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

Russia is playing a very complex "game" in which a measure of military presence in Syria is an important component. See for example:
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The survival of the Syrian state is necessary for success in this "game".
delft while you're reading dubious texts about "games", I've noticed the Government is under attack in Aleppo and its vicinity (of course the reports are difficult to verify, so just coupla points here): allegedly,

  • huge building of "Syrian KGB" blown up (first a tunnel was dug to undermine the compound):
  • anti-Government forces about to take over some important district
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    in the city center:
    7ghGJ.jpg

  • anti-Government forces about to take over
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EDIT
Dec 20, 2015
... Khan Tuman had been taken by Government Forces today; ...

I'm as suspicious as ever: very little news comes out of Aleppo area ... let's see if I'll be able to update this post
 
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delft

Brigadier
The matter is complex. You might read this blog article by the retired Indian diplomat M.K.Bhadrakumar:
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which contains this quote from Wall Street Journal:

The fate of Syria’s moderate rebels is critical to American efforts… If rebels quit the fight or join forces with Islamist extremist groups fighting the regime, the U.S. will lose leverage to shape the war’s outcome—and potential allies against Islamic State. Some rebel commanders close to the U.S. warn that the diplomatic deadlock and renewed airstrikes against rebel-held areas would push people into the arms of the extremists, including Nusra Front, an al Qaeda affiliate… excluded from any potential settlement with the regime.

In northwest Syria… moderate rebels occupy the same territory as Nusra and say they are compelled to coordinate and share scant resources with it, especially when they all come under assault from the regime and its allies. Nusra and six rebel groups in northern Syria said this week they would re-establish a joint command center… Nusra’s opposition to the peace talks in Geneva has resonated with rebels who regard any concession to the regime as treason… Most rebels are hesitant to fight Nusra because its ranks are filled with men from their towns and villages. (
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)


Men can earn very little money in the "rebel" held areas except by serving in "rebel" movements that are sponsored by foreign countries. If you choose a political solution with free and fair elections and to that end destroy Nusra and Daesh the US sponsored and armed "rebels" are to weak to have any influence on the elections especially if there are sufficient independent observers.
 
Today at 9:58 AM
...
  • anti-Government forces about to take over
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...

I'm as suspicious as ever: very little news comes out of Aleppo area ... let's see if I'll be able to update this post
two sources now ("deSyracuse" and "almasdarnews") concur the Government lost Khan Tuman and Al-Khalidiyah (shown in yellow in the map below; less than two miles from "M5"), and it's unclear to me what else ... saw claims of Al Humayra (middle-bottom) and Khirbat Ma'rata (north-east corner), but not of Al-Qarassi (most to the east in the map below):
SWHIY.jpg
let's see tomorrow
 
Yesterday at 8:41 PM
Today at 9:58 AM

two sources now ("deSyracuse" and "almasdarnews") concur the Government lost Khan Tuman and Al-Khalidiyah (shown in yellow in the map below; less than two miles from "M5"), and it's unclear to me what else ... saw claims of Al Humayra (middle-bottom) and Khirbat Ma'rata (north-east corner), but not of Al-Qarassi (most to the east in the map below):
SWHIY.jpg
let's see tomorrow
... and I decided to post just this map (should be "clickable"; in case it didn't show, you could try the links
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or
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):
cnh8lcmo4eroo09zg.jpg
 
Yesterday at 9:58 AM
... I've noticed the Government is under attack in Aleppo and its vicinity (of course the reports are difficult to verify, so just coupla points here): allegedly,
  • huge building of "Syrian KGB" blown up (first a tunnel was dug to undermine the compound):
...

... and the yellowish smoke also shows inside of
WATCH: Aerial Drone Footage of a Tunnel Bomb Exploding in Syria
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delft

Brigadier
The cease fire was extended from the Aleppo province to the cty and is now extended
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but clearly Al Nusra and their friends the moderate terrorists are not interested in the cease fire.
 
...
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...
the map inside of the article, which is dated "7 May 2016", failed to notice Government had lost the area around
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in the morning of May 6; using that map anyway, I approximated this area by the white arrowhead, and the threat to the Government could be its forces in Aleppo might be trapped (which I approximated by the white line: I'm predicting NOTHING though):
9Plby.jpg
 
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