According to US Central Command (Centcom), US warplanes have attacked a major east-west highway in Syria, to prevent a Red Crescent-led evacuation program which is taking ISIL fighters and civilians out of the Syria-Lebanon border area to Deir Ezzur under a ceasefire deal with Syrian government and Hezbollah.
No Target Is Off-Limits: Why Is US Killing Entire Families in Syria Evacuation Program?
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609001096
After ISIL lost all of its territory in the border region, they negotiated an evacuation deal with the allied forces involved. The US, however, insists that it is not a party to the deal, and feels justified attacking the highway to stop the convoy as a result. The buses are said to contain militants, their families and civilians.
The US insists on all of them being killed instead of delivered to Deir Ezzur.
The convoy is now effectively stuck smack in the middle of Syria, with no easy way to move on to their intended destination. Centcom Spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon insists the convoy is still being monitored, and that the US would not rule out attacking the buses in the future if they believe it’s appropriate to do so. Dillon goes on to slam Russia, who appears wholly uninvolved with this whole evacuation process. He says the fact that Russia doesn’t actively prevent the convoy from leaving proves they aren’t serious about fighting ISIL. Actually. It’s the other way around:
The War Party in Washington is not happy with the way things have turned out in its regime-change program in Syria. Its terror proxy forces were supposed to depose the government but now just want to get out of the conflict zones while they can – saving themselves and their unfortunate families.
- For many reasons, US officials are expressing outrage at the deal, and indeed at the notion of any deal. This is not because as US Special Envoy Brett McGurk demands, “All of the ISIL fighters should be killed on the battlefield, and that busing is inappropriate for them.” The US wants them to stay and terrorize. This way they can continue the profitable war of attrition against Syria and its allies Iran, Russia and Hezbollah. It gives US perfect excuses to occupy Syria, bash Iran, and sell new weaponry to regional client states, mainly Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of those who have won the war. The allied forces of Iran, Syria, Russia and Hezbollah have won the war. The evacuation program is not intended to give a new breather to the terrorist groups. The whole idea is based on humanitarian grounds and giving them the chance to change course. There is still room in Syria for those who regret being part of a foreign-backed regime-change war. If they lay down arms and surrender, they and their families can have the chance to live in post-ISIL Syria.
Where this leaves the evacuation program is unclear, as the US seems to be holding out for the massacre of ISIL fighters, their families and civilians on the buses, and has threatened to attack the buses if they try to find a new route around the giant hole US warplanes have created in the highway they are traveling on. But one thing is certain:
The United States is killing entire families in Syria, and enabling Saudi Arabia to do the same in Yemen. In the first week of fighting in Raqqa, UN war crimes investigators warned that the US had already killed 300 civilians from air strikes alone. Rather than heed that warning, the US has continued the same strategy of pounding Raqqa into the ground despite the likelihood of civilian casualties. Not to mention that President Trump has relaxed the rules surrounding air strikes earlier this year, meaning military generals on the ground can call in airstrikes from the ground with zero oversight.
The result is that entire families, and not just ISIL families, are being massacred by US-led air strikes almost everywhere. The scale of things could increase significantly, if the War Party tries and derails the ongoing evacuation program. The program has come to the fore because America’s remaining terror proxies are not willing to fight to the death. There are very few die-hard ISIL supporters, and there are many witnesses and activists who have reported incidents of widespread civilian deaths at the hands of US air strikes.
This makes it incredibly difficult to believe that Washington is taking the utmost care to protect civilians in Syria. At a time when Amnesty International and human rights groups release evidence condemning the US for killing civilians in an indiscriminate fashion, are we just supposed to take their word for it?
As horrifying as the terror being inflicted on Syria is, what is occurring right now is not taking place in isolation. The US is delivering this disturbing criminality all over the region. In Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition, which is armed, trained, and protected by the US and the UK, is doing the exact same thing. These kinds of attacks seem to be occurring daily, and no target is off-limits for the war criminals - even their own terror proxies and entire families.
The al-Qaeda-linked Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) terrorist group brutally massacred all members of a family that was affiliated to a rival militant group, including 20 people, in Northern Idlib.
Tahrir Al-Sham Slaughters Entire Family for Affiliation to Rival Militant Group in Idlib
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609000920
Tahrir al-Sham militants stormed the rural town of Taladah and rounded up an entire family, some of whom were members of the Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki militant group, and then slaughtered them.
In the massacre, some 20 people, including women and children as well as 4 serving militants of the al-Zenki faction, were killed.
Opposition sources say that Tahrir al-Sham specifically targeted this family because it was very vocal in anti-Tahrir sentiments during the latest round of infightings in Idlib.
After being part of Tahrir al-Sham alliance since its formation at the beginning of this year, Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki defected the al-Qaeda-linked group in late July due to ambiguities over its blatant hostility towards other rebel groups (namely Ahrar al-Sham and the Free Syrian Army).
Informed sources disclosed earlier this month that clashes among terrorist groups have intensified in Southeastern Idlib, leaving a number of militants dead or wounded.
The sources reported that the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) stormed the positions of Jeish al-Fateheen affiliated to Ahrar al-Sham in the town of Tahtaya, killing and wounding a number of the rival militants.
In the meantime, fighters of Hamoud al-Malik, the former commander of Ahrar al-Sham, engaged in clashes with former combatants of Jund al-Aqsa in the town of Ma'art Shamarin in Southern Idlib.
Intense infighting broke out in the Northern parts of Homs province as terrorists stationed in al-Rastan and Talbiseh regions clashed with each other over accusations of seeking reconciliation with the government.
Terrorists' Infighting Intensified in Northern Homs De-Escalation Zone
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609000857
According to field reports,
clashes began at several checkpoints between terrorists in Talbiseh and al-Rastan in Northern Homs which resulted in a number of injuries and arresting of several militants.
Meantime, the Syrian army choppers dropped thousands of fliers over the Northern parts of Homs, encouraging the people in the area to seek reconciliation with the government and fire the Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) terrorists from the region.
Also earlier this month, a new wave of infighting had erupted among the terrorist groups in Western Aleppo and militants of Tahrir al-Sham Hayat after the latter took control of several military positions of Nouralddeen al-Zinki rival terrorist group.
Tahrir al-Sham terrorists attacked Nouralddeen al-Zinki's military positions in Jamiat al-Rahal and Khan al-Asal West of Aleppo and managed to take control of their station and three headquarters paving the way for setting up new checkpoints and road blocks.
Meantime, Tahrir al-Sham terrorists arrested the elements of the TOW regiment of Nouralddeen al-Zinki.
Websites affiliated to the terrorist groups noted the new wave of violence in the Western parts of Aleppo province, and said that Tahrir al-Sham has gathered a large number of its terrorists and military equipment in the region and both sides are in a state of alert.
The former security commander of al-Tanf base in Syria revealed that his comrades have been selling arms to the ISIL terrorist group, adding that the US army took no action to stop the trade once it came in hold of relevant information.
US-Backed Militants Selling Weapons to ISIL in Syria at Al-Tanf Base
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609000706
The Arabic website of Sputnik news agency quoted
Mohammad al-Salam, a former security official at al-Tanf base in Syria, as saying that commander of the US-backed Maqawir al-Thorah militant group Muhanned al-Tala has sold the US-made weapons to the ISIL militants.
Noting that
the equipment and weapons included SPG, Chas and Tata vehicles and a large number of M16 rifles, he said, "After the arms trade was disclosed, we informed the Americans that al-Tala is selling weapons to the ISIL but they took no action."
Al-Salam said that the US forces have also attempted to transfer the people in Deir Ezzur to al-Shadadi base in Hasaka to make them fight against the Syrian army once the war on ISIL is over.
An Arab media outlet reported earlier this month that tens of US soldiers and Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants have arrived in al-Shadadi region to participate in an imminent operation against ISIL in Deir Ezzur.
The Arabic-language al-Ahd news website reported that
a military column, including 200 US soldiers and 100 FSA fighters have arrived in al-Shadadi region in Southern Hasaka in the last five days.
Al-Ahd further reported that special forces affiliated to the Syrian al-Qad movement headed by Ahmad al-Jarba intend to join the newly-arrived forces in al-Shadadi to participate in Deir Ezzur battle.
Al-Qad's moves came after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces refused to cooperate with al-Jarba's forces.
The total number of al-Qad's fighters that have retreated towards their camps near the towns of Abu Khashab, Maleha al-Zero and Raj'an between Hasaka and Deir Ezzur provinces amounts to 3,000.
The US-backed terrorists in Syria have received EU-made armored vehicles, news sources reported on Thursday.
Terrorists in Syria Receive European Armored Vehicles
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609000352
According to the Arabic website of Sputnik news agency,
the militant groups in Syria have received the OT-64 , an armored personnel carrier (8x8), developed jointly by Poland and Czechoslovakia (CSSR).
It added that the vehicle was used by the member armies of Warsaw Treaty and have been brought from the military depots in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
Experts believe that the vehicles have been brought to Syria to help the terrorists resist against the Syrian army's armored vehicles, including BTR-80, Vodnik and BMP-1.
A diplomatic source said in July that Russia gathered incontestable evidence proving the use of foreign weapons and ammunition by terrorist groups in Syria.
"Russian officers of the Center for Syrian Reconciliation registered on Saturday 48 mortar shelling of the Al-Qabas quarter from the positions of illegal armed formations in Ein Tarma and Jobar," the source said.
"Moreover, they gathered incontestable evidence proving that terrorists use foreign weapons and ammunition — took photos of shatters of the shells produced abroad with serial numbers," the source added.
UN humanitarian coordinator said the battle to recapture the ISIL stronghold of Raqqa by the US-led Syrian Democratic Forces is costing the lives of 27 civilians a day. And while the terrorists use residents as human shields, the US-led coalition often bombs escape routes.
UN: ISIL Slaughters People, about 27 Raqqa Residents Killed Daily in US-Led Coalition Strikes
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609000562
“The UN estimates that an average of 27 people are being killed in Raqqa, every day,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien told the UN Security Council," RT reported.
O'Brien noted that
up to 25,000 civilians are still trapped in the ISIL-besieged city and are being slaughtered in the crossfire between the sides in the ongoing battle, the last phase of which began in June.
“They risk being killed, either by airstrikes, or by ISIL snipers or mines if they try to flee, or being used as human shields if they remain,” O’Brien noted, urging all sides of the conflict to spare civilian lives.
Also Wednesday, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
revealed that coalition forces are targeting boats on the Euphrates river which serve as escape routes for civilians, while ISIL militants are killing anyone who tries to flee.
I am deeply disturbed by reports coming out of Raqqa of the horrendous situation faced by civilians caught up in the offensive to retake the city from the ISIL group,”said special adviser Adama Dieng. “The legitimate aim of retaking Raqqa must not be achieved at such a high cost to civilians.”
Some of those civilians, who made it alive out of Raqqa, spoke to RT at the Ain Issa refugee camp North of the city.
“The aircraft shelled a lot. This happened in Mishleb, the downtown area, and around us.
ISIL was slaughtering people and throwing them next to our houses,” one internally displaced woman told RT’s Ruptly video agency.
“The shelling is targeting the civilians, it is the aircraft, the coalition. It shells the civilians. Four-storey houses of people were all bombed over in our neighborhood. For sure many have died. One of them is my cousin, he died in Raqqa by an airplane,” another refugee said.
Some former Raqqa residents said
coalition aircraft sometimes used white phosphorous in populated areas, and in one instance allegedly killed 17 people.
SDF militants, supported by the US-led coalition, launched the offensive in Raqqa province in November last year. In June, the fighting progressed towards the ISIL-besieged city, the de facto capital of the self-proclaimed terrorist rule.
An estimated 1,000 ISIL terrorists are still resisting some 15,000 SDF forces for control of the city, Nowruz Ahmed, who sits on the military council of the US-backed ground force told Reuters earlier this week. She hopes the city will be liberated within the next two months. So far, according to Ahmed's assessment, the SDF has captured around 60 percent of the city and has most of the ISIL terrorists encircled.
“We cannot determine the time period in which the battle of Raqqa will end precisely because war has its conditions. But we do not expect it to last long, and according to our plans the battle will not take longer than two months from now,” Ahmed said.
While SDF and the US-led coalition battle to recapture Raqqa, Syrian government forces, aided by Russian air power, are also making a push to help liberate the besieged city. In July, Syrian forces secured 4 humanitarian routes to deliver aid from Damascus, Homs and Aleppo and evacuated civilians from the city in an effort to spare them from the coalition’s bombardment and ISIL's atrocities.
Facing increased pressure in Raqqa and elsewhere, ISIL terrorists have been trying to move its remaining forces along with tanks and other heavy weaponry to the Deir Ezzur area.
As a result of their desperate attempt to regroup, some 800 terrorists were killed and 13 tanks and 29 pickup trucks with mounted high-caliber guns were destroyed by Syrian troops and Russian aircraft near the town of Ghanem Ali, located in the Eastern part of the Raqqa province South of the Euphrates.
The key Euphrates city of Deir Ezzur has been under terrorist siege for two and a half years after being cut off from government-held areas, but now, the Syrian Army and allied forces are pushing toward the besieged city.
Russian planes delivered 293 tons of food and medical supplies to Deir Ezzur in August, according to Russian defense ministry. It has also upped the number of sorties against ISIL to 60-70 per day as the push for Deir Ezzur gains momentum.
The Syrian army troops advanced to regions 2km away from a surrounded ISIL base in Eastern Hama.
Syrian Army Advances in Areas Near Last ISIL Base in Eastern Hama
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609000819
A military field source said that the army forces have regained control of the village of al-Moshirfeh in Eastern Hama near Aqayrabat.
He added that
since the battle in Aqayrabat is highly important to the ISIL, the terrorist group has well prepared for the battle and has dug a large number of ditches and planted mines in the region. The ISIL has also stockpiled a large number of weapons, tanks, sniper guns and missiles.
The source said that the Syrian army troops have now reached areas 2km away from Aqayrabat, adding that
the anti-ISIL operations will further accelerate after the special 'ISIL Hunters' forces join the army.
A military source confirmed on Saturday that the Syrian Army troops have completed the siege on the terrorists in the Central part of the war-hit country.
The source reported that ISIL-held regions covering almost 3,000sq/km of area in Homs and Hama province are now under a full siege imposed by the army forces.
The source further added that the army men managed to advance against ISIL South of the town of Ithriya Northeast of Hama and reached their comrades that stormed ISIL's defense line from their positions North of al-Sha'er region in Eastern Homs and advanced towards Jabal al-Fasedah region in Eastern Hama.
The source went on to say that the army soldier have gained control over all the roads in the Eastern direction of the town of al-Salamiyah in Hama province, adding that ISIL withdrew a large number of its forces before the army gained control over the roads.
The source further said
that most of the remaining pockets of ISIL terrorists in Aqayrabat region in Hama province are suicide attackers that are in their positions to carry out suicide raids on the government forces to delay the fall of the town of Aqayrabat to the army.
The ISIL terrorists are trapped in the circle of the army forces in Aqayrabat, one of their main strategic bastions in Hama, after they lost the town of al-Sukhnah in Eastern Homs to the army men.
Military helicopters of the US-led coalition carried out another heliborne operation in Western Deir Ezzur to evacuate ISIL militants from the region, media reports said on Thursday.
US Army Conducts More Heliborne Operations to Take ISIL Terrorists Away from Deir Ezzur
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960609000561
The Kurdish-language Rudaw news website quoted local sources as saying that
the US army carried out a heliborne operation in al-Souh region in the Southwestern parts of the town of al-Masrab in Western Deir Ezzur at 5pm (local time) on Wednesday, taking away a number of ISIL terrorists. The US army has conducted a growing number of similar heliborne operations to help senior ISIL leaders in Eastern Syria this year.
Local sources reported in July that a group of ISIL terrorists were transferred by a van from the town of Ayyash in Eastern Deir Ezzur to a ISIL-held desert region in the Eastern direction of the town of al-Sukhnah in Eastern Homs, where three helicopters of the coalition were hovering over the region. One of the helicopters landed but the other two continued to fly over the region.
The three helicopters flew towards North and entered Raqqa airspace, adding that there was no information about their exact destination.
The sources further said that the ISIL militants taken away by the American choppers could have been one of the spying groups used by Washington via Jeish Maqavir al-Thowrah militant group to materialize its objectives in the region.
More reports said in June that the US-led coalition aircraft carried out heliborne operation in regions controlled by ISIL terrorists in Northern Raqqa. The heliborne operation to save the ISIL members was conducted in the Northern parts of Raqqa.
Meantime, other reports said that the predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) forces who were stationed in Raqqa under the US supervision allow the ISIL terrorists to leave Raqqa city.
