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

earlier today I read in Russian Internet
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something like it's highly likely
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(who appeared here May 22, 2016
A little disturbing image here. The victims could be ISIS or Syrian Rebels no one knows for sure, but of course Al Jazera media had always hated the current Syrian government and army. So take this news with a grain of salt.

cdf7fb722ee5436ba33672f3a6b56453_18.jpg




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)

was KIA in Deir Ezzor today, so I post his picture reportedly from Deir Ezzor today (found in Twitter now):
C2tO0glXcAEuOhO.jpg


I of course don't know his status, but it's the first picture I saw showing him carrying an AK-47 (previously I saw some pictures of him just with a walkie-talkie)

EDIT
I mean I wonder if the situation could worsen to the point "a three-star" would be needed to shoot??
 
Last edited:
Yesterday at 8:34 PM
...
and an assault of the Airbase by ISIL is expected
today reportedly ISIL attacked 'Radar Station' (somewhere around the arrowhead I now added into the map from Wednesday at 10:23 PM):
1gz4B.jpg


BUT reportedly ISIL attacked the Northern Pocket, too: 'Panorama Roundabout' (I suppose the coordinates of that place are also shown below; I'm saying this because more to southwest there's 'Panorama Checkpoint', like southern entrance to Government-held area, OK at least how I understand it):
NsOq.jpg


as for the outcome ... it's tough people who watch this are right now waiting if ISIL outlets post pictures, videos from the area(s)
(it would only happen if the attack(s) succeeded ... but then it would probably be reliable info ... pro-Government media sometimes post pictures from 'practically taken' places if you know what I mean)
 
Today at 1:24 PM
Yesterday at 8:34 PM

today reportedly ISIL attacked 'Radar Station' (somewhere around the arrowhead I now added into the map from Wednesday at 10:23 PM):
1gz4B.jpg


BUT reportedly ISIL attacked the Northern Pocket, too: 'Panorama Roundabout' (I suppose the coordinates of that place are also shown below; I'm saying this because more to southwest there's 'Panorama Checkpoint', like southern entrance to Government-held area, OK at least how I understand it):
NsOq.jpg


as for the outcome ... it's tough people who watch this are right now waiting if ISIL outlets post pictures, videos from the area(s)
(it would only happen if the attack(s) succeeded ... but then it would probably be reliable info ... pro-Government media sometimes post pictures from 'practically taken' places if you know what I mean)
so now I'll start with pro-Government "peto lucem" (
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):
C2yhb3uWEAEOci6.jpg



which is contrasting to (
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):
C2ydf3LWgAA66tS.jpg

probably based on ISIL info (this map comes from
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Twitter account which reposts ISIL stuff)

oops, I now looked at the blog site of "Cassad" if there's more and, LOLOL you wouldn't believe me later, there's a fresh blog there
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which starts with the same two maps I put above (and contains several more, plus pictures, videos) ... I go there now ...

EDIT
... what's reportedly happened today was ISIL first had gotten to 'Panorama Roundabout', but couldn't hold up there ... why don't I just wait?
 
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now I read Pentagon denies Russia's claims it joined U.S.-led coalition in anti-ISIS airstrikes
The U.S. says Russia's claim that its warplanes flew a joint mission over Syria with the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group is "rubbish."

Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday its forces in Syria had received coordinates of ISIS targets near al-Bab on Sunday "from the U.S. side via hotline with the international coalition headquarters."

U.S. Air Force Col. John Dorrian, a coalition spokesman, almost immediately labeled the Russian claim as propaganda.

“The Department of Defense is not coordinating airstrikes with the Russian military in Syria,” said Eric Pahon, a spokesman at the Pentagon. “DoD maintains a channel of communication with the Russian military focused solely on ensuring the safety of aircrews and de-confliction of coalition and Russian operations in Syria.”

U.S. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said the U.S. has insisted for months that it has no coordination or sharing of targets with Russia.

New U.S. President Donald Trump has called for joint efforts with Russia against ISIS.

In addition to saying it received coordinates "from the U.S. side via hotline," the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that two Russian warplanes and two aircraft of the U.S.-led coalition then struck targets, destroying several ammunition and fuel depots along with militants and weapons.

The attack followed a joint raid in the same area flown by Russian and Turkish jets on Saturday.

Russia's Defense Ministry also says six Russian long-ranger bombers struck ISIS positions in eastern Syria.

The ministry said in a statement on Monday that the Tu-22M3 bombers took off from an air base in Russia and conducted airstrikes around the city of Deir el-Zour, targeting the militants' command posts and ammunition depots.

The ministry said fighter jets from a Russian air base in the government-controlled part of Syria provided cover for the bombers.

The raid came as Syrian government troops in Deir el-Zour find themselves in an increasingly difficult situation, cut in half in an ongoing ISIS offensive against the last remaining pockets of government control. ISIS is excluded from the cease-fire currently in place in Syria.

source is MillitaryTimes
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and I checked it said what Russians said (the Russian version is making Breaking News at gazeta.ru right now:
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)
 
Jan 17, 2017
... Astana, Kazakhstan blah blah and blah ...
now
Syria Talks in Astana Close with Pledge to Safeguard Truce
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Russia, Iran and Turkey — sponsors of talks in Kazakhstan between Syria and rebel factions — pledged Tuesday to consolidate the country's nearly month-old cease-fire and set up a three-way mechanism to ensure compliance of all sides.

At the conclusion of the two-day conference on Syria's nearly six-year war in Astana, the three countries said they will use their "influence" to strengthen the shaky truce,
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They did not specify how that would work, and the U.N.'s Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, only said that the three sides will meet soon in Astana to lay the parameters for a mechanism to reinforce the truce.

"It's going to be a challenge, it's not going to be easy," he told reporters later.

Following the declaration, read out by Kazakhstan's foreign minister, Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Syria's delegates to the Astana meeting held competing press conferences that underlined the enormous differences between the two sides.

"We don't accept any role for Iran in the future of Syria," said Mohammad Alloush, the head of the rebel delegation, insisting that all Iranian-backed foreign militias fighting alongside the Syrian government withdraw from Syria.

Syria's U.N. envoy Bashar Ja'afari, said it was "pitiful" that the opposition was criticizing one of the three guarantors who facilitated the agreement.

"The issue here is that finally we have a consensual paper called final communique or final declaration agreed upon by everybody ... this is what we care about," Ja'afari said.

Ja'afari, however, said that military operations in an area near the Syrian capital would continue despite a pledge to enforce the cease-fire "as long as there are terrorists depriving seven million people in the capital Damascus from drinking water."

The government says al-Qaida-linked militants are present in Ain al-Fijeh, which is located in the water-rich Barada Valley northeast of Damascus.

Ja'afari accused insurgents of using the water as a weapon but the rebels deny an al-Qaida-linked group is in the area, and have negotiated to include it in the cease-fire agreement.

The statement signed by the three sponsors Tuesday said the agreement in Astana paves the way for political talks to be held in Geneva at a later date, and welcomes the rebel groups' participation in the U.N. sponsored talks.

Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, and Turkey, a supporter of the opposition, had negotiated the shaky Dec. 30 cease-fire. Iran, which supports Syria, had approved it. The cease-fire greatly reduced the violence in Syria, but violations continued and the Syrian opposition and the government and its allies exchanged blame.

The meeting's final statement said the three countries "will seek through concrete steps and using the influence of the parties the consolidation the cease-fire" and agreed "to establish a trilateral mechanism to observe and ensure full compliance with the cease fire, prevent any provocations and determine all modalities of the ceasefire."

The statement said the three nations will continue their joint efforts in fighting the extremist Islamic State group and the al-Qaida affiliate in Syria. They called on the opposition to separate themselves from the al-Qaida-affiliate, a sticky point that has previously been the reason for the failure of previous cease-fire.

The rebel groups have formed close links with the group, known as Fatah al-Sham Front, on the ground. Tough fighters, Fatah al-Sham is excluded from the cease-fire according to the government, but the rebels say the truce should include all of Syria.

Astana featured a brief face-to-face meeting between the government and rebel representatives — their first since the Syrian war began in 2011 — that was quickly followed by harsh exchanges.

But the talks were largely indirect, mediated by the United Nations envoy.

After the final statement and in a briefing with journalists, Syria's opposition delegation said it is "too early to judge the outcome" of the Astana meeting, saying they are not party to the agreement and have many reservations.

"There is no consequence to statements. Our Syrian people in besieged areas do not have internet or social media to read the statements. They only know actions," said Osama Abo Zayd, an opposition representative.

He said any occupation of the Barada Valley by the government will render the cease-fire agreement void.

"We have a lot of reservations. ... Iran is still a party trying to effect forced demographic changes and sectarian changes, and it is principally responsible for the violations of the cease-fire," Abo Zayd said.

According to both Alloush and Abo Zayd, the opposition provided a paper to Russia detailing ways to monitor and enforce the cease-fire, and Russia has promised to address it within a week, in coordination with Turkey.
 
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