Pro-Assad forces are advancing in the desert region of eastern Syria, but are taking losses from Islamic State hit-and-run attacks.
The Assad regime and allied foreign militia are trying to restrict ISIS in the Badia region, near the Iraq border. At least 11 personnel were killed or wounded on Saturday, including two high-ranking officers.
#Pt. A Brig. General & a Colonel from 10th Division are among those wounded in E. #Suweida countryside. Their vehicle was struck by an #ISIS landmine. pic.twitter.com/evBzpnXskN
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) August 11, 2018
Regime media and pro-Assad blogs hailed the advance, declaring “heavy losses were inflicted upon Daesh terrorists”, but did not refer to casualties from the ISIS attacks.
At the end of July, ISIS fighters in southwest Syria were allowed to move to the Badia after a pro-Assad offensive that took the area near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the Jordanian border.
See Syria Daily: ISIS Defeated in Southwest — But Kills 3 High-Ranking Officers Near Damascus
Since autumn 2015, the Islamic State has lost control of a large area of Syria — particularly in the north and east — because of a combination of offensives by the US-supported and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, by a Turkish-rebel force, and by pro-Assad units supported by Russian airstrikes.
However, the Pentagon estimates that about 4,000 to 6,000 ISIS fighters remain in northeast Syria.
E. #Syria: #ISIS claims an Inghimasi attack vs pro-Regime forces N. of #AbuKemal & released video showing a rare #ATGM strike vs tank (village of Hasrat). https://t.co/LVlL9kuC0B pic.twitter.com/hvaP7RoGqF
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) August 11, 2018
I doubt a big battle in Idlib. Lots of hearsay. Putin is more concerned withe bringing back refugees to rebuild. If he starts attacking Idlib to take it, there will 4 million refugees. Instead he will pressure Erdogan to quiet them and he will offer him the rebuilding of Aleppo for calm in Idlib. Erdogan is a traitor and his weak economy could use the work of rebuilding Aleppo which he previously sold out in order to get his free bombing campaign on the kurds.
Russia will get both the Turks and the Iranians out as promised in Helsinki with Trump. If this happens Trump will then proceed to pull the American bases in the East and Southwest of Syria out.
Bashar is now just a toy and a face for stability. The real leader of Syria are Putin and whoever takes orders from him, Putin doesnt differenciate whether you are with or against Baath or Bashar. Eventually both will be replaced anyway. He only cares about if they follow his orders while he tries to clean up the Syria mess.
Putin will not go the route of the Americans in Iraq and Libya where they killed Saadam Hussien and Muammar Gaddafi. They will hold on to him and then when a new constitution is written he will become history.
The question remains will the new constitution be built as was planned in Geneva 1 or will the change it all in Sochi.
The other question remains, will Turkey and big mouth traitor of Aleppo, Erdogan, go out quietly of Idlib or will he play games and need the kurd card pulled on him again to take orders properly.
Finally the Iranians, will they pulls out of Syria as Russia wantsnor will Israel get to pound them relentlessly for fun as is happening now.
If both Turkey and Iran continue barking and not following orders, not only will their currency drop more by they will deal with the Kurdish file once aagain.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-build-army-turkish-help-face-challenges-060559451.html
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“A “National Army” being set up by Syrian rebels with Turkey’s help could become a long-term obstacle to President Bashar al-Assad’s recovery of the northwest – if they can end factional rivalries that have long blighted the opposition.”—–
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It looks as though the Turks are very serious about stopping the Assad regime from taking Idlib. Assad and Putin are bombing Idlib and have started the usual process of destroying hospitals and terrorising civilians before attempting an invasion. Iran and Assad are moving their forces from the south and north east towards Idlib and look as determined as the Turks to fight. This is going to be the deciding battle of Syria and if the EU/NATO does not give air support to the Rebels then there will be a couple of million more unwanted refugees heading towards an already unstable Europe. Putin will rub his hands in glee at the destruction he has caused and the world will become a more inhospitable and unstable place.
It looks as though the Turks are very serious about stopping the Assad regime from taking Idlib.
They are posturing but not serious. If they were serious they would come to terms with the reality there is nothing they can go about it.
Assad and Putin began the usual process of creating humanitarian corridors weeks ago so that civilians could escape. In the mean time they are giving the Jihadis the choice to surrender or be destroyed.
Assad has not only Russia and Iran in it’s corner but China too. There isn’t going to be a battle. Turkey wouldn’t dare take on this coalition.
Assad is nothing. Syria belongs to Putin. Putin will do away with Assad and the Baath party similarly how America got rid of Saddam and the Baath. But he will do it slow and methodically to ensure there is not chaos and a vacuum as there was in Iraq.
Putin will not allow Idlib offensive to happen because there are 4 million people in Idlib. This would cause an exodus back across the border which is the opposite of what he wants to do. He wants to bring back the Syrians.
Helsinki was the deal finalized. Putin will kindly ask Iran to leave and if they dont then they will simpy be sidelined and Israel can pound them as much as Israel wants. Turkey will keep Idlib but not arm anyone and if Erdogan is a good boy then he may also have a stake in rebuilding Aleppo.
China is not concerned with tiny Syria and the mess there, they are worred about their trade deals and their own growing economy.
The show is over. The real show now is the Turkish Lira and Iranian Rial now that the Persian and Ottoman empire dreams have been squashed.