many foreign fighters? Irani army, Hezbollah (and as you said Shia Pakistani's, Afghans etc.)


So in your opinion any group against Assad is terrorist? That's amazing. The majority of Syria is then a terrorist in your dictionary lol. If Russia didn't intervene, how long do you think Assad would last? Even though he had much superior firepower? Let me tell you some months, not more than a year.

Even now, after so much bombardment from Russian planes, so much support from Iran army, Hezbollah and other Shia milits - Assad still can't form his sovereignty even after intense support for no less than how much - 3 years now?

Don't make me laugh. When elements of the Turkish military tried to overthrow the Turkish government, suddenly they were labeled traitors and terrorists but foreigners killing Syrians are what then?

What do you call a bunch of foreigners who cross into Syria and kill Syrian soldiers? What do you call a group of people (the FSA) and such who behead and beat prisoner, defect to ISIS and attack Christians and Alewite? Last I recall the Kurds are labeled terrorists in Turkey, so your double standards are laughable. What if foreign powers armed foreign terrorists and Kurds to overthrow the Turkish government?

 

[500]

What would your estimate be of Assadi army? How much Alawite, Shia, Sunni?
And how many foreign fighters? Irani army, Hezbollah (and as you said Shia Pakistani's, Afghans etc.)

Prior the war SAA had 12 armor and mechanized divisions.

Now basically what left is 4th mechanized division made of Alawis and Republican Guards division made of Alawis and Druze. In addition was formed Alawi Tiger force and recently Alawi 5th corps. These are basically all battle capable forces of SAA today.

There are also:
NDF - basically a regime mercenary force.
Desert Hawks - private army of Alawi businessman Muhamad Jaber.
SSNP militia - Greater Syria nationalists, many Christians.
Syrian resistance militia - Communists, many Alawi Turks.

Plus foreign militias, which are currently a major fighting force of Assad:
Hezbollah.
Fatimiun - poor Shia Afghan refugees sent by Iran.
Zeynabiyn - poor Shia Pakistani migrants sent by Iran.
Small IRGC force.
Many Iraqi Shia militias.

Don't make me laugh. When elements of the Turkish military tried to overthrow the Turkish government, suddenly they were labeled traitors and terrorists but foreigners killing Syrians are what then?

What do you call a bunch of foreigners who cross into Syria and kill Syrian soldiers? What do you call a group of people (the FSA) and such who behead and beat prisoner, defect to ISIS and attack Christians and Alewite? Last I recall the Kurds are labeled terrorists in Turkey, so your double standards are laughable. What if foreign powers armed foreign terrorists and Kurds to overthrow the Turkish government?

Anyone who commits indiscriminate attack against civilians is terrorist. Thus so called SAA and Russia are 100% terror force. Rebel attacks against civilians are much more rare, even ISIS attacks civilians much less than SAA and Russia.

 

[Serpentine]

Poor Alawis, Afghan and Pakistani Shia migrants are daily slaughtered for Rami Makhlouf billions and for Khamenai empire fantasies.

Between 150-200 terrorist scums also killed in failed Damascus attack, so it wasn't for nothing.

 

[Selim I]

Don't make me laugh. When elements of the Turkish military tried to overthrow the Turkish government, suddenly they were labeled traitors and terrorists but foreigners killing Syrians are what then?

What do you call a bunch of foreigners who cross into Syria and kill Syrian soldiers? What do you call a group of people (the FSA) and such who behead and beat prisoner, defect to ISIS and attack Christians and Alewite? Last I recall the Kurds are labeled terrorists in Turkey, so your double standards are laughable. What if foreign powers armed foreign terrorists and Kurds to overthrow the Turkish government?

The juntas who tried to overthrow the Turkish government were some junta generals linked with FETÖ terror organization and didn't represent the military nor people. Even the foot soldiers left their weapons when their realized it was all a coup attempt lead by FETÖ. You amaze me, how can you even compare this with the kind of terrorism of Assad? lol
What the difference is, Turkish army didn't bomb their people that night, it was the junta FETÖ general's orders, and they managed to kill 250+ innocent civilians who stood up against them this night.

But what happens in Syria is Assad trying to scare his people off in order to stay in charge. He lost most of his fighting force and therefore begs all sorts of foreign fighters and mercenaries as 500 clearly and precisely has described. Assad has killed more than 300.000 civilians I believe (Alongside with Russia), how much has the other terror organization killed? Even if you include ISIS. It is incomparable.

If we keep calling all rebels terrorists, then all of Syria is terrorist. Rebelling against a dictator who slaughters his own people is terrorism? NO.
Terrorism is violence against civilians. And we clearly saw who started violence against civilians, and we clearly see it today as well. FSA doesn't even have heavy weapons to commit terrorism on the same scale as Assadists. They possess only light and medium firepower @500 can possibly confirm this.

Stop calling Syrian people for terrorists. We have Syrian refugees even in Denmark, and all those whom I've contacted clearly says Assad is the terrorist and responsible. We have more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and they as well describe Assad is the root of terrorism and problem.

What happens in Syria is very clear. Russia doesn't want to loose its puppet in Middle East. So he will support him until the end. Russia now tries to create a new puppet (PYD), why not two puppets instead of one?
Iran is on exactly the same page as Russia, same interests same politics.

So don't talk about terrorism, we all have witnessed Assad, Russia and Iran are the biggest terrorism doers and supporters in Syria. Then comes USA.

 

[500]

Between 150-200 terrorist scums also killed in failed Damascus attack, so it wasn't for nothing.

Total over 1 million Syrians were exterminated by Khamenai thugs. All for Rami Makhlouf billions and Khamenai empire fantasies.

 

[ptldM3]

The juntas who tried to overthrow the Turkish government were some junta generals linked with FETÖ terror organization and didn't represent the military nor people. Even the foot soldiers left their weapons when their realized it was all a coup attempt lead by FETÖ. You amaze me, how can you even compare this with the kind of terrorism of Assad? lol
What the difference is, Turkish army didn't bomb their people that night, it was the junta FETÖ general's orders, and they managed to kill 250+ innocent civilians who stood up against them this night.

But what happens in Syria is Assad trying to scare his people off in order to stay in charge. He lost most of his fighting force and therefore begs all sorts of foreign fighters and mercenaries as 500 clearly and precisely has described. Assad has killed more than 300.000 civilians I believe (Alongside with Russia), how much has the other terror organization killed? Even if you include ISIS. It is incomparable.

If we keep calling all rebels terrorists, then all of Syria is terrorist. Rebelling against a dictator who slaughters his own people is terrorism? NO.
Terrorism is violence against civilians. And we clearly saw who started violence against civilians, and we clearly see it today as well. FSA doesn't even have heavy weapons to commit terrorism on the same scale as Assadists. They possess only light and medium firepower @500 can possibly confirm this.

Stop calling Syrian people for terrorists. We have Syrian refugees even in Denmark, and all those whom I've contacted clearly says Assad is the terrorist and responsible. We have more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and they as well describe Assad is the root of terrorism and problem.

What happens in Syria is very clear. Russia doesn't want to loose its puppet in Middle East. So he will support him until the end. Russia now tries to create a new puppet (PYD), why not two puppets instead of one?
Iran is on exactly the same page as Russia, same interests same politics.

So don't talk about terrorism, we all have witnessed Assad, Russia and Iran are the biggest terrorism doers and supporters in Syria. Then comes USA.

Give it a rest with the FETO conspiracy BS. Everyone around the world is laughing at Turkey over the made up crap. Many people in Turkey do not even like Erdogan, when the military tried to overthrow him suddenly military personnel became "FETO" "traitors" and "terrorists".

Many of the "rebels" arnt even Syrian, something you conviently ignore. So if a bunch of foreign jihadists funded by Iran, Russia, etc funded terrorists including Kurds to kill Turkish soldiers, what would you call that? You would label them terrorists just like you labeled everyone a terrorist such as Kurds, Russian, Iranians, Alawite, etc.

You you have some nerve to talk about terrorism, because the Turks don't terrorize Kurds right?

Total over 1 million Syrians were exterminated by Khamenai thugs. All for Rami Makhlouf billions and Khamenai empire fantasies.

Your number kelps changing, how does it jump from 11 million to 1 million? Did the zombie apocalypse happen?