Russia Begins Operations in Syria: End Game for the US Empire?

Russian diplomats, Syrian president discuss Idlib situation

Russia’s Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin have discussed the fight against terrorists in the Syrian province of Idlib with the country’s President Bashar al-Assad during their November 4 visit to Damascus, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The parties thoroughly discussed the current situation in Syria, focusing on the implementation of the memorandum on Idlib adopted in Sochi on September 17 in light of the ongoing fight against terrorists," the statement reads. "Detailed information about the outcome of the four-party summit (between Russia, Turkey, Germany and France), held in Istanbul on October 27, was provided to Bashar al-Assad," the ministry added.

The meeting’s participants also touched upon the possibility of launching a Syrian constitutional committee as soon as possible. "The parties emphasized the importance of the post-conflict reconstruction of Syria and the return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons to places of their permanent residence based on respect for the country’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity," the statement adds.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Sunday following Assad’s meeting with Lavrentyev and Vershinin that the parties had discussed the formation of a constitutional committee and ways to resolve the Syrian crisis based on respect for the country’s sovereignty.

On Monday, the Russian presidential envoy and the deputy foreign minister visited Tehran to discuss the Syria issue with the Iranian authorities.


US-backed forces and Daesh exchange prisoners in Deir Ezzor

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) terrorist organization conducted a prisoner exchange this week in the Deir Ezzor countryside, local activists reported on Monday.

According to these activists, a meeting was held a couple of days ago between the Arab leaders in the Syrian Democratic Forces and Islamic State regarding a potential prisoner exchange in the Deir Ezzor countryside.

The Islamic State reportedly agreed to release 11 Arab fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces in exchange for the latter allowing food and medical supplies to enter the town of Shafah in the southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

Both sides have reportedly agreed to the terms of exchange.


ISIS RELEASES 7 U.S SOLDIERS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE KURDS

Major Turkish media outlet Anadolu reports that Seven US soldiers were released under an exchange deal between ISIS and the Kurdish terrorist organization PKK, according to reliable local sources in Deir al-Zour province, in eastern Syria.

In statements to Anatolia, the sources explained that “Daesh” (ISIS) captured seven US soldiers, during clashes with elements of the organization “YPG/PKK”, which is supported by the United States, last September, in the province of Deir al-Zour.

The sources, who preferred not to be identified, said that “Daesh” captured part of the seven U.S soldiers in attacks on oil fields in the area, and the rest in an attack on a camp near a neighboring town.

The sources said that negotiations between “Daesh” and “YPG/PKK” led to the release of the U.S soldiers.

A spokesman for the YPG/PKK said that ISIS called for the withdrawal from the particular oil field in question as well as a number of other fields, and to allow the entry of food and medical supplies to the town of Shaafa, in exchange for the release of US soldiers, according to sources.

The sources stressed that the “YPG / PKK” has already withdrawn from the oil fields concerned, and received the U.S soldiers detained by “Daesh,” under the deal between the two terrorist organizations, while not yet handing over the food and medical supplies, the source mentioned.

In response to a question by the Anatolian correspondent, an official in the US-led international coalition refused to report the presence of US soldiers held by Daesh.

On the news of a deal on the subject between the organization and “YPG / PKK”, the official said, “The alliance did not conclude any deal with Daesh.”

As of 15:45 GMT, November 5th, Washington has not followed up on the reported detention of US soldiers and the circumstances surrounding the incident. Clashes erupted between the two terrorist organizations in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour on September 11th 2018.

The PKK elements launched intense attacks with US and French support against Daesh to control the entire oil-rich province.

Despite US and French support, YPG did not make any headway with violent counter-attacks in defense of its last stronghold in the region.


ISIS CAR BOMB ATTACK KILLS SDF INTELLIGENCE OFFICER IN SYRIA’S MANBIJ: REPORTS

One person was killed and seven others were injured in a car bomb explosion in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, which is controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack via its news agency Amaq. According to reprots, the killed person was identified as an SDF intelligence officer, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim Muhammad.

It’s interesting to note that the car bomb attack took place amid the developing tensions between the SDF and Turkey-led forces in northern Syria. Recently, the SDF and the US-led coalition have significantly boosted security measures in the area. However, even these efforts did not allow them to prevent the ISIS attack inside the SDF stronghold.

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Tahrir Al-Sham Retreats after Clashes with Rival Terrorists in Northwestern Syria

Horas al-Deen and Tahrir al-Sham engaged in a tough battle North of the town of Saraqib in Eastern Idlib.

Horas al-Deen managed to push Tahrir al-Sham back from one of their key positions.

The clashes inflicted a number of casualties on both sides.

Both warring sides have kept their fighters on alert that has caused civilians in the region to worry about.

Clashes are underway between the warring sides as Tahrir al-Sham is trying hard to recapture the lost land.

On Saturday, two notorious commanders of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at and National Liberation Front (NLF) were killed in a bomb and gun fire attacks by unidentified raiders in Southern Idlib.

Abdulhamid al-Azo, a field commander of NLF, was killed in a bomb blast along a road connecting Dayer Sharqi to Ein Qari'a in Southern Idlib.

In the meantime, Abu Osama al-Terablosi, a notorious commander of Tahrir al-Sham, was gunned down by unknown raiders near the town of Ma'arat al-Nu'aman in Southern Idlib.

Meanwhile, a number of NLF fighters were killed or injured after a bomb went off near their base in the town of al-Artab in Western Aleppo.

Infighting and assassination operations have increased further in Northern Syria after the endorsement of the Sochi Agreement by Russia and Turkey that ruled for the establishment of a demilitarized zone in Idlib.


Turkey to Utilize Jeish Al-Islam Terrorists in Battle against Kurds in Northern Syria

There is a close relation between Jeish al-Islam and Turkey after the terrorist group, a former ally of Riyadh, was expelled from Damascus' Eastern Ghouta.

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily quoted militant-affiliated sources as reporting that Turkey is planning to use Jeish al-Islam in its operation against Kurds on Syria's soil on the Eastern banks of the Euphrates River, adding that Jeish al-Islam had been backed up by the َAnkara forces after the Saudis ended their military support for the terrorist group.

The daily went on to say that a large number of Jeish al-Islam fighters have been deployed in the town of al-Bab in Northeastern Aleppo that is under the control of Turkish forces and their militant allies, adding that Jeish al-Islam is in control of large territories near the town of Sosiyan.

The daily further said that Jeish al-Islam has been recruiting fresh fighters in Northern Aleppo via paying a hefty amount of money to boost its influence in al-Bab region.

A Lebanese media outlet reported on Monday that the Turkish warplanes were carrying out an increasing number of flights over the border with Syria's Hasaka as Ankara ground troops were preparing to launch a large-scale operation against Kurds on the Eastern banks of the Euphrates River.

The Arabic-language al-Manar TV Channel reported that the Turkish fighter jets were flying in large numbers over the border region with Hasaka province in Northeastern Syria.

It further said that the US-led coalition forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) held joint patrol along Syria-Turkey border between the two small towns of al-Darbasiyah in Northern Hasaka, and Ra'as al-Ein in Northwestern Hasaka.

The tv channel went on to say that a large number of Turkish troops and Ankara-backed militants have been put on alert along the contact lines with the SDF in Northern Syria to be used in a military operation on the Eastern banks of the Euphrates River.

In the meantime, SOHR reported that the SDF commanders held a meeting over countering Turkey's possible attack on the Eastern banks of the Euphrates River.


HAY’AT TAHRIR AL-SHAM BEGINS INVESTIGATION TO FIND PERSONS LEAKING INFO ABOUT TERRORIST GROUP’S CHEMICAL WEAPONS – REPORT

The former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has launched an extensive investigation to determine the personnel responsible for leaking information about its chemical weapons, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported on November 2.


Tens of Terrorists, White Helmets Members Arrested over Leakage of Chemical Cargos Details

The Arabic-language website of Sputnik quoted unnamed sources as disclosing that Tahrir al-Sham and Jeish al-Izzah terrorists arrested 29 of their own members and also 5 members of the White Helmets, accusing them of involvement in disclosing information about chemical weapons and poisonous gases, including their storage locations and transfer of them to new locations.

Tahrir al-Sham and Jeish al-Izzah set up a joint committee 3 days ago to investigate and find those behind the leak of chemical information.

The Arabic-language website of Sputnik quoted another source as disclosing on Saturday that Tahrir al-Sham and Jeish al-Izzah terrorists launched vast investigations to fine sources behind leaking information about the transfer of the chemical material cargos to different regions in Idlib province.

It further said that Tahrir al-Sham's move came after terrorist groups held a meeting in Khan Sheikhoun in Southwestern Idlib to set up an investigation committee.

The Arabic Sputnik went on to say that the committee is responsible for questioning the terrorists and members of the pro-militant White Helmets Organization over the leaked information.

Different Arab media outlets have released reports about chemical activities of the terrorist groups in Idlib in recent months.

In the meantime, informed sources reported in late October that Jeish al-Izzah transferred 2 cylinders of Sarin and Chlorine gases from al-Latamina to Qala Maziq in Northwestern Hama to hand over them to allied militants of Ansar al-Tohid.


Syrian Army Sends More Military Convoys to Sweida Desert to Counter ISIL

The army dispatched hundreds of soldiers, including more units of the 4th Division, tens of military and armored vehicles and heavy equipment to Toloul al-Safa regin in the Eastern desert of Sweida.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units pounded terrorists' movements and positions in Toloul al-Safa as heavy fighting is underway between ISIL and Damascus ground forces in the region.

Last month, the army, led by their elite 4th Armored Division and 5th Corps, began their push up the steep cliffs of Toloul al-Safa region, striking several sites controlled by the ISIL terrorists.

Not long after launching their large-scale assault, the Syrian Army found themselves involved in a tough battle with the ISIL terrorists at one of several rocky cliffs in Toloul al-Safa region.

According to a military source in the provincial capital of Sweida, the Syrian army managed to advance up one of the highest peak in Toloul al-Safa region, leaving them only a short distance from imposing fire control over much of the area.

The military source said that the Syrian army did suffer over ten casualties trying to make this advance; they would also inflict heavy losses in the ISIL ranks.

The Army is now working to secure several hilltops in Toloul al-Safa region, as they look to eliminate the last remnants of the ISIL in Southern Syria.


Syrian Army Preempts Terrorist Groups' Offensives in Northern Hama

The army's artillery units targeted the movements of a terrorist group South of the village of al-Zakat and repelled their attack on the government forces' positions in the village of Shilout in Marhadah region in Northern Hama.

A number of terrorists were killed or wounded in the artillery attack and the remaining pockets of the terrorists retreated from the region.

In the meantime, other units of the army targeted terrorists' movements in the village of Tal al-Sakhar, preventing them from prevailing over government forces' positions in Northern Hama.

Also, other artillery units shelled terrorists' movements in the village of Khirbet al-Naqous in Northwestern Hama, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The terrorists have still deployed in demilitarized zone in spite of Turkey's attempts to expel them.

On Saturday, terrorist groups sent more military hardware to Southeastern Idlib in defiance of the terms of the Sochi Agreement that calls for a demilitarized zone.

Terrorist groups dispatched more arms and ammunition to Skeik, al-Taah and Jarjanaz in Southeastern Idlib to boost their defense-combat capabilities.

The terrorists' move came after their attack on the Syrian Army near Abu al-Dhohour that caused the army's artillery units to shell terrorists' positions in the region.

In the meantime, a filed commander said that the terrorists' attacks on the army prove that Turkey has failed to expel terrorists from the demilitarized zone.

The commander warned that the Sochi Agreement will not survive if the terrorists continue such attacks.
 
Joint US-Kurdish Patrols in Northern Syria 'Unacceptable' - Erdogan

Joint patrolling by the US military and members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria is unacceptable and could lead to negative consequences, Erdogan said Tuesday.

"Joint patrolling of the US military and YPG members in Syria is unacceptable and could cause serious negative consequences on the border," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters.

Erdogan said he believed that US President Donald Trump would "stop that."

US-Turkish relations have suffered a setback amid Ankara's concerns over US support for the YPG, which is viewed by the Turkish authorities as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a terrorist organization, outlawed in Turkey.

Ankara has also repeatedly accused Washington of failing to fulfill its promises regarding the withdrawal of the YPG from Syria’s Manbij.


[Graphic 18+] Kurdish group ambushes Turkish-backed rebels in Afrin

A Kurdish-led group carried out a deadly ambush in the Afrin region last month, killing at least five Turkish soldiers and rebels.

The Kurdish group known as the “Wrath of Olives” released a video on their official page that shows their fighters detonating roadside bombs in the town of Kaljabren on October 4th.

According to the group, the roadside bombs killed two Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters and three Turkish soldiers.
Below is the video that was released by the group this week:


The Wrath of Olives Operation Room was started by an unknown group after the fall of Afrin to the Turkish-backed rebels.

While it is believed that the Wrath of Olives Operation Room was formed by the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG), the latter has denied these claims.


Over 15 Syrian soldiers killed, wounded in latest attacks by jihadist rebels

A number of soldiers from the Syrian military were killed or wounded during the fierce clashes in northwestern Syria on Tuesday.

According to a military source in the city of Mhardeh, over 15 soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and National Defense Forces (NDF) were either killed or wounded in the Hama, Idlib, and Latakia provinces.

The majority of the Syrian military’s casualties came when the jihadist rebels in the Al-Ghaab Plain fired a barrage of missiles and artillery shells towards the government positions near the town of Joureen.

In response to this powerful attack by the jihadist rebels, the Syrian Arab Army responded with a barrage of surface-to-surface missiles towards the militant-held towns of Ziyara and Tal Wasit.

The Syrian Arab Army expanded their assault to the towns of Al-Lataminah and Lahaya shortly after their attack on the jihadist positions in the Al-Ghaab Plain.

With the jihadist rebels refusing to leave the Idlib buffer zone, the Syrian Arab Army finds themselves in a tough bind.

Turkey has repeatedly stated that they will not allow the Syrian Army to push into the Idlib province, despite the fact that they agreed to force the jihadist rebels to withdraw from the designated demilitarized zones.

The Syrian Army is now awaiting directions from their Russian and Iranian partners, who are their intermediary with the Turkish regime.


Armada of Russian ships armed with cruise missiles head to Syrian waters (photos)

A large number of Russian ships have made their way to the eastern Mediterranean recently, regional naval observers have reported.

Most recently, the Admiral Grigorovich class frigate was photographed by Turkish naval observer Yoruk Isik sailing through the Bosporus Strait en route for the eastern Mediterranean.


As reported by Isik above, the new Admiral Grigorovich is armed with Kalibr SS-N-27 missiles & DTA-53 533mm torpedoes, which will add to the Armada of Russian ships that are already deployed to the eastern Mediterranean.


This move by the Russian Federation comes as the jihadist rebels in northwest Syria have refused to leave the designated buffer zones in the Idlib, Hama, Aleppo, and Latakia provinces.

The Russian military and Syrian Arab Army (SAA) have given the jihadist rebels in northwestern Syria several warnings regarding their violation of the September 17 Sochi Agreement; however, their threats have had little affect over the militants.

In response, the jihadist rebels have attacked the Syrian Army’s positions in several parts of northwest Syria, prompting a fierce exchange of hostilities on a daily basis.
 
Russian specialists reconfigure S-300 systems in Syria

Russian technical specialists have completed the reconfiguration of S-300PM/PM-2 air defense systems to the export version S-300PMU-2 Favorit and returned to Russia, a military-diplomatic source told TASS on Wednesday.

"Technical specialists from Russia’s defense industry enterprises who arrived in Syria in early October following the supply of S-300PM/PM-2 systems have completed their reconfiguration to the export version S-300PMU-2. They returned to Russia several days ago," the source said.

"All three battalions armed with S-300PMU-2 systems are ready for combat operation in Syria. Syrian military personnel is now to be instructed in their use," he added.

Another military-diplomatic source earlier told TASS that Russia’s technical specialists were to replace Russian codes and letter frequencies of the ground radar interrogator and letter codes of radars to Syrian ones.

On October 31, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that alongside the S-300 air defense systems Russia provided sets of the automated system of air defense means control Polyana D-4, which ensures effective control of combat operations by a missile air defense brigade or a mixed air defense group of air defense missile systems S-300 and Tor, air defense systems Buk, and air defense missile and artillery systems Pantsir-S and Tunguska.

The agreement on providing S-300 systems to Syria was signed back in 2010 only to be frozen shortly afterwards. On September 24, 2018 after the loss of Russia’s Ilyushin-20 reconnaissance plane in Syria Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that Russia would provide S-300 systems to reinforce the Syrian army’s combat capabilities. On October 2, 2018 Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin that the S-300 systems had been airlifted to Syria and that Syrian military personnel would take three months to be instructed in using them in combat.


'Who Will Control Them?' US 'Very Concerned' About S-300s in Syria - Envoy

Earlier, an Israeli official called Russia's S-300 deliveries to Syria "a big mistake" and warned that Israel would target the air defenses if they fired on Israeli jets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Israel that new attacks in Syria would not resolve Tel Aviv's security concerns, but only serve to increase regional tensions.

"We are concerned very much about the S-300 system being deployed to Syria. The issue is at the detail level. Who will control it? What role will it play," US special representative for Syria engagement James Jeffrey said, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday.

Russia started deploying its S-300 air defense systems to Syria on October 2 in response to a September 17 incident involving the downing of a Russian recon plane by Syrian forces defending against an Israeli air raid. The S-300s were part of a series of measures taken by the Russian military aimed at bolstering Syria's air defenses against future air attacks and assuring the safety of Russian military personnel in Syria.

"Our immediate effort is to try to calm that situation down and then move on to a long-term solution," Jeffrey said, commenting on the downed Russian plane, adding that the incident points to the dangers of having multiple militaries concentrated in a small area.

Washington Hopes Moscow Will Allow Israel to Resume Attacks on 'Iranian Targets' in Syria

"Russia has been permissive, in consultation with the Israelis, about Israeli strikes against Iranian targets inside Syria. We certainly hope that that permissive approach will continue," the US diplomat noted.

According to Jeffrey, Tel Aviv "has an existential interest" in blocking Iran from deploying long-range missiles in Syria which can be used inside Syria, with the US fully supportive of Israel's need to defend itself against this alleged threat. For its part, Washington will put financial and other pressure on Iran to 'more actively contest' its alleged activities, "particularly in Iraq, Syria and Yemen," the diplomat said.

Israel and its US allies have repeatedly accused Tehran of deploying troops and advanced equipment in Syria. Iranian officials have denied the claims, stating that Iran's deployment is limited to military advisers assisting the Damascus government in its fight against the jihadists, and that their presence, unlike that of the US, is legitimate under international law.

Israel conducted over 200 missions in Syria over a year and a half period up to early September 2018, but has not been reported to have done so since the September 17 raid.

Long-Term US Goal Removal of Foreign Military Presence in Syria

According to Jeffrey, the long-term US goal is to regularize the existing ceasefires in Syria and move toward a political solution, including the eventual withdrawal of Israeli, Turkish, Iranian and US forces in the country, but not Russian ones. In the meantime, US troops will stay in the country "until the enduring defeat of ISIS*," which includes dealing with concerns about the terrorist group's "ability to infiltrate back into areas as a terrorist force both in Iraq and in Syria in particular," Jeffrey said.

*Aka Daesh, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.


UAE to reopen its embassy in Syria; reports

The United Arab Emirates is preparing to re-open its embassy in the Syrian capital after six years of closure.

According to media reports, Abu Dhabi has ordered full maintenance works to its Syrian embassy to be ready for opening within the next two weeks.

The same reports added that other GCC states are considering restoring diplomatic ties with Damascus.

Most countries have closed its embassies and consulates since the uprising – which later turned into a bloody war – swept the country in 2011.

With the exception of Oman, GCC states closed its Syrian embassies in 2012.


Lebanon ready to assist in return of 200,000 Syrian refugees before year’s end

Lebanese authorities are ready to assist in the return of about 200,000 Syrian refugees to their native country before the end of the year, Head of the Russian National Defense Management Center Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev said at the Wednesday meeting of the Russian and Syrian coordination centers for the return of refugees.

"Lebanon and Jordan have been actively assisting in the return of Syrian refuges to their homes. Lebanese authorities have expressed readiness to ensure the return of about 200,000 refugees before the end of the year," Mizintsev said.

According to the general, these plans imply only voluntary return of refugees based on the fundamental principles of the United Nations.


Kurdish Politician: US Unable to Halt Turkey's Attacks on Kurds

"The stances adopted by the US-led coalition forces in Syria may not deter Turkey's aggressions on regions located in Eastern Euphrates," member of the executive body of Syrian Democratic Alliance Talat Youness said on Wednesday.

The politician reiterated that the US measures to prevent Turkey's attacks are in vain.

Youness' remarks came as the US and Kurdish forces patrolled Syria's regions bordering Turkey, including Hasaka and Aleppo.

Meantime, the Turkish army's troops launched mortar attacks on Tal Jeyhan village in Torbeh Sibeh region East of Qameshli.

The Turkish army troops also attacked al-Mahta district of Ra'as al-Ain border town in Hasaka province.


HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM CONDUCTS DRILLS PREPARING FOR NEW ROUND OF ESCALATION IN IDLIB (PHOTOS)

On November 7, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, announced that its “elite force” had held military drills in the western countryside of Idlib. Photos released by the radical group shows that battle tanks and other heavy weapons participated in the drills.

According to the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Enab Baladi, the drills were held in the area of Jabal Zawiya, which is not covered by the demilitarized zone around the governorate of Idlib. The zone was established under the Russian-Turkish deconfliction agreement.

The drills were a clear threat to the Damascus government and its allies. However, local observers believe that HTS is way weaker than government forces, which have defeated the radical group in every single battle since the beginning of the Russian military campaign in Syria in 2015.

Earlier this year, HTS suffered from a humiliating defeat, when the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies captured dozens of villages in southeastern Idlib and southwestern Aleppo. Then, the radical group failed to recapture any position and lost hundreds of its fighters and loads of equipment.

Another large-scale battle with the SAA will likely destroy most of HTS’ assets leaving the radical group with fa ew isolated cells, similar to the sitaution, which is now faced by ISIS.

Photos of HTS’ drills:

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S-300 Deliveries Minimized Possibility of Israeli Attacks' Success – Syrian Army

Deliveries of Russian S-300 air defense systems to Syria did not nullify the risks of new attacks by Israel, but minimized the possibility of their success, Syrian Army political bureau head Brig. Gen. Hasan Ahmad Hasan told Sputnik in an interview.

"There is no concept of zero probability in military strategy. We cannot say that this probability has been reduced to zero. Because we are talking about open skies, extended borders, various technologies… Therefore, I cannot say that in the end there will not be such a probability, however, the probability of this aggression achieving its goals has been minimized," Hasan said, when asked about the possibility of new Israeli attacks against Syria following the S-300 deliveries.

On October 2, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia had completed its delivery of new S-300 systems to Syria, including 49 units of systems-related equipment such as radars, basic target acquisition systems, command posts and four launchers.

Earlier, a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was downed by a missile launched by Syria's S-200 air defense system. The Syrian system was targeting Israeli F-16 jets that were attacking the facilities in the Syrian province of Latakia.

The Syrian crisis has been raging on for over seven years, with the government fighting various opposition movements and terrorist groups.


Syria and Saudi Arabia to potentially reconcile after UAE reopens Damascus embassy

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Syrian Arab Republic are working through back channels via the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to reach a political reconciliation, a source in Damascus said on Wednesday.

According to the source, the Syrian government has been in discussions with the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia regarding political reconciliation.

The source said that the Syrian government and the Gulf nations have been in discussion about the Muslim Brotherhood’s presence in the region and their need to defeat their ideology.

The first step in this reconciliation was the reopening of the UAE embassy in Damascus after closing more than six years ago.

When asked about Syria’s relationship with Iran, the source said that the Persian Gulf nation was not involved in the talks.

With the war winding down in Syria, Damascus is hoping for the Arab League to lift their suspension and resume efforts to champion the peace settlement.


Russian Special Forces arrive in southern Syria for offensive against Daesh

The Russian Special Forces have arrived in southern Syria this week to advise the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops currently combating the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh), a military source told Al-Masdar News.

According to the source in Sweida city, the Russian Special Forces were deployed to the Al-Safa front where they will be embedded with the Syrian troops that are currently on the offensive against the Daesh terrorists.

The source continued that some Russian military personnel were already in the Al-Safa region before the arrival of the Special Forces; however, most were deployed in northern Syria before this move to the Al-Sweida province.

Similar to their roles during the SAA’s offensives in Deir Ezzor and Palmyra, the Russian Special Forces will advise the government troops on the ground, while also providing Daesh coordinates to the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The Russian Special Forces reportedly arrived with the Syrian Arab Army’s elite 42nd Brigade (Ghiath Forces) of the 4th Division; they were both in northern Syria prior to this deployment.


Syrian Army’s 4th Division arrives in southern Syria with new missiles

The Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) elite 4th Division has arrived in southern Syria to lead the military operation against the so-called Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh).

According to a military source in Damascus, the Syrian Army’s 4th Division has already deployed their troops to the front-lines in the Al-Safa volcanic region.

The source added that the 4th Division arrived with their domestically-made Golan missiles; they were previously used in the battles in the East Ghouta and southern Damascus.

These missiles have proven incredibly effective in the past and should provide the Syrian Arab Army troops in the Al-Safa region a major boost against the enemy forces.
 
According to a military source in Damascus, the Syrian Army’s 4th Division has already deployed their troops to the front-lines in the Al-Safa volcanic region.

The source added that the 4th Division arrived with their domestically-made Golan missiles; they were previously used in the battles in the East Ghouta and southern Damascus.

These missiles have proven incredibly effective in the past and should provide the Syrian Arab Army troops in the Al-Safa region a major boost against the enemy forces.

Watching all the back and forth battles really makes me think of what the Cs said the battle is "Through you":

Session 11 March 1995
Q: (T) We were 3rd density STO at this time. Was this after the battle that had transpired? In other words, were we, as a 3rd density race, literally on our own at that point, as opposed to before?

A: Was battle.

Q: (L) The battle was in us?

A: Through you.


Q: (T) The battle was through us as to whether we would walk through this doorway... (L) The battle was fought through us, we were literally the battleground. (T) I got that, but I want to get back to this analogy to make sure where we are in the overall picture. The battle was going on when the door was opened. Was the battle over whether or not we walked through that door?

A: Close.


Q: (T) Okay, we were STO at that point. You have said before that on this density we have the choice of being STS or STO.

A: Oh Terry, the battle is always there, it's "when" you choose that counts!
 
Too early to speak about end of work on demilitarized zone in Idlib, says diplomat

Work to create a demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib Governorate continues, and it is too early to speak about its end, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

"The implementation of the Russian-Turkish memorandum of September 17 on stabilization in the Idlib de-escalation zone continues. Despite practical success in forming a demilitarized line along the borders of this zone stipulated by the memorandum, it is too early to speak about the end of the necessary work," she said.

According to the Russian-Turkish memorandum that was signed in Sochi on September 17, there were plans to create a demilitarized zone of 15-20 km in Idlib by October 15, following the Russian and Turkish presidential elections. However, Turkey asked for additional time and to postpone joint patrolling in Idlib due to inability to guarantee security for its part.


IN SPECIAL OPERATION: SYRIAN ARMY FREES REMAINING AL-SUWAYDA HOSTAGES FROM ISIS (VIDEO)

On November 8, the Syrian Special Forces freed all the remaining al-Suwayda hostages from the ISIS hands during a special security operation in the eastern Homs countryside, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

“In a heroic and precise operation, a group of heroes of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) clashed, in the area of Hamimah east of Palmyra, with a group of ISIS terrorists, who had abducted women and children from the governorate of al-Suwayda weeks ago … after fierce battle our heroes managed to free all the hostages and killed all the terrorists,”the SANA said in a short press release.​

The state-run news agency didn’t provide further information about the special operation. However, Syrian pro-government activists believe that Russia Special Forces may have played a role in the supposed operation, especially that they were deployed in al-Suwayda earlier.

The hostages were abducted on July 25 during a brutal attack by ISIS terrorists on several villages in the eastern al-Suwayda countryside. Back then, more than 250 civilians and local fighters were killed.

Last month, ISIS released six of the hostages after reaching an agreement with the Damascus government, under which twenty-five people affiliated with the terrorist group were released from Syrian prisons. However, the agreement collapsed few days later forcing the SAA to resume its military operation against ISIS cells in the heavily fortified area of al-Safa.

Now when the hostages are freed, the SAA and its allies will be able to use all their fire power against the remaining terrorists in al-Safa.



Thousands of corpses from US-led airstrikes found under Raqqa rubble, says diplomat

The bodies of over 8,000 Syrians killed in bombing raids by the US-led coalition have been found in mass graves in Syria’s Raqqa after the rubble was partially cleared away, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"Last week, the Syrian government, in its letters addressed to the UN secretary general and the UN Security Council president, provided the tragic statistics on the victims of the coalition’s bombing raids in the city of Raqqa during its ‘liberation’ from ISIL (former name of the Islamic State terror group, outlawed in Russia - TASS)," she noted. "The bodies of over 4,000 people were found while clearing away the rubble in two of the city’s residential neighborhoods left over from the airstrikes and also around the stadium and the zoo. Those were mainly women, the elderly and children. In addition, a mass grave where more than 2,500 people were buried was uncovered at a farm near a pediatric clinic and the National Hospital, while another burial site was opened near Al-Panorama where 1,500 bombing raids’ victims were buried."

"The letters stressed that to date just two percent of the rubble had been cleared away in Raqqa, which had been literally razed to the ground," Zakharova emphasized.

According to the diplomat, the statistics turned out to be in stark contrast with "the hysterical reaction expressed by the US and other Western countries with respect to protecting Syrians’ rights," and "the information provided in recent reports by various Western NGOs on the situation in Raqqa."

The Raqqa Governorate and its capital of the same name served as the main outpost for the Islamic State terror group in Syria. The city of Raqqa was recaptured from the terrorists last October by predominately-Kurdish units, which form part of the Syrian Democratic Forces backed by the US-led coalition.

Moscow and Damascus have drawn attention to the situation in Raqqa on numerous occasions. On November 29, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said that the US and its allies were trying "to hide the dire consequences of their military operation" to liberate the Syrian city. For its part, Damascus sent a letter to the UN, which laid the blame for the bloody carnage on the US-led coalition, whose air raids claimed thousands of lives, while the city itself was razed to the ground.


Syria: Liwaa Al-Quds Forces Deployed In Deir Ezzor (Video)

Video published by the Russian news agency of “Anna News” shows the deployment the Palestinian Liwaa Al-Quds “Jerusalem Brigade” in the desert of Deir Ezzor eastern Syria .

During the video, which was published on Wednesday (October 7th), the agency met with Shadi Mohammed Hadid, nicknamed as “The Cameroonian”; the commander of the brigade in the region.

The Cameroonian said that Russian friends have delivered many sacrifices and lives to defend Syria.

The Palestinian Liwaa Al-Quds began early this September, a military operation to control the Syrian Badia against the “Islamic State”, on the eastern Homs countryside.

The “Jerusalem Brigade” is one of the most prominent fighting militias alongside the government forces, and is affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The ISIS-controlled territories in Syria is currently limited to two enclaves, the first extending from the eastern Homs countryside to the desert of Deir Ezzor, and the other in Hajjin area in northern al-bukamal.



Erdogan Playing Very Complicated Game in Syria’s Idlib: Italian Analyst

A prominent political expert based in the Italian city of Milan referred to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s policy toward Syria and said he is “playing a very complicated game” in the Arab country’s rebel-held province of Idlib.

“Erdogan is currently playing a very complicated game in Syria and Idlib,” Federico Pieraccini said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.

“On the one hand, he needs to cooperate with Iran and Russia to maintain the ceasefire, thus avoiding the danger of government troops advancing into Idlib and pushing tens of thousands of militants into Turkey,” he said, adding, “On the other hand, Erdogan needs to nourish the dreams of glory for the militants in Idlib, who are disappointed by the outcome of the war but are reluctant to return home through Turkey.”

Pieraccini is an independent freelance writer and political expert based in Milan, Italy. He specializes in international affairs, conflicts, politics, and strategies. He has covered conflicts in Ukraine, Libya, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq.

The following is the full text of the interview:

Tasnim: Turkey recently rejected Syrian government accusations that it is not meeting its obligations under an agreement to create a demilitarized zone around the insurgent-held Idlib region, saying the deal was being implemented as planned. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem had said that Turkey appeared unwilling to implement the deal. What is your opinion about the comments and the future of the Idlib province, which with adjacent areas is the last stronghold of insurgents?

Pieraccini: The situation in Idlib remains frozen in terms of fighting and any government advances in terrorist-controlled areas. The de-escalation zone agreement between Turkey, Russia, Iran and Syria has as its sole purpose the avoidance of a larger conflict involving these very countries attempting to drive terrorism from Syria and such countries as the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey that have been financing and arming militants in Syria over the last seven years.

The words used by Walid al-Moualem do not surprise those who have been following the aggression against Syria over the last few years and know very well Erdogan's personal position on the matter. Erdogan's ambition is to recreate the Ottoman Empire, and this aspiration has guided Turkey's foreign policy over the last several years, serving, in the end, only to lead the Arab country to a dead end. Idlib contains tens of thousands of militants who have no intention of abandoning their fight against the Syrian people and Bashar al-Assad. It is an illusion to believe that Erdogan or Saudi Arabia can (or would want to) control these terrorists and direct them towards the path of moderation.

This ambition leaves one amazed at its scale as well as its lack of understanding of the general dynamics in the region. Erdogan is currently playing a very complicated game in Syria and Idlib. On the one hand, he needs to cooperate with Iran and Russia to maintain the ceasefire, thus avoiding the danger of government troops advancing into Idlib and pushing tens of thousands of militants into Turkey. On the other hand, Erdogan needs to nourish the dreams of glory for the militants in Idlib, who are disappointed by the outcome of the war but are reluctant to return home through Turkey. At the moment, the situation in the province remains frozen; that is at least until the next summit between the United States and Russia scheduled for November 11 in Paris.

Tasnim: A four-way summit on Syria recently ended in Turkey’s Istanbul without any major breakthrough. In a joint communique following their meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process" and said conditions needed to be created for the safe and voluntary return of refugees. The comments came as the summit was not attended by any Syrian groups. What do you think about the summit?

Pieraccini: This summit represents quite a novelty in terms of those attending, namely the two European countries of France and Germany together with Russia and Turkey. The summit represents a desperate attempt by Berlin and Paris to continue to try and have influence in the Syrian process, although both countries are now irrelevant to the future of the Arab country. Macron and Merkel would also like to steer the reconciliation process towards the Geneva talks under the auspices of the United Nations rather than the Astana summit that involved Iran, Turkey and Russia. The summit represents a new diplomatic success for the Russian Federation, in the wake of the meetings organized in Sochi with the Syrian opposition.

The summit with the two European countries represents a transition phase during which time the four parties can confront each other to present their concerns and desires. For France, and especially Germany, the issue of refugees and fighting terrorism is a matter of primary importance, especially in relation to the search for a domestic consensus on immigration and counter-terrorism policies. In this sense, Turkey and Russia above all have everything to gain in terms of international visibility linked to the ongoing diplomatic process.

The absence of Syrian representatives at the summit shows that the Russian Federation has a broad mandate to represent the interests of Damascus in negotiations with international partners, highlighting the trust and personal understanding between Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad. Syria’s sovereignty belongs to the Syrian people, and nobody intends to question this principle, especially Putin, who has made the defense of the national interests of his country a cornerstone of his presidency.

Tasnim: Iran, Russia, and Turkey - the three guarantor states of de-escalation zones in Syria - have held several rounds of peace talks in Kazakhstan’s Astana and elsewhere to help end the conflict in the Arab country. The fourth round of those talks in May 2017 produced a memorandum of understanding on de-escalation zones in Syria, sharply reducing fighting in the country. What is your assessment of the parallel talks between the three countries on the Syrian crisis and Tehran’s role in the peace process?

Pieraccini: The role of Iran and Russia in Syria has been paramount. The Russian Federation mainly relies on six means of assisting its Middle Eastern allies: through aerospace and naval forces, missile strikes, air defense, electronic warfare, and diplomacy. For Iran, the situation is different, as the Islamic Republic contributes a great deal in relations to land operations and ground troops that directly fight against militants in Syria. Without Iran and Hezbollah's contribution, Damascus would hardly have achieved the progress seen so far.

The strength of the Iranian and Russian duo, in addition to sharing tasks equally in terms of military assistance, is in having the strong ability to mediate complicated situations with numerous actors. Through the Astana summit, Moscow and Tehran were able to place strong pressure on Turkey that allowed them to obtain the best possible conditions for Syria and its people. The creation of the de-escalation areas was a temporary measure that allowed Russia, Iran and Syria to organize troops and priorities, reorienting the country's liberation strategy against terrorism. It worked amazingly well, with Idlib remaining within about 12 months the only significant de-escalation area yet to be liberated from the scourge of terrorism.

Thanks to the combined military and diplomatic efforts of Iran and Russia, Damascus can now begin thinking about the necessary reconstruction of the country. And it here where the role of the People's Republic of China will be of crucial importance for the future of Syria and the region.
 
08/11/2018 - Jordan says in talks with US and Russia to dismantle Syria Camp
Jordan says in talks with U.S and Russia to dismantle Syria camp

Jordan said on Thursday it was in talks with Washington and Moscow to empty a desert camp used by 50,000 displaced Syrians, a move aimed at defusing security tensions near a potential military flashpoint on its northeast border with Syria.

Jordan's foreign ministry said the kingdom backed a Russian plan to arrange the voluntary return of the inhabitants of Rukban camp to their home areas in eastern Syria following their recapture by the Syrian government from Islamic State.

"Jordanian-U.S.-Russian talks have begun with the aim of finding a fundamental solution to Rukban by ensuring the right conditions of their voluntary return to their cities and towns," Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al Qatarneh said.

"Jordan supports the Russian plan to create the conditions that allow the emptying of the camp," he said in a statement. He did not elaborate.

Intelligence sources say the Russian plan entails negotiating with Syrian tribal leaders and former Western-backed rebels sheltering in the camp area to provide safe passage for returnees to go to opposition areas in northern Syria, and to help those who want to go their homes in state-held areas.

Intelligence sources say the Russian plan entails negotiating with Syrian tribal leaders and former Western-backed rebels sheltering in the camp area to provide safe passage for returnees to go to opposition areas in northern Syria, and to help those who want to go their homes in state-held areas.

Many camp inhabitants are not ready to go back to homes in state-held areas for fear of being drafted for conscription, tribal figures in the camp say.

Developments at Rukban are watched closely around the region because it is near a U.S. garrison in southeastern Syria at Tanf on the Iraq-Syria border. The camp falls within a so-called deconfliction zone set up by the Pentagon to try to shield the Tanf garrison from attacks by pro-government forces.

Damascus says the U.S. forces are occupying Syrian territory and providing a safe-haven in that area for rebels it deems terrorists.

Jordan officials have repeatedly said they suspect the camp is infiltrated with IS sleeper cells, a security nightmare that has haunted Amman since an IS militant in 2016 drove a car bomb into a Jordanian military border post, killing seven guards.

In the last three years, tens of thousands of Syrians trekked to the camp where the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq meet. They fled expanded Russian and U.S.-led coalition air strikes against IS-held areas in central and eastern Syria.

Intelligence sources say a siege of the camp last month by the Syrian army that depleted food stores in the compound and raised the spectre of starvation was aimed at piling pressure on Washington.

Russia's defense ministry in August repeated an accusation that Washington has been harboring Islamic State militants within the zone.

Washington however responded to growing Russian pressure by conducting rare military exercises in the base last month, and General Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, made an unannounced visit to Tanf.

Tanf lies on the strategic Damascus-Baghdad highway, once a major supply route for Iranian weapons into Syria. This makes the base a bulwark against Iran and part of a larger campaign against Iranian influence in the Middle East.


Nov. 7, 2018 - Lavrov blasts West for justifying extremism on pretext of fighting ‘authoritarian’ regimes
Lavrov blasts West for justifying extremism on pretext of fighting ‘authoritarian’ regimes

By promoting the concept of "fighting oppressive extremism", Western countries are ready to clear extremists of any criminal responsibility under the guise of combating authoritarian regimes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the 17th Meeting of Heads of Special Services, Security and Law Enforcement Agencies from FSB partner states.

He also recalled that the key role in combating the proliferation of terrorist and extremist ideology belongs to the states and their respective intelligence services, while international anti-terror cooperation should be built based on UN universal legislation. "Russia remains aloof towards any initiatives, which ignore the key principles mentioned above. I particularly mean the concept of "fighting oppressive extremism" promoted by several states," the Russian foreign minister noted.

According to the top diplomat, this concept doesn’t just ignore the approved legal framework of fighting terrorism but also "permits meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign states under the guise of supporting civil society against authoritarian regimes," Lavrov pointed out. "The authors of this concept are basically ready to justify extremists, and exonerate them from criminal responsibility".


Nov. 7, 2018 - Lavrov: After IS downfall in Syria, terrorist sleeper cells cropping up in other countries
Lavrov: After IS downfall in Syria, terrorist sleeper cells cropping up in other countries

Terrorist groups defeated in Syria are creating recruitment networks and sleeper cells in other countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"Having suffered a military defeat in Syria, terrorist groups are creating new footholds, recruitment networks and sleeper cells in other countries, continuing to take advantage of the persisting disunity of the global community and the fact that few from all states took the necessary legislative and law enforcement measures at the national level," he said at a meeting of the heads of intelligence services, security and law enforcement agencies.

"The capabilities of criminal groups in Syria and Iraq to regularly replenish their budget have been seriously undermined," he said.

Lavrov highlighted that the terrorists’ resistance "has not been broken completely." "One of the reasons is the ongoing external material support for radicals, including with arms," the minister said.

"Russia repeatedly pointed to this problem. We will continue to consistently work to consolidate cooperation in this important area," Lavrov concluded.

Double standards and geopolitical ambitions hamper the establishment of true coordination of the global community in the fight against terrorism, he said.

"Despite a considerable success in the fight against ISIS (a former name of the terrorist organization Islamic State, which is outlawed in Russia - TASS) and other groups, terrorists still constitute the most serious threat for all countries," he said. "They adapt to the changing reality and diversify sources of financial and material-technical support for their activity, including through links with drug business and organized crime."

"Geopolitical ambitions, hidden agendas, double standards and a frequent strive to use radicals to solve their own selfish tasks on the world scene still hamper the establishment of truly coordinated actions," the Russian foreign minister added.


Nov. 08 2018 - Moscow Resumes Direct Passenger Flights to Damascus
Moscow Resumes Direct Passenger Flights to Damascus

Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport has said it resumed direct passenger flights to the Syrian capital of Damascus six years after Russia’s flag carrier stopped all flights to the war-torn country.

Aeroflot, the only Russian airline to offer direct flights to and from Syria, suspended air travel to the Arab republic in 2012 as violence escalated between rebels and government forces. The Russian military, however, maintains an air and naval base in Syria supporting Damascus in its fight against opposition fighters and terrorists.

Syria’s Cham Wings airline will now conduct weekly flights to and from Moscow after the first Airbus A320 landed in Sheremetyevo on Wednesday, the airport announced on its website.

The transport hub did not say how many passengers disembarked from the 156-seat plane.

The flights resumed three weeks after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made tentative plans to visit Russian-backed Crimea in April 2019. There, he is in talks about starting regular passenger flights between Syria and the Black Sea peninsula.

Crimea has been under Western sanctions since it was annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014. Syria is also subject to European Union and U.S. sanctions.

Moscow joins a roster of Middle Eastern destinations including Dubai and Istanbul where Cham Wings conducts flights.


November 8, 2018 - Frail Mikhail Gorbachev warns against return to the Cold War
Frail Mikhail Gorbachev warns against return to the Cold War | Reuters

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, warned on Thursday against rising tensions between Russia and the United States and said there should be no return to the Cold War.

The frail 87-year-old was physically helped by aides to a cinema hall to watch the premiere in Russia of a new documentary about his life, his Soviet reforms in the 1980s and his arms control drive that helped end the Cold War.

His legacy has come under a pall as ties between Moscow and Washington have fallen to post-Cold War lows, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and rows over sanctions, election meddling and the poisoning of a spy in England.

He spoke briefly to a cinema hall in Moscow after “Meeting Gorbachev”, a new documentary directed by filmmakers Werner Herzog and Andre Singer, and was asked if the world would hold back from a new Cold War.

“We must hold back,” he said. “And not just from the Cold War. We have to continue the course we mapped. We have to ban war once and for all. Most important is to get rid of nuclear weapons.”

Reviled by many Russians as the man whose reforms ultimately led to the Soviet breakup, Gorbachev is lauded in the West as the man who helped end the Cold War.

Gorbachev, whose visibly ailing health was in stark contrast to the vigorous reformist figure he cut in the 1980s, said the world was moving dangerously closer to a new arms race.

Last month in a column for the New York Times, Gorbachev denounced the United States after President Donald Trump said he planned to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty which Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan signed in 1987.

The pact eliminated all short- and intermediate-range land-based nuclear and conventional missiles held by both countries in Europe.

In a prepared, written message read out to the hall by an aide before the film, Gorbachev alluded to the article and said “I am convinced we can stop a new Cold War. I will do everything for this.”

“Most dangerous would be a return to confrontation, the start of a new arms race. They are already talking about a nuclear war as if this is something entirely acceptable. It is being prepared, scenarios are being discussed.”


Nov. 8, 2018 - World has a chance to avoid another Cold War, says Gorbachev
World has a chance to avoid another Cold War, says Gorbachev

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© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

The former USSR leader spoke in favor of normalization of the Russian-US relations.

The Soviet Union’s first and last president Mikhail Gorbachev has warned the world of the risk of being plunged into another arms race and Cold War. He expressed the hope it could be avoided in a message to the authors and audience of a documentary entitled Meeting Gorbachev, read out by personal interpreter Pavel Palazhchenko before the film’s premiere in Russia.

Gorbachev attended the ceremony but did not rise to the podium.

"Today we are witnesses to attempts … to roll the world back into the past. The worst risk is the return of the confrontation and the beginning of another arms race," Gorbachev said in the statement.

He finds it worrisome that "nuclear war is being talked about these days as something permissible, that it is being prepared for and that scenarios of it are being discussed."

"That’s the limit. It cannot be tolerated. It will be wrong to give up. I believe that another Cold War can be stopped and I will be doing all I can to this end," Gorbachev said.

In his message Gorbachev said that in a nuclear war there could be no winners.

"I believe that these words must become the slogan of a new movement against the nuclear threat," he said. Gorbachev recalled that just recently some foreign periodicals published his article in which he declared it would be impermissible to drop the Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty. After the article’s publication Gorbachev received a message of support from former US Secretary of State George Shultz, who stated that another arms race would be impermissible.

After the film, he replied to journalists’ questions. "Getting rid of nuclear weapons as such is the most important thing. I am in favor of a ban on nuclear weapons," Gorbachev stressed, adding that the effects of nuclear weapons are well known and horrible.

Gorbachev also spoke in favor of normalization of Russian-US relations.

Meeting Gorbachev is a joint production of film directors Werner Herzog and Andre Singer. The documentary is based on a series of personal interviews Gorbachev granted to the authors. The documentary has already been screened in Canada and Germany.
 
IN SPECIAL OPERATION: SYRIAN ARMY FREES REMAINING AL-SUWAYDA HOSTAGES FROM ISIS

On November 8, the Syrian Special Forces freed all the remaining al-Suwayda hostages from the ISIS hands during a special security operation in the eastern Homs countryside, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).


Operation to free IS hostages shows high level of Russian-Syrian militaries cooperation

A successful operation to free 19 hostages seized by militants has shown a high level of cooperation between the Russian and Syrian militaries in the fight against international terrorism, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Sides in Syria Lieutenant General Vladimir Savchenko told reporters.

On November 8, Syrian forces carried out a special operation under the guidance of Russian military officers from the Center for Reconciliation to free 19 civilian hostages seized by the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia) in the Suwayda province more than three months ago.

"The command of the Russian troops in Syria… together with Syrian military officers carefully planned the special operation, which made it possible to free 15 children and four women," Savchenko said, adding that thanks to the measures taken by the Russian military, the women and children remained safe and sound. "This special operation became possible because over the years of cooperation in the fight against international terrorism, Russia and the Syrian Arab Republic have taken interaction to the highest level, which allows the two countries to accomplish the most complex tasks," Savchenko said.

According to him, the hostages were kept in inhuman conditions. "They were kept in holes dug in the ground, where there was nowhere to lie down and were also denied basic care. They did not get any food for days, let alone medical treatment. Elderly women have to suffer beatings," the Russian general added.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported earlier that Syrian government forces had freed 19 hostages taken by terrorists in the Suwayda province, adding that all the captors had been killed during a military operation.

On October 2, terrorists said they had killed one of the hostages - a 25-year-old girl - and were getting ready to do away with the others. On August 5, they had executed a 19-year-old student.

IS gangs are demanding that the Syrian army stop its military operation in the Tell es-Safi mountainous canyon, which is their last stronghold in southeastern Syria. The Syrian army and militia units have surrounded the area, cutting militant supply routes.


Qatar proposes to form new coalition in Mid East – report

Qatar has allegedly proposed to form a new coalition with four regional countries in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) of Iran reported, citing Iraqi media claims.

According to the IRNA report, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin ‘Abdul-Rahman bin Jassim Al-Thani proposed the formation of a five-party coalition that would comprise of his own country, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.

The proposal came during the Qatari minister’s two-day meeting in Baghdad with the Iraqi government.

Despite these claims, Qatar and Syria do not have any diplomatic relations, nor does Damascus and Ankara.

However, with the Gulf Coalition Committee’s (GCC) isolation of Qatar, a new coalition of this type could challenge the Saudi-led GCC and protect the small nation.


War in Syria Ended But Terrorist Pockets Remain - UNHCR

The war in Syria is over but pockets of Daesh terrorists and other extremist groups still remain in numerous hard to reach areas, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Middle East and North Africa Bureau Director Amin Awad told Sputnik.

"There are some active skirmishes and some nasty groups still inside the country and we have to be very careful," Awad said on Thursday. "There are still many pockets of ISIS [Daesh] in Syria, so security wise that’s what we mean by hard to reach areas."

Awad explained that the terminology concerning the situation in Syria has to change, given that the war has effectively ended, but noted that the hard to reach areas remain numerous.

"There are places in the northwest, near Idlib, there are places in the northeast, there are places around Der ez Zor," Awad said.

Earlier in the day, UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic told Sputnik that the agency is ready to visit hard to reach and other areas to observe the process of refugee return if additional opportunities to access areas are provided.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ilya Morgunov said that Russia planned to offer UNHCR study visits to Syria to assess the situation of refugee returns on the spot. Moscow said it intends to make the proposal at the next trilateral Russia-EU-UNHCR meeting on November 15.

The UNHCR currently has over 500 local and foreign employees in Syria. The head office of the commissioner is located in Damascus, and there are also offices in Aleppo, Homs and Qamishli as well as two field offices in Tartus and As Suwayda.

The United Nations estimates there are 6.2 million internally displaced persons in Syria, and 5.5 million refugees abroad.

Eighty two percent of refugees have told the UNHCR in via surveys that they will go back to Syria provided there is physical security and they obtain their property as well as have basic services available.


Breaking: Over 20 militants killed in Syrian Army ambush near Idlib buffer zone

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) carried out a deadly ambush against a group of militants in the northern countryside of the Hama Governorate last night.

Using machine guns and surface-to-surface missiles, the Syrian Arab Army opened fire on the militants of Jaysh Al-‘Izza near the Idlib buffer zone.

According to a local journalists, the Syrian Army carried out the attack after they caught the jihadist rebels moving towards the Idlib buffer zone last night.

The reported said that the Syrian Arab Army’s overnight attack resulted in the death of dozens of Jaysh Al-‘Izza fighters.

The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) stated on Friday morning that the death toll was more than 22.

Despite the arrival of more Turkish troops in northwest Syria on Wednesday, the hostilities between the Syrian Arab Army and Islamist rebels have yet to dissipate.

Since the jihadists refused to withdraw from the Idlib buffer zone on October 15th (deadline for withdrawal), the Syrian Arab Army has been carrying out attacks against the militants on a daily basis.

These Syrian Army attacks are meant to persuade the Islamist rebels to withdraw from the Idlib buffer zone; however, this has done very little to change their minds.


Russian military preparing to unleash first strikes in Syria since September

For the first time since September, the Russian forces are preparing to launch airstrikes against the terrorist groups inside Syria, a military source in Damascus told Al-Masdar News on Thursday.

According to the military source, the Russian Air Force and Navy are preparing to unleash a massive assault against the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) in southern and eastern Syria.

The source added that the Russian attack will be conducted in conjunction with the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) offensives in the Al-Safa volcanic region (southern Syria) and Badiya Al-Sham region (eastern Syria).

The Russian Air Force temporarily halted their strikes on the Al-Safa region in order to convince Daesh to handover the Syrian civilians they took hostage in the Al-Sweida province.

However, Daesh repeatedly reneged on the agreements and forced the Syrian and Russian delegations to walk out of the negotiations with the terrorist group in Al-Safa.

Making matters worse for Daesh, they no longer have the hostages anymore, which was a major bargaining chip for them during the negotiations.

This means the Russian and Syrian forces will conduct their attacks with full force, as the only people remaining in the Al-Safa region are the Islamic State terrorists.


Armada of Russian ships armed with cruise missiles head to Syrian waters

A large number of Russian ships have made their way to the eastern Mediterranean recently, regional naval observers have reported.


Another Russian ship heads to Syrian waters as mass buildup continues

Another Russian ship was photographed heading towards the eastern Mediterranean this week, as Moscow continues their large-scale naval buildup near Syria.

According to Yoruk Isik of the Bosphorus Observer, the BlackSea Fleet Tapir (NATO:Alligator) class LST Orsk made its way through the Bosphorus Strait en route to the eastern Mediterranean.


The Russian Navy has been rapidly building up their forces in the eastern Mediterranean as they begin striking the Islamic State’s (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) positions in southern Syria.

The Russian military’s operation coincides with the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) ongoing offensive against the Islamic State terrorists in the Al-Safa region of southern Syria.
 
US-LED COALITION REPORTEDLY KILLS DOZENS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN ISIS-HELD HAJIN (PHOTOS)

More than 40 civilians were killed when US-led coalition warplanes carried out a series of heavy airstrikes on the ISIS-held town of Hajin in the middle Euphrates River Valley, according to the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq.

“More than 50 airstrikes were conducted by international coalition warplanes on Hajin in Deri Ezzor countryside yesterday,” Amaq said in a press release on November 9.​

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed ISIS’ claims and revealed that a large part of the victims was women and children, some of them were family members of Iraqi jihadists.

Last month, the US-led coalition committed a similar massacre in the town of al-Susah, south of Hajin. Back then, the coalition claimed in an statement that it had destroyed a “defensive fighting position and command center.”

The US-led coalition’s main ally, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), halted its ground operation against ISIS in the Euphrates Valley on October 31 following a series of setbacks. This likely forced the coalition to step up its aerial operations in order to prevent ISIS from expanding in the strategic region. However, it appears that civilian lives are not being taken into consideration.

Aftermath of the US-led coalition airstrikes on Hajin:


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SYRIAN ARMY UNCOVERS AIR DEFENSE MISSILES LEFT BEHIND BY ISIS IN SOUTHERN DEIR EZZOR (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

On November 9, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) uncovered three missiles, which had been left by ISIS fighters, during a search operation around the city of al-Mayadin in the southern Deir Ezzor countryside, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The missiles were reportedly hidden inside two specially-built containers.

“Two missiles were found in a remote farm, and the third missile was found on the bank of the [Euphrates] river away from the city of al-Mayadin,” a local official told the SANA’s reporter in Deir Ezzor.​

Experts identified the missiles as variants of the Soviet 3M9 surface to air missile, which is the main armament of the SA-6 “Gainful” medium range air defense system. All the missiles of the 3M9 family are guided by semi-active radar and have a range of around 24km.

ISIS fighters captured several missiles of this type along with a complete SA-6 system during an attack on several bases of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) around the city of Deir Ezzor in early 2016.

Back then, several observers warned that the captured SA-6 system could be used to attack civilian warplanes flying over Syria and Iraq. However, it looks like the terrorist group was never able to operate it.


Photos of the missiles:

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Syriac militia sends reinforcements to Deir Ezzor to aid in SDF offensive (video)

The Syriac-led Suturo forces sent a large number of reinforcements to the Deir Ezzor Governorate this week to aid their allies from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the key town of Hajin.

According to the group, the Suturo sent the reinforcements to the Hajin front after the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) captured several areas from the Syrian Democratic Forces near the Iraqi border.

As shown in the video below, the Suturo sent the reinforcements from the Al-Jazira region of northwest Syria to the Deir Ezzor Governorate:


The Suturo forces is primarily made up of Syriac Christians from northeast Syria; they played a key role in the SDF’s success in the Al-Hasakah Governorate over the last four years.


CAPTURED ISIS MEMBER REVEALS HOW ISIS IN AL-SAFA RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM US-LED COALITION BASE AT AL-TANAF (PHOTOS)

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An ISIS fighter, who was captured by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) during the special operation to free al-Suwayda hostages, revealed that the terrorist group’s cells in the area of al-Safa are receiving direct military support from the US-led coalition base in the border area of al-Tanaf.

“We received supplies from the U.S. base in al-Tanaf through Abu Audi, his brother Saeed and Abu Ali al-Buri (al-Badui), he is a member of ISIS, he provided us with vehicles and 23mm machineguns,” the captured ISIS member, Abu Abdullah Mayadin, told Syrian reporters on November 9.​

Furthermore, Abu Abdullah revealed that many terrorists from Iraq, Turkey, Russia’s Ingushetia, India and Uzbekistan are fighting on the ISIS side in al-Safa. Previously it was thought that the terrorists there are only Syrians and Palestinians.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) released two photos, which had been extracted from Abu Abdullah smartphone. In the first photo, the terrorist is holding a US-made M16 assault rifle equipped with a US-made Trijicon scope. The second photo shows the terrorist carrying what was identified as a Chinese-made FN-6 Man-portable air-defense (MANPAD) system.

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According to local observers, this type of the MANPADs was supplied to the Free Syrian Army in 2014 by Qatar, which had acquired them from Sudan. Later, these MANPADs were obtained by ISIS and al-Qaeda in Iraq and even Lebanon.

Abu Abdullah’s statement and the photos recovered from his smartphone confirm that the U.S. and its allies had supported the terrorist group in a direct and an indirect way from the al-Tanaf base. Moscow and Damascus pointed out this kind of U.S. activities in the al-Tanaf area multiple times during the last two years. However, Washington is not going to abandon its military base at the Syrian-Iraqi border because it plays an important role in the US strategy to oppose the growth of Iranian and Russian influence in Syria.


Rebels Mourn +30 Militants Hunted Down By Syrian Army In Northern Hama (Pictures)

At least 23 jihadi militants were killed in a daring operation conducted by the Syrian Army on rebel positions in northern Hama countryside.

Pro-jihadi accounts on social media mourned 23 militants – including a field commander – killed in a series of attacks and ambushes near Zalaqiyat villages.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 7 militants were hunted down by Syrian Army snipers while attempting to restore the lost position on the same front.

The slain militants belong to the FSA-linked, Nusra-affiliated Jaish al-Izza rebel group mainly active in northern Hama and southern Idlib.

Recently, rebel groups bombed positions for the Syrian Army near Jorin in Hama western countryside, killing and injuring several Army soldiers.

Similar attacks have targeted the Syrian Army-held Abu Duhur airbase.

According to informed sources, the behind-enemy-lines operation carried out last night came in retaliation for the fallen government troops.

Alongside Jaish al-Izza, another extremist group called Hurras al-Din is active in the same area. The group’s militants have been originally fighting for the Syrian al-Qaeda-offshoot, Nusra Front, but later defected and formed their own terror organization.



Syrian soldier killed in shelling attack by militants in Aleppo governorate

One Syrian serviceman was killed in a shelling attack staged by militants operating in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone at positions of government troops in the Aleppo governorate, chief of the Russian Reconciliation center for conflicting sides Vladimir Savchenko said on Friday.

"During the day, shelling attacks were reported at the settlement of Qudehi in the Aleppo governorate and Aleppo’s western suburbs. One Syrian serviceman was killed in Qudehi," he said.

According to Savchenko, officers of the Russian reconciliation center had a meeting with local government officials and representatives from the reconciliation committee in the Deir ez-Zor governorate. "The meeting focused on problems of restoration of social infrastructure facilities," he noted.

Apart from that, officers of the Russian center conducted two humanitarian operations and delivered about 900 sets of food products to the Rif Dimashq and Homs governorates.

The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill assigned tasks after the completion of the military campaign in Syria. The center’s officers regularly travel around the country's liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation. The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on assistance to the refugees returning to their homes.


Russian, Turkish top diplomats discuss preparations for November meeting on Syria

Preparations for an Astana-format (Russia, Iran, Turkey) meeting on Syria scheduled for late November were in focus of a telephone conversation between Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.

"The sides reiterated mutual commitment to further efforts towards lasting settlement in Syria on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. In this context, the ministers discussed preparations for another international meeting on Syria in the Astana format that is scheduled for late November and exchanged views on the steps that need to be made to ensure its efficiency," the ministry said.

The sides also discussed issues of the bilateral agenda and exchanged opinions on a number of other areas of cooperation between the two countries’ foreign ministries, the Russian foreign ministry added.
 
US-LED COALITION REPORTEDLY KILLS DOZENS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN ISIS-HELD HAJIN (PHOTOS)

More than 40 civilians were killed when US-led coalition warplanes carried out a series of heavy airstrikes on the ISIS-held town of Hajin in the middle Euphrates River Valley, according to the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq.


Syria demands finding int’l mechanism to probe into US-led Coalition’s repeated crimes

Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said Saturday that the heinous crime committed by the illegal US-led int’l coalition against civilians in Hajin village, 110 km to the east of Deir Ezzor, exposes once again the United States’ false claims of combating terrorism and demonstrates the coalition member countries’ reckless disregard for the lives of innocent people and the international laws.

This crime, the ministry added in two letters addressed to the UN Secretary-General and President of the United Nations Security Council, confirms that the US goal is killing as many Syrian people as possible and inflicting further destruction on infrastructure in the context of continuing the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the coalition. In other words, it aims at undermining Syria’s future, sovereignty and territorial integrity and hindering political settlement to the crisis in the country which constitutes a blatant breach of all UNSC resolutions on Syria.

On Friday, 9 November 2018, warplanes of the US-led coalition intendedly targeted the residential neighborhoods in Hajin town with tens of sorties claiming the lives of at least 26 civilians, most of them were women and children, in addition to injuring scores and causing huge damage to the houses, said the ministry.

It pointed out the US and its allies continue to commit these crimes, meanwhile the UN Security Council maintains sinister silence towards these massacres as it has failed to take any action to put an end to those crimes.

Syria, in its previous letters, indicated that the int’l coalition’s barbaric attacks against innocent civilians have become systematic and deliberate acts using internationally-prohibited weapons of huge destructive capability such as the white phosphorus bombs.

The ministry demanded the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities through a serious and an immediate action to prevent the reoccurrence of such attacks and massacres and to take necessary measures to set an independent international mechanism to probe into these crimes, condemn them and to punish perpetrators.


MILITARY SITUATION IN SYRIA’S IDLIB DE-ESCALATION ZONE ON NOVEMBER 10, 2018 (MAP UPDATE)

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While in the Syrian Army has intensified its anti-ISIS operations in the Homs-Deir Ezzor, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and other militant groups have continued their violations of the Ildlib de-escalation agreement in northwestern Syria.

According to recent reports, militants shelled government positions in northern Hama and western Syria causing casualties among Syrian Army personnel and local civilians. Armed groups claimed that this shelling was a response to violations of the ceasefire regime by the Syrian Army.

At the same time, it’s interesting to note that in their recent shellings of govenrment positions, militants used heavy mortars and rocket launchers. These weapons are set to be withdrawn from the demilitarized zone near Idlib under the agreement backed by Turkey and Russia. So, it seems the so-called opposition is going to continue violating the agreement and to accuse the Syrian Army of violations. It is not likely that this approach will lead to any kind of de-escalation of the situation in northwestern Syria.


HAY’AT TAHRIR AL-SHAM ATTACKS SYRIAN ARMY POSITION IN NORTHERN LATTAKIA

The former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), announced on November 10 that its special forces had attacked a position of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the Turkman mount in the northern Lattakia countryside. The radical group claimed than ten Syrian soldiers were killed in the attack.

HTS and its news network Iba’a didn’t release additional information about the attack as they usually do. This allowed local observers to question the group’s claims.

Earlier, HTS claimed that its special forces had killed 18 personnel of the SAA and 7 Russian service members during an attack on an “operations room” in the northern Hama countryside. However, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) dismissed the group’s claims and said that the attack was a failure.

These attacks are a clear violation of the Russian-Turkish deconfliction agreement on the governorate of Idlib. Under the agreement, the opposition-held areas in northern Hama and northern Lattakia are considered to be a part of the demilitarized zone, where military operations are forbidden.


Militant Shelling Kills at Least 6 Syrian Soldiers in Hama – Russian MoD

A total of six Syrian servicemen were killed, while five others were injured in the attacks in Syria’s western-central province of Hama, the Russian Defense Ministry said late on Saturday.

“Over the past 24 hours, insurgents attacked Tel-Maraq, Tell Bizam, Qubeybat-abu-al-Houda, Halfaya in Hama province, Ikko, Latakia province, Shukaydila and Zakhabia in Aleppo province, and western outskirts of Aleppo city. During an attack at Tall-Maraq in Hama province, two Syrian servicemen were wounded. Six Syrian servicemen died and three were wounded in Hama province as a result an attack at Halfaya,” the ministry said in its daily bulletin.

Moreover, ceasefire violations have been registered in the Idlib de-escalation zone over the last 24 hours, according to the bulletin.

The Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides has also held a meeting with the local authorities of eastern province of Deir ez-Zor to discuss restoration of infrastructure.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups and militant and terrorist organizations. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria.

Moscow has also been providing humanitarian aid to residents of the crisis-torn country.


Syrian Army unleashes powerful assault on militant defenses in northern Hama

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) unleashed another powerful assault against the Islamist rebels of northern Hama last night.

Using surface-to-surface missiles and heavy artillery, the Syrian Arab Army repeatedly pounded the Islamist defenses near the key town of Al-Latminah in northern Hama.

Following a night of sporadic attacks, the militants of Jaysh Al-‘Izza were awoken to another series of missile strikes from the Syrian Army at the town of Hasraya.

The attack on Hasraya would last for several minutes before the Syrian Army shifted their attention to the Idlib axis.

At the Idlib axis, the Syrian Army heavily targeted the trenches of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham near the town of Al-Taman’ah.

The Syrian Arab Army is still striking the Idlib axis at this time, as they look to inflict heavy damage on the jihadist fighters still inside this designated buffer zone.


SYRIAN ARMY RAINS DOWN HELL FIRE ON ISIS IN AL-SAFA (VIDEOS)

On November 10, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) artillery and rocket launchers shelled ISIS fortifications in the area of al-Safa, which lays between the Damascus desert and the governorate of al-Suwayda, according to several Syrian pro-government sources. The shelling was reportedly the most violent since the beginning of the army operation in the area two months ago.


A source in the SAA, who is currently deployed around al-Safa, told SouthFront that the shelling is a part of ongoing preparations to launch a new ground attack on the terrorist group positions in al-Safa. According to the source, the attack will begin in the upcoming few days.

A day earlier, the SAA repelled an attack by ISIS fighters on some of its positions around al-Safa. Seven personnel of the army and three fighters of the terrorist group were reportedly killed during the clashes.

The SAA failed to make any significant advance in al-Safa during the last two months due to the area’s rough terrain and the bad weather conditions. However, the army’s heavy fire power may change this situation.



Army units thwart an infiltration attempt towards military posts in Hama countryside

Army units on Saturday thwarted an infiltration attempt by terrorists from Hasraya village towards military posts in the village of Tal al-Melh in the countryside of Meharda in Hama Province, killing many of the terrorists and injuring others.

SANA reporter pointed out that a military unit clashed with a terrorist group affiliated to the so-called “al-Ezza Battalions” that tried to infiltrate into military posts centered in the lines of Zallin and al-Zallaqiat in the northern countryside of Hama.

The reporter added that many of the terrorists were killed and others got injured while the rest were forced to flee away leaving their weapons behind.

The “al-Ezza Battalions” terrorists acknowledged on their social media websites the killing of 23 terrorists including the “military leader” Radi Rajjoub, in addition to injuring others in an ambush at the line of al-Zallaqiat in the northern countryside of Hama.


UPDATE ON NUMBER OF RUSSIAN WARPLANES DEPLOYED AT HMEIMIM AIRBASE (PHOTOS)

Fresh satellite images released on November 9 revealed that Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian coastal governorate of Lattakia is currently hosting 24 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces.


The aircraft were identified as eight Su-24, six Su-34, four Su-35 warplanes, an A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) plane, an Il-38 maritime patrol and anti-submarine plane, an IL-20 signal intelligence plane, an Il-76 cargo plane, an An-26 transport plane and an An-74 cargo plane.

Last month, satellite images revealed that Russia forces were building eighteen hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) in Hmeimim airbase in order to provide aicraft with extra protection from rocket and UAV attacks. The new images show that the construction of these shelters is still ongoing.

Between late 2017 and early 2018, Hmeimim airbase hosted more than 40 Russian warplanes, which were supporting the operations against ISIS and other radical groups in Syria. Later, the number started to decline as most areas in the country were stabilized through reconciliation or deconfliction agreements.
 
Nov 11, 2018 - ‘Absolute World Leader’: Expert Comments on Russia’s Advances in Air Defense
'Absolute World Leader': Expert Comments on Russia's Advances in Air Defense - Fort Russ

As a result of endemic corruption or disorganization within the US’s military industrial complex, it has in recent decades, increasingly fallen behind its former cold-war rival in the development of actually functioning new weapons and systems, FRN finds. However, Russia has always been and will be ahead of all other countries in the field of air defense systems, especially given the latest advances in the military industry, said a Russian military analyst.

According to the expert Igor Korotchenko to the Russian television channel Zvezda, Russian military technologies in the area of air defense are more advanced than those that the United States has today.

In particular, he noted that the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system exceeds in all respects its closest American analog, the Patriot PAC-3.

“We are definitely ahead of the US in the development of anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems, the S-400 outperforms the American Patriot PAC-3 in all aspects,” he said.

In addition, the analyst noted that Russia has more developments in this area.

“We have the S-500 ahead of us, and there are a number of other weapons systems that are still too early to talk about, but in the field of anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense we are the absolute world leader.”

The S-500 belongs to the new generation of ground-to-air missile systems designed to intercept ballistic missile warheads, aerodynamic targets (airplanes and helicopters), and cruise missiles.

The characteristics of the S-500 are expected to be significantly better than the modern Russian system in service, the S-400 Triumph, and its American analog, the Patriot Advanced Capability-3.

Meanwhile, the Russian authorities have reiterated on numerous occasions that Russia’s new weapons do not threaten countries that have no plans to attack and the country’s military doctrine is exclusively defensive in character.

According to the Almaz-Antey consortium, the Armed Forces of Russia received another regiment of S-400 air defense systems.

The Almaz-Antey press office reported that this was the last year’s supply of Russian S-400 systems to the Ministry of Defense. With this, the consortium fulfilled the state order ahead of schedule.

The S-400 delivery ceremony took place at the Kapustin Yar Polygon in the Astrakhan region. During the ceremony, the S-400s would have successfully passed tests with real air targets.


2018-11-11 - Syrian Army crowds front-lines in southeast Idlib as offensive approaches
Syrian Army crowds front-lines in southeast Idlib as offensive approaches


In a surprise move, the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) high command has ordered all soldiers in northern Hama and southern Idlib to remain on high alert.

The reason for the alert level is due to the Syrian Arab Army’s upcoming offensive that is expected to take place around the Abu Dhuhour Military Airport in southeast Idlib.

According to the Tiger Forces, their troops are preparing to launch a big ground offensive that will target the remaining towns under the control of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham near the Abu Dhuhour Airbase.

The leader of the Tiger Forces, Major General Suheil Al-Hassan, ordered his soldiers to remain at this front and be prepared for new offensive against the jihadist rebels.

Since his General Al-Hassan’s announcement, the Syrian Arab Army has begun crowding the front-lines southeast Idlib with tanks and thousands of military personnel.

These soldiers from the elite Tiger Forces branch will be leading the upcoming operation against the jihadist rebels in southeast Idlib.


Sun Nov 11, 2018 - Syrian Army to Reinvigorate Positions Near Kurdish Militias in Raqqa
Farsnews

The Syrian Army is planning to deploy thousands of fresh forces along the contact lines with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Raqqa province in Northeastern Syria, well-informed sources reported on Sunday.

The sources said that the army is planning to station almost 5,000 fresh forces and more equipment at contact lines with the SDF from the village of Sho'ayb al-Zekr in Western Raqqa to the village of Dahlah in the East.

The sources further said that the plan was decided after intensificaiton of tensions between Raqqa's residents and the SDF and growing insecurity in the region.

Tensions have been rising between Raqqa citizens and SDF militants during the last week after Sheikh Bashar Faysal Al-Huwaydi, a leader of Arab tribes in Raqqa, who had opposed occupation of Raqqa by the SDF and the US-led coalition, was assassinated.

In the meantime, at least 10 SDF members have been killed or wounded in attacks by unknown raider in Raqqa in recent days.


Sun Nov 11, 2018 - Turkey-Backed Militants on Alert for Battle against Syrian Army in Demilitarized Zone
Farsnews

The Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) has put its gunmen on alert to launch a heavy offensive against the Syrian Army in the demilitarized zone in Idlib province, a Syrian state-run paper reported on Sunday.

The Arabic-language al-Watan reported that the Turkey-backed NLF has kept its fighters in and outside the demilitarized zone, envisioned in the Sochi Agreement, on alert for imminent war against the army.

The decision by the NLF came after Ahrar al-Sham called on other terrorist groups to get ready for war against the army in Idlib province.

The daily went on to say that Naji al-Musfata, the spokesman for the NLF, has declared his forces' full preparedness for an imminent attack on the army.

Al-Watan quoted sources, affiliated to Ahrar al-Sham, as disclosing that the Turkey-backed militants are approaching other terrorist groups, including Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) and Horas al-Deen to form a coalition against the army.

The Arabic-language website of Sputnik quoted residents of the town of Jisr al-Shughour in the demilitarized zone in Western Idlib as disclosing on Saturday that Tahrir al-Sham and Turkistani Islamic Party staged a parade with their tanks, cannons and heavy machineguns in a sign of impending operation against the Damascus troops.

It went on to say that over 500 terrorists took part in the military parade that covered Jisr al-Shughour and several villages and small towns in the region.

The report said that Jaber Ali Basha, a commander of Ahrar al-Sham affiliated to the National Liberation Front, called on the other terrorist groups to prepare and join a heavy attack on the army in Idlib province.


Sun Nov 11, 2018 - Russian cargo ship heads to Syria to deliver military equipment
Russian cargo ship heads to Syria to deliver military equipment (photos)

A Russian cargo ship was photographed crossing the Bosphorus Strait this past week as it makes its way to the Syrian coast.



According to Yoruk Isik of the Bosphorus Observer, the Russian flag ship RoRo Spara II transited the Bosphorus Strait this weekend en route for the Syrian port-city of Tartous.


Yörük Işık @YorukIsik
https://twitter.com/YorukIsik/status/1061606458813485056
Ship of Interest: Coming from Novorossiysk very heavy, Russia flag RoRo Sparta II transits Mediterranean-bound Bosphorus en route to #Tartus #Syria carrying military cargo for Oboronlogistika.
https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1061606458813485056
8:07 AM - Nov 11, 2018

As mentioned in the tweet above, the Russian vessel was carrying military hardware that is likely intended for the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies.


2018-11-11 - Syria: Germany has discreetly paid nearly €50 million to rebels in Idleb
Syria: Germany has discreetly paid nearly €50 million to rebels in Idleb

This information is likely to raise serious doubts about German efforts in the various processes set up to resolve the political crisis in Syria: on 1 November, the daily newspaper Tagesspiegel revealed that the German government is funding several million euros worth of rebels still present in Idleb and involved in a conflict against the Syrian army.

This information was revealed in an answer given by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Walter Lindner (Social Democrat) to a question asked by MEP Evrim Sommer (Die Linke, radical left), to which the newspaper was able to have access.

The elected representative wanted to know more about the sums that Berlin officially pays for reconstruction and humanitarian aid in Syria, and thus exercise her control over the executive branch.

On that occasion, she learned that no less than 37.5 million euros had been transferred to rebel groups by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development would also have made these payments possible.

In total, Berlin is said to have paid nearly €49 million – a particularly high amount, as noted by Evrim Sommer.

To these would be added 11.3 million other sources, or 17 million euros from the European Union, for which Germany would have played an intermediary role.

Particularity of these financings: Berlin does not communicate the precise list of recipients. “The government does not want to make this clear, because the partners with whom Ms. Merkel spoke, Russia and Turkey, may not be happy,” Evrim Sommer told Sputnik.

On 27 October, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Istanbul for an extraordinary summit on Syria.

While the first two had insisted on the abuses committed by the “Syrian regime”, the last two had stressed the need to liquidate terrorists and rebels pursuing violent actions against the Syrian State.

All, however, had agreed on the need to start an open political transition process, based on negotiations and with the final decision to be taken by the Syrian people.


2018-11-11 - Germany secretly paid rebels in Syria nearly €50 million – report
Germany secretly paid rebels in Syria nearly €50 million - report

The German government paid tens of millions of Euros to the rebel forces fighting the Syrian government, The Telegraph reported on Sunday, citing a report from the Tagesspiegel newspaper.

According to the Tagesspiegel report, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Walter Lindner (Social Democrat) told MEP Evrim Sommer (Die Linke) that Germany paid millions of Euros to the rebel forces in Syria.

The report said that Lindner revealed Germany paid the rebels no less than 37.5 million Euros for reconstruction and humanitarian aid.

In total, the German government paid nearly €49 million to the rebel forces in Syria, the report continued.

“The government does not want to make this clear, because the partners with whom Ms. Merkel spoke, Russia and Turkey, may not be happy,” Evrim Sommer told Russia’s Sputnik News Agency.

Germany has recently entered talks with Turkey, France, and Russia to secure a peaceful settlement inside Syria.

However, this new report about Germany’s secret funding of rebel groups could cause friction among the countries allied to the Syrian government, including Russia and Iran.


November 9, 2018 - US So-called Counter-terrorism Campaign Produced ISIL, al-Qaeda: Zarif
US So-called Counter-terrorism Campaign Produced ISIL, al-Qaeda: Zarif

Referring to the costs and casualties of the US so-called counter-terrorism campaign, Iranian foreign minister called the conflict a major factor in the formation of ISIL and al-Qaeda branches in the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

“US’ so-called ‘War on Terror’ has cost 500K+ lives. 110K+ dead just since 2016. Debacle has caused destruction in Iraq, Syria, Libya & Yemen. It has spawned ISIS & multiple Al Qaeda affiliates. Cost to US taxpayers: 7K dead Americans + $5.6 trillion. Cost to MidEast: Unfathomable,” Mohammad Javad Zarif’s tweet reads.
 
Fri, Nov 9, 2018 - The US Air Force Is Preparing for a Great Power War Against Russia and China
The US Air Force Is Preparing for a Great Power War Against Russia and China

USAF is undergoing its biggest expansion since the end of the Cold War, and the reasons are clear.

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In September, at the Air Force Association’s annual Space & Cyber Conference, Heather Wilson — Donald Trump’s Secretary of the U.S. Air Force — presented the Trump administration’s new roadmap for the U.S. Air Force: the historic expansion of the already, by far, largest air force in the world.

Wilson identified the perceived context of the new expansionist developments right at the start of her 30-minute speech — Russia conducted its largest military exercise on “Russian soil in four decades,” she said, and China sent its first operational aircraft carrier into the Pacific and has “militarized” the South China Sea — and thus exposed at the same time the old dilemma of global security policy: The one’s defense looks quite like offense to the other, and vice versa.

Secretary Wilson explained that the U.S. Air Force will expand its current operational squadrons — which she martially called “the clenched fist of American resolve” — from 312 to 386 between 2025 and 2030. That’s an increase of 25 percent — the largest expansion ever since the end of the Cold War.

A squadron consists of 12 to 24 aircraft. Wilson’s expansion thus corresponds to well over 1,000 new bombers, fighter jets, and drones, as well as reconnaissance and refueling aircraft. Approximately $25 billion will be added to the annual Air Force budget, and no less than 40,000 additional staff will be needed. That amounts to the Trump administration reversing recent trends, as the Air Force has “drastically downsized in past years,” Military.com reports.

Foreign Policy received exclusive insight into the composition of these 74 new squadrons. The largest percentage increase among the various squadrons is attributed to the bomber squadrons: aircraft that can be equipped with nuclear weapons and, above all, aim at the destruction of stationary targets such as buildings or other massive infrastructure — but not mobile combat units — which is largely interpreted as a shift in strategic focus towards wars against nations, not terrorist groups.

There is also a massive increase in the number of refueling aircraft, which are currently deployed in support of the Saudi-Emirati war against the civilian population of Yemen — an air war, waged across the endless deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, that would be virtually impossible without U.S. air-refueling.

Another central theme in Wilson‘s speech was the creation of a Space Force as the sixth branch of the military. Donald Trump initially understood that project as a joke, but then quickly recognized it as a catchy slogan that was well received by his base. In March, he finally included the Space Force into the national security strategy.

“Space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air, and sea”, Trump stated, although his White House, the U.S. Air Force, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have vehemently opposed this move in the past. “We can no longer view space as a function, it is a war-fighting mission,” Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told a crowd of applauding military staff in her speech in National Harbor, Maryland. The military, Wilson promised, is working to “put a war fighter’s focus on space operation.”

New fighter jets at Russia’s borders
In recent years, NATO has carried out its largest troop deployment on its eastern flank — right at the Russian border — since the fading of the Cold War in the 1980s. At the insistence of German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, a new NATO headquarters is being set up in Germany for the purpose of coordinating the movement of these troops. And with the establishment of the “Military Schengen” area, the rapid and un-bureaucratic deployment of troops across Europe’s borders should be guaranteed.

In the wake of this escalating militarization of the European continent, the U.S. Air Force massively increased its presence at Russia’s doorstep too.

In all NATO countries in Eastern Europe, the U.S. Air Force is investing multimillion-dollar sums in the expansion of its air bases: with more than $50 million pouring into a base in Hungary, more than $60 million allocated to the modernization of two air force bases in Romania, and two bases in Slovakia that will be upgraded with more than $ 100 million, besides various base upgrades in other countries in the region.

The majority of these funds are dedicated to explicitly war-related investments such as new hangars for fighter jets or facilities to store weapons and fuel. In addition to hundreds of soldiers, the U.S. Air Force also recently sent several dozens of new fighter jets to Romania alone, including twelve A-10 Thunderbolts, better known as “Warthogs,” that are armed with radioactive uranium munitions. Reaper combat drones have been stationed in Poland for months, and soon they will likely launch from Romania too.

Both the excessive deployment of air forces in Eastern Europe and the establishment of Trump’s Space Force — as well as the historic, long-term upgrade of the U.S. Air Force as a whole — reflect a tendency to slowly abandon the infamous “War on Terror” doctrine of the past 17 years. The relevance of the countless petty wars against al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS & Co. is slowly dwindling. Neither is North Korea, Iran, or Syria the prime target of this strategic realignment.

The historic upgrade of the U.S. Air Force, military experts agree, reflects a shift in focus in the military doctrine of the U.S. empire towards great power wars in the 21st century: wars against Russia or China.

No hegemon besides me
It is one of the fundamental motives of strategic geopolitics that the present empire, in order to maintain its global power, must prevent the rise of other regional hegemons at any cost — especially in the three geostrategic core regions of East Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Europe.

This is the primary reason why the U.S. went to war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan — and transformed the latter into a military colony that still exists today and whose own army is still under Washington’s command. It’s why NATO functions as a U.S. tool for military control of Europe’s armies and the alliance ceaselessly moves eastward to Russia’s borders, why Saddam was overthrown and Iraq obliterated, why Saudi Arabia’s military was brought into vital dependency on the U.S., why the war against Iran is currently being prepared, and why the U.S. empire has deployed 240,000 troops in 172 countries around the world.

A rising China, as an empire in its infancy, however, is of a completely different caliber than the other wannabe-hegemons. Washington’s policy of containment may have a certain time-delaying effect, but ultimately it is irrelevant: China will become the regional hegemon in East Asia in the not-too-distant future, and eventually overtake the U.S. as the world’s primary superpower on the planet in the decades to come.

The 21st century is the Chinese one.

This transition can either go ahead peacefully — or with a big bang, potentially in the form of World War III. Secretary of the U.S. Air Force Heather Wilson once again made it clear in her recent keynote speech which scenario Washington is working towards.
 
SYRIAN ARMY RAINS DOWN HELL FIRE ON ISIS IN AL-SAFA (VIDEOS)

On November 10, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) artillery and rocket launchers shelled ISIS fortifications in the area of al-Safa, which lays between the Damascus desert and the governorate of al-Suwayda, according to several Syrian pro-government sources. The shelling was reportedly the most violent since the beginning of the army operation in the area two months ago.


SYRIAN ARMY KICKS OFF NEW ATTACK AGAINST ISIS IN AL-SAFA

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies launched a new attack on the remaining ISIS positions in the area of al-Safa north of the governorate of al-Suwayda and advanced 2km deep into the heavily fortified area, a source in the army told SouthFront on November 11.

According to the source, the SAA killed several terrorists during its advance in al-Safa. A pickup truck and many motorcycles of ISIS were also destroyed by the army.

Meanwhile, the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that the terrorist group’s fighters killed and injured 25 Syrian soldiers during clashes with the SAA on November 10. However, SouthFront’s source denied Amaq’s claims and said that he is not aware of any loses in the last 48 hours.

The new attack, which is led by the SAA’s 4th Division and backed by Russia, will likely mark the end of ISIS in al-Safa and the entire Damascus desert as the besieged terrorist group’s capabilities were drained by weeks of clashes.


Syrian Army unleashes massive attack on jihadist forces in northern Hama

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) unleashed a large assault on the jihadist defenses in the northern Hama last night.

Using heavy artillery and surface-to-surface missiles, the Syrian Arab Army repeatedly struck the defenses of Jaysh Al-‘Izza and Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham in northern and northwestern Hama.

Among the targets for the Syrian Arab Army were the plethora of trenches that have been dug near the Hama-Idlib axis.

The Syrian Arab Army spent a good part of the night hitting the jihadist defenses, while their reinforcements from the Tartous and Latakia provinces poured into northern Hama and southeast Idlib.

This latest attack by the Syrian Arab Army comes in response to the repeated strikes by the jihadist rebels on the government posts in northern countryside of Hama.


TURKEY SENDS SECURITY CONVOY TO MEET MILITANTS AMID ESCALATION IN NORTHERN HAMA (VIDEO)


The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have sent a security convoy to the town of Lataminah in the northern part of Hama province, according to a video released by pro-militant media activists.

The TAF convoy arrived the area amid the recent series of escalation between radical miltiant groups (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies) and the Syrian Arab Army in northern Hama and northern Lattakia.

On November 10, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham carried out an attack on a position of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the Turkman mount in the northern Lattakia. The group claimed that 10 SAA troops had been killed in the attack. Earlier on the same day, the group claimed that 18 SAA soldiers and 7 Russian service members had been killed in village of al-Tarbi’a in the northern Hama.

While the numbers provided by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham remain unconfirmed (especially alleged deaths of Russian troops), sporadic clashes in the both regions have been ongoing since November 8.

These clashes openly show that the Idlib demiltiarization zone agreement does not work as it has been supposed. Most of miltant groups have ignored the terms and conditions of this agreement keeping their heavy weapons and equipment within the “demilitarized zone” area.

Turkey and Turkey-linked sources have repeatedly claimed that the agreement is employed, but this is not confirmed by the situation on the ground. Furthermore, the Turkish-Russian decision to expand the timeline of the agreement implementation also confirms this fact.

Thus, the Idlib de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria is slowly heading to a new round of escalation.


Masks Off? Syrian Opposition Changes Flag, Stops Playing Revolutionary Force

Besieged in the Idlib province, the Syrian opposition, interlaced deeply with the former Nusra Front, has undergone another rebranding, changing its flag to bear a Shahada religious inscription.

As the operation against terrorists in Syria comes close to its end, terrorists besieged in the Idlib province have undergone another rebranding, this time changing their flag.

The so-called "Syrian Revolution Flag" — a green, white and black tricolor with three red stars, adopted back in 2012 — became a unifying symbol for a large variety of smaller terrorist and opposition movements (Daesh excluded) that fought against the elected government of President Bashar Assad throughout the entire Syrian war.

In 2015, the flag saw a new wave of popularity as the Syrian opposition sought to distance itself from Daesh and other radical jihadists.

"The opposition flag remained a point of contention between the opposition's so-called "revolutionary" and more hardline Islamist wings for years," War on the Rocks author Sam Heller wrote in October.

However, according to Séamus Malekafzali, a writer at the International Review focusing on Middle Eastern affairs and the war in Syria, the so-called General Syrian Conference, has now adopted a new version of the flag, in which stars have been replaced by a red-inked Shahada, an Islamic symbol of faith.

"The General Syrian Conference of the #HTS-backed Syrian Salvation Government has come to a compromise resolution regarding the flying of the Syrian revolution flag," Malekafzali tweeted, referring to Hayat Tahrir as-Sham, a rebranded Nusra Front, an internationally recognized terrorist organization.


Translated as "I believe that there is no God beside Allah and that Muhammad is His prophet," Shahada is present on the flag of Saudi Arabia, as well as several other nations, including Afghanistan and the unrecognized state of Somaliland.

The General Syrian Conference is an organ within an opposition structure, akin to a constituent assembly. Back in 2017, the Conference formed the so-called Syrian Salvation Government, a ruling body of the opposition.

Opposition in Idlib is heavily interlaced with the Nusra Front, which rebranded itself as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, seeking to evade destruction by mimicking "moderate opposition" movements.

"For a group that has been designated a terrorist organization internationally, HTS's integration into the Syrian rebellion is key to its survival. A group that is flush with its Syrian opposition surroundings is one that cannot be easily isolated and destroyed," reads commentary by Heller.

"HTS's fusion of jihadist and Syrian rebel rhetoric, on display in its recent video, evidences the group's duality," Heller continues. "It is also part of how the group frustrates attempts to separate it from its Syrian context, by policing opposition discourse and deterring Syria's other rebels from turning against it."

If Heller's analysis is to be believed, HTS leaders despise their revolutionary counterparts for their willingness to reconcile with the Syrian government.

In a video recorded earlier in September — just as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan negotiated a truce in Idlib — the leaders of HTS were seen discussing the ideology of the group. Talking about non-radical revolutionaries, the leaders openly expressed their distrust, if not open animosity.

"[They're] the first ones to jump into the regime's embrace," one participant said in the video.

"That's why, in reality, they're the enemy. We need to call these things by their names. They are munafiqoun. We need to label them as God Almighty did," another suggested, using a term that officially translates as "hypocrite," but is closer to "traitor."

The change of flag could signal the opposition's sway toward jihadism, although underlying reasons for such a step remain unclear. One idea put forth by an unnamed source suggests that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is no longer pretending to be the "good guys" as an appeal to other radical islamists.

"Seems like the money from US/Europe stopped, thus FSA no longer cares about appealing to westerners," one Twitter user commented, referring to the Idlib-besieged opposition as Free Syrian Army.



One in three Syrians returning home receives medical assistance at border crossings

One in three refugees returning to Syria from Jordan and Lebanon has received medical assistance at border crossings, Deputy Head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Sides in Syria Major General Yevgeny Kharchenko said, addressing a meeting with members of the public and local authorities in Damascus.

According to earlier reports, more than 1.5 mln Syrian refugees have already returned to their places of permanent residence. In particular, as many as 260,000 people have returned from Lebanon and Jordan.

"Every third refugee returning to Syria has been provided with medical assistance at border crossings," Kharchenko pointed out.

According to him, the process of the return of Syrian refugees continues "at a good pace." "It shows that the Syrian Ministry of National Reconciliation has been carrying out its activities in a meaningful and consistent manner. United Nations officials, as well as diplomatic sources and humanitarian agencies, note that the refugee return process is purely voluntary," Kharchenko added.

The Russian Center for Reconciliation said that the number of Syrians returning to their home country had been growing particularly because "the Naseeb border crossing has become fully operational." In addition, an agreement has been reached with Lebanese authorities on the return of about 200,000 refugees to Syria before the end of the year.
 
2018-11-11 - Syria: Germany has discreetly paid nearly €50 million to rebels in Idleb
Syria: Germany has discreetly paid nearly €50 million to rebels in Idleb

This information is likely to raise serious doubts about German efforts in the various processes set up to resolve the political crisis in Syria: on 1 November, the daily newspaper Tagesspiegel revealed that the German government is funding several million euros worth of rebels still present in Idleb and involved in a conflict against the Syrian army.


2018-11-11 - Germany secretly paid rebels in Syria nearly €50 million – report
Germany secretly paid rebels in Syria nearly €50 million - report

The German government paid tens of millions of Euros to the rebel forces fighting the Syrian government, The Telegraph reported on Sunday, citing a report from the Tagesspiegel newspaper.


German Party Questions Gov't Funding of Groups in Idlib, Syria

The German government must name those groups in Syrian Idlib province that are financed by Berlin, Die Linke policy spokesman in the Bundestag Defense Committee Tobias Pflueger told Sputnik Monday.

"The German government must explain which groups in Idlib are financed by Germany. If the money really is spent on reconstruction and the civil society needs, it’s a good thing. But we are very sceptical if this is the case. It must be sure that Islamic terrorists do not profit off that," Pflueger said.

Pluegfer also called on the German government to support the Kurdish forces in Syria.

On October 30, German Der Tagesspiegel newspaper reported that Germany had spent 48.8 million euro ($55 million) in funds on opposition rebel groups in the Idlib province. In a written response to Die Linke, seen by the media outlet, Foreign Ministry official Walter Lindner said the money went to "civil actors opposing extremist influences in the Idlib region."

According to Der Tagesspiegel, most of the German funds, 37.5 million euros, came from the Foreign Ministry, and a company affiliated with the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The remaining 11.3 million euros were contributed by unidentified donors. On top of it came 17 million euros in EU funds passed along by German agencies.

The province of Idlib in northwest Syria is the last remaining stronghold of terrorist groups operating in the country, including Jabhat al-Nusra*, which has joined forces with four other jihadi groups in Idlib to form a terrorist alliance called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*, widely regarded as the dominant force on the ground in the province.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (also known as HTS or al-Qaeda in Syria), and Al-Nusra Front (also known as Jabhat al-Nusra or Jabhat Fatah al-Sham) are terrorist groups, banned in Russia.


Israel Allegedly Trains to Destroy Russian Air Defence Systems (PHOTOS)

Osa and Kvadrat surface-to-air missile systems were supplied to Syria by the Soviet Union, and are known by the NATO codenames SA-8 and SA-6, respectively.

Photos, believed to be taken in the Negev desert and unearthed on Twitter, show inflatable dummies of Soviet-designed Osa and Kub/Kvadrat surface-to-air missile systems, which the Israeli Air Force is allegedly using during training.


The IDF hasn’t commented on the claims yet, and the photos have yet to be verified.

Russian S-300 Delivered to Syria

The report comes just days after Israel’s Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Minister of Environmental Protection Ze’ev Elkin said that Russia’s deliveries of S-300 air defence systems were “a big mistake” and that Tel Aviv would attack them if they are used against Israeli jets.

“By shipping these kinds of weapons to Syrians, Russia bears partial responsibility for their use. Usually, Israel reacts to attacks on its territory and its aircrafts not through international demarches, but with practical actions. Actions would undoubtedly take place, should [an attack] occur, against the launchers used to attack Israeli territory or Israeli planes," he said.

In early October, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced it had finalised the delivery of 49 units of S-300 air defence systems to Syria in order to boost the security of Russian servicemen.

The decision was made in late September in light of the inadvertent destruction of a Russian Il-20 military reconnaissance aircraft by Syria air defences responding to an Israeli air raid.

The Russian military blamed the downing on the IAF, emphasising that an Israeli fighter jet had used the Russian plane as a shield against Syrian air defence systems. Israel has denied the accusations, claiming that it had warned Moscow about the air strikes in a timely manner.

Osa & Kvadrat in Action

Known under the NATO reporting name SA-6, the Kvadrat SAM system was used during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states, led by Syria and Egypt. Syria was able to use these air defences to shoot down more than 60 Israeli combat aircraft of various types.

In 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon, with the conflict culminating with Syria deploying over 30,000 troops, 400 tanks and 19 Osa SAM systems (NATO reporting name SA-8) in the Bekaa Valley to repel the IDF’s assault.

Despite the fact that the Syrians had just received the units at the time and hadn't had time to master their use, they managed to shoot down one of the Israeli F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers.

Nowadays, the SA-8 and SA-6 systems are considered obsolete, but they still remain in service with the Syrian Army.


Daesh struggles to hold ground as Syrian troops swarm Al-Safa

The so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) is under heavy attack in southern Syria as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies continue their large-scale offensive inside the strategic Al-Safa region.

Backed by heavy artillery and airstrikes, the Syrian Arab Army swarmed the hills of Al-Safa this afternoon following a successful morning in which their troops managed to liberate more than two kilometers of mountainous terrain from the Daesh terrorists.

According to a military source in nearby Sweida city, the Syrian Arab Army is steadily advancing at the northern hills of Al-Safa this afternoon.

The source said that the Syrian Army has been relying on heavy artillery and missile strikes to fracture Daesh’s defenses and pave the way for their troops to advance in this rocky region of Al-Sweida.

The Al-Safa region is located in the northeastern part of the Al-Sweida Governorate; it is the last area under Daesh control in southern Syria.


Surprising Origins Of 4 Types Of Weapons That Wound-Up Used By Syrian Terrorists

Where do the weapons used by extremists in Syria, in their clashes against government troops and different factions, come from? FRN received the opinion of expert Andrei Kots who lists the most important and unexpected armaments of his arsenal.

It is clear that any international armed conflict involving more than two sides soon becomes a sort of “exhibition” of armaments and equipment of different producers, since all major geopolitical players usually support their allies and proxies – that is, third forces used in an indirect conflict.

A Look Back

In November 2015, when Syrian army units were engaged in harsh fighting against the al-Nusra Front in Latakia province, the military was stunned by an armored vehicle facing them. It was a strange tank, which had nothing to do with the Soviet T-family tanks, which were the core of the armored armory of the terrorists.

At the time, having made only a few shots, the car was eliminated by a T-72 from the government troops. Later, when the Russian and Syrian specialists inspected the vehicle, it turned out to be an old British Centurion MK 3 tank, produced in the 1950’s. The first modification of the vehicle was made even in World War II!

The third series of these tanks with QF 20 pounder cannons of 83.8 mm was small – only 700 units. Meanwhile, the vehicles of this series have come to participate in the fighting in the Middle East and in numerous Arab-Israeli conflicts, as well as in the Iran-Iraq War.

The Centurion MK 3 that ended up in the hands of the terrorists of the Al-Nusra Front came from Jordan, which had bought about 300 tanks of this type.

Centurion_Mk.3_Garage.jpg
Centurion MK 3

Armored groups for the Kurds

It is not often that armed groups in Syria use modern NATO armored vehicles – with the exception of those parts openly supported by Washington and Brussels, for example the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which actively use US, German and Belgian produced weapons as well as transport vehicles produced in western countries, including the newest armored heavy Cougar.

Some of the photos taken during the Syrian conflict saw a modification of the Badger infantry combat vehicle, which the Americans have been using to arm the Iraqi army since 2007. There were two variants of this armored: four- and six-wheeled, capacity for 10 and 16 combatants, respectively. It has a shielded compartment that effectively protects the crew from home-made mine explosions and firearm attacks with calibres of up to 12.7 mm.

Nazi weapons

The military of Syria often seize StG 44 Sturmgewehr assault rifles, used by the Nazis in the period between 1943 1945.

At the beginning of the civil conflict, some groups of the armed opposition invaded the warehouses in Aleppo, where they were 5,000 units of these rifles. At the time, they spread throughout Syria, but in a variant modified in an amateurish way. The militants even installed Picatinny rails on them to mount telescopic sights and tried to make many other very strange changes, which would probably make German builder Hugo Schmeisser very surprised.

stg-44.jpg

However, it is not the existence of these rifles in the Middle East that leaves the author of the text shocked, since the Germans produced almost half a million of these weapons, which later were supplied to two dozen countries. What is striking is that the production of 7.92 × 1.3 mm caliber ammunition stopped in 1945. It seems that the Germans were heavily invested in this weapon and manufactured such ammunition that it has reached almost 80 years!

Ground-to-air missiles

We have long been talking about the mobile missile systems that would be in service for the militants in Syria. This assumption was confirmed on February 3 this year, when a Su-25 fighter bomber was shot down by a missile in Idlib province. To date it is unclear what kind of weapon it was. According to one version, it would have been a modification of the Chinese HY-6 system.

China exported this weaponry to several countries – Malaysia, Cambodia, Peru, Pakistan and some units would have ended up in the hands of terrorists. The missile system is capable of eliminating aerial targets at altitudes between 500 and 5,000 meters. The range is 500 to 5,000 meters in the distance and between 15 meters and 3.5 kilometers in altitude.
 
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