ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

plawolf

Lieutenant General
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Syrian activists say at least 26 civilians, including children, have been killed in the north-east of the country by air strikes possibly carried out by the US-led coalition.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, says the village of al-Khan, near al-Hawl in Hasakah province, was hit.

A US spokesman in Iraq said the reports would be looked into.

Separately, the Syrian government said three soldiers were killed in a strike.

The Syrian foreign ministry said coalition jets fired missiles at an army camp in Deir al-Zour province, which is largely controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group, and condemned what it called an act of "flagrant aggression".

However the US military
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
near the camp.

Responding to the later report that coalition air strikes may have killed civilians in the strike in Hasakah province, a spokesman said allegations were taken very "seriously", adding that if the information was deemed "credible", an investigation would be launched and the results released publicly.

That area has been the focus of fierce fighting in recent weeks between IS forces and Arab and Kurdish groups, backed by coalition air strikes.

The coalition has been targeting IS militants in Syria since September 2014, and does not co-ordinate its raids with the authorities in Damascus.

Russia has also been bombing IS and other opponents of President Bashar al-Assad since late September.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


If coalition jets did hit the Syrian army camp - reported to be close to ground held by IS - it would be the first time such a thing is known to have happened since the US began air strikes in Syria, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut.

The coalition has been stepping up its attacks in recent weeks on IS positions and oil installations in northern and eastern Syria. Broadening the scope brings with it a risk that unintended targets might be hit, our correspondent adds.

Last week, the UK decided to participate in the air strikes in Syria, extending its existing bombing campaign against IS in Iraq.

The
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
that it was seeking $20.1bn (£13.3bn) to fund its humanitarian aid operations in 2016, with two-fifths earmarked for the Syria crisis.

_87031808_syria_us_russian_airstrikes_624_04_12_15.png

I have noticed something a little 'odd' with the conflict in Syria.

The oped pieces are full of claims of indiscriminate Russian bombings, yet the news sections are full of stories of US led coalition aircraft killing civilians, doctors and Syrian government forces, with not a single example I can think of where it has been proven that Russian bombs killed people other than what they were targeting.

But then, since when has western media pundits let little thinks like facts and the truth get in the way of their ideological rants? :rolleyes:

There is no great mystery as to why that is happening - the Russians are working closely with the Syrian military, and probably have their own special forces deployed scouting and painting targets on the ground, whereas the US led coalition is dependent on second or third party intel, which has a poor track record in terms of accuracy. The best smartbomb in the world is going to kill civilians if bad targeting intel told the operator to aim it at civilians.
 
Last edited:

Brumby

Major
New US intelligence report predicts ISIS will spread worldwide

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


A NEW US intelligence report predicts the Islamic State terror group will spread worldwide unless it incurs significant losses in Syria and Iraq.

The leaked report, commissioned by the White House prior to the Paris attacks and the San Bernardino shootings, comes on the heels of another huge gain by IS with the assassination of the governor of the Yemeni port city of Aden.

Major General Jaafar Mohammad Saad and at least six of his bodyguards were killed on Sunday when a car bomb ripped through their motorcade. The group’s attacks on Yemen started escalating in October when it started bombing Saudi oil interests.

The incursion on the tiny but strategically important country has frightening parallels with Libya, where Islamic State’s colonisation of Sirte on Libya’s Mediterranean coast has sent shock waves throughout Europe
 
long time ago
...

So, I'll try to occasionally follow five direction:
  1. Aleppo (including access routes: "M5" and through Khanasir);
  2. Talbiseh pocket;
  3. Salma;
  4. suburbs of Damascus;
  5. Tall Sayyad salient ...
and now I decided to keep "covering" those five, despite there likely could be more action going on in another direction(s): you may tell me about it :)

I'll use the most recent blog by "Cassad"
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

but I look at a variety of sources, let's say from "Free Syria" up to FarsNews and Assad's TV reports ...

#1 now I'll split into:

north-east
CVp6OIKUEAEh_P9.png:large

where the Government Forces
  • recently took over Shumaylikh, close to top-right corner above (presumably it's some important village, but I wasn't able to locate it at google maps though, so feel free to post the coordinates), and
  • even threaten ISIL with encirclement somewhere around Rayyan, in the middle above (Rayyan is
    Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
    ), as supplies aren't coming through "M4" anymore ...
#1 south now sees another push of the Government Forces toward "M5" and possibly Al-Quarassi, a salient in the middle-up at:
CVoLj31WIAAMzS8.jpg:large


#2 still holds:
789941_900.jpg
and I've been unaware of the pocket south to it (the tiny green area in the town of Homs, "Vayer District"), but the pocket is gone according to
Truce in Homs is first step to ceasefire in Syria — Russian Foreign Ministry
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

("Cassad" says the Rebels from there were let to join Talbiseh pocket)

#3 at this map:
CVpMEGAW4AEqUcL.jpg:large
looks not that much changed since Nov 10, 2015
... the Government Forces:
  • took over Ghmam (western part, close to Tishreen Lake; looks like a beautiful area at Google Pictures ...);
  • are probably in Dorien, south, and very close, to Salma (in the middle);
  • took over
    Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
...
I mean Rebels still hold both Salma and
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


splitting the post (two directions, two maps to go), I wonder if anybody read it LOL
 
#4 from the above post is probably the most difficult to figure out:
788039_900.jpg

but the changes there are small

as for #5:
789415_900.jpg

it represents probably the biggest success of Rebels achieved so far: they even threatened advancing from the bulge south, toward
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

but, according to "Cassad", at that time they had to send the forces up north, to the area south of Aleppo
(I posted about the action there in:
https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/is...no-oped-no-policis.t6913/page-213#post-372863
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
On December 7, 2015, the carrier battle group formed around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle passed the Suez Canal to reach the Persian Gulf (GAP). He also joined the Task Force 50.

After the first phase of its involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean, GAN will continue its commitment in the fight against Daech alongside the coalition since the Gulf..

Following the attacks in Paris, CBG deployment in Eastern Mediterranean. has allowed to intensify strikes against Daech in Iraq and Syria.Since November 23, CBG has carried out 130 sorties, 22 hits and nine ISR missions in the territories controlled by Daech.

Combining air power with that of the French forces already in the Gulf and Jordan, CBG attacked command and training centers, storage sites for weapons and IED manufacture. He also supported the Iraqi forces fighting Daech ground in Iraq, thus contributing directly to the advanced FSI in Iraq.

On entering the Red Sea, the cons-Admiral Jean-René Crignola, commander of CBG, took over as commander of Task Force 50, he will for several weeks.
The TF50 is the naval component of the coalition against Daech built around one or more aircraft carriers. Usually performed by an American admiral, commander of TF50 works closely with USNAVCENT, US naval regional headquarters of the coalition against Daech. This is the first time this function is entrusted to a non-US admiral. This demonstrates the high level of interoperability that the French and American navies reached.

Finally, the German Frigate Augsburg joined the CBG just before the entrance to the Suez Canal. She joined the convoy which resulted in the Red Sea on December 7 in the afternoon. The deployment of Augsburg strengthen the military capabilities of the battle group.

The carrier battle group formed around the Charles de Gaulle is composed of its onboard Air Group, air defense frigate Chevalier Paul, the anti frigate submarine La Motte-Picquet, the command ship and refueling Marne, Belgian frigate Leopold I and the German frigate Augsburg

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

FR CDG - Copie.jpg

FR 3.jpg

FFG Aquitaine join only after have left Brest recently definitely replace one FFG and HMS Defender yet in the Gulf.

TF 50 is 5th Fleet unit to which is attached normaly the US CSG with CVN.

Almost sure stop to Djibouti a base very well placed.
 
Last edited:

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Massive missile and aviation strike has been made against the objects of the ISIS and other extremist organizations on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic by Tu-22M3 bombers from the Mozdok airfield, as well as by the aircraft of the Russian air group from the Hmeymim airbase.
According to decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces dated December 5, 2015, intensity of strikes on objects of the ISIS and other extremist organizations on the territory of Syria was increased.


Kalibr missiles were launched from Kilo-class diesel-electric sub 'Rostov-on-Don'
RU.png
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
New US intelligence report predicts ISIS will spread worldwide
Well, we already know that they have very active activities going on in Afghanistan and Libya. we also know that they have cells in Europe, elsewhere in Africa, and probably other places too.

it is already spreading.
 
Top