Russia Begins Operations in Syria: End Game for the US Empire?
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Nević Nenad
The Living Force
Seems that it becomes more clear what US "army specialists" are actually doing in Libya:
https://www.rt.com/news/326763-isis-police-patrol-libya/
https://www.rt.com/news/326763-isis-police-patrol-libya/
angelburst29
The Living Force
WHAT showed SIMULATION Russian - American War
http://srbin.info/2015/12/22/sta-su-pokazale-simulacije-rusko-americkog-rata/
Pentagon in June 2014 conducted a simulation exercise - a kind of war game between Russia and NATO . Scenario foresaw Russian pressure on Estonia and Latvia , NATO member countries . Whether NATO would be able to defend this country ?
" The results were discomforting " , writes Julia Joffe in the journal Foreign Policy. Even if all NATO troops stationed in Europe were transferred to the Baltic , including 82 aviation , which theoretically should be ready for action within just 24 time , the United States would lose .
" We simply do not have such troops in Europe " , explains senior US general . " There is also the fact that the Russians have missiles land - air , are the best in the world , and I'm not afraid to use heavy artillery " .
The Russian victory was the result of a single simulation exercises . The Americans have repeated the exercise 16 times , using different scenarios that favored NATO and the conclusion was always the same . The Russians were simply unbeatable .
With this background , rash Turkish overthrow of Russian military aircraft heralds a serious news for NATO . Since Turkey is a NATO member , all other member states are theoretically obliged to protect it in case Russia decides to severely punish the Turks .
Although the chances that the Americans risked York because Erdogan negligible - leaving very nervous Turkey out in the cold - it can not be completely ruled out the possibility that a hot-NATO head really was not ready to attack Russia .
Mutual nuclear attack would undoubtedly have catastrophic consequences for both sides - and probably for the entire planet - but there are certain factors that favor Russia .
EMERGENCY AT LENINGRAD NUCLEAR POWER PLANT: RADIATION LEAKING INTO ATMOSPHERE
https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/675
Sat. Dec. 19, 2015 - A steam pipe has cracked at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in Russia and is venting radioactive steam into the atmosphere. The radiation is blowing toward southeast Finland.
"The accident occurred at the second power unit when a pipe with steam cracked in turbine hall yesterday. The steam filled the room, and leaked beyond the power plant. The employees of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (LNPP) had to go home. The second unit was stopped manually, Ekho Moskvy reports.
According to specialists, the release was radioactive, because the waste steam entered the so-called loop reactor coolant.
East wind is carrying a radiation cloud west, in the direction of Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland as shown on the map below:
The LNPP is located 80 kilometers from St. Petersburg, on the Gulf of Finland. It is considered one of the largest producers of electricity in the north-west Russia.
UPDATE Dec. 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM Eastern US Time:
Radioactive steam is still being released from the incident. Local residents have begun taking photos of the steam cloud coming directly out of the reactor building, as shown below.
German Business Sharply Protests EU Sanctions Against Russia
http://russia-insider.com/en/german-business-sharply-protests-eu-sanctions-against-russia/ri11955
Germany has already lost 6.5 billion euros in trade in 2014, and is expected to lose another 8.5 billion in 2015.
The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations has used unusually strong wording to protest against the EU’s extension of sanctions against Russia. The Committee praises Russia and and at the same time, puts an end to the fairytail that trade with Ukraine could compensate for the losses incurred with Russia.
Today and tomorrow (19, 20 December), representatives of the 28 EU member countries will come together to decide, among other things, another six-month extension of the economic sanctions against Russia. The Chairman of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Eckhard Cordes, spoke on this topic as well as the planned January 1st implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).
Is Iran’s Ahmadinejad seeking a comeback?
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2015/12/55909/
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is still being harshly criticised in public, especially by the pro-reform, outspoken officials of President Hassan Rouhani’s administration. Rouhani, a centrist cleric, has himself opted to keep a restrained, inconspicuous stance in regard to the policies of the previous administration.
Ahmadinejad has launched a comprehensive news website (in Persian) that features his statements, runs a long list of his “breakthroughs” as president, amplifies them through graphs, illustrations and visual statistics, publishes photo essays of his public appearances, and recruits supporters. There are other websites that are also in charge of enlisting the fans and supporters of Ahmadinejad so as to keep them mobilized for a possible future campaign, and at the same time serve as the propaganda wing of Ahmadinejad’s media advisers, who continue holding up this mantra that he was a superlative and phenomenal president and his enemies simply “defamed” him.
The hardliner has now started going on lecture tours across the nation, entertaining crowds of those who have remained faithful to him and get together as soon as they hear the announcement that the former president wili be delivering a speech somewhere. It’s understandable that he has already kicked off an informal electoral campaign for the 2017 presidential vote.
http://srbin.info/2015/12/22/sta-su-pokazale-simulacije-rusko-americkog-rata/
Pentagon in June 2014 conducted a simulation exercise - a kind of war game between Russia and NATO . Scenario foresaw Russian pressure on Estonia and Latvia , NATO member countries . Whether NATO would be able to defend this country ?
" The results were discomforting " , writes Julia Joffe in the journal Foreign Policy. Even if all NATO troops stationed in Europe were transferred to the Baltic , including 82 aviation , which theoretically should be ready for action within just 24 time , the United States would lose .
" We simply do not have such troops in Europe " , explains senior US general . " There is also the fact that the Russians have missiles land - air , are the best in the world , and I'm not afraid to use heavy artillery " .
The Russian victory was the result of a single simulation exercises . The Americans have repeated the exercise 16 times , using different scenarios that favored NATO and the conclusion was always the same . The Russians were simply unbeatable .
With this background , rash Turkish overthrow of Russian military aircraft heralds a serious news for NATO . Since Turkey is a NATO member , all other member states are theoretically obliged to protect it in case Russia decides to severely punish the Turks .
Although the chances that the Americans risked York because Erdogan negligible - leaving very nervous Turkey out in the cold - it can not be completely ruled out the possibility that a hot-NATO head really was not ready to attack Russia .
Mutual nuclear attack would undoubtedly have catastrophic consequences for both sides - and probably for the entire planet - but there are certain factors that favor Russia .
EMERGENCY AT LENINGRAD NUCLEAR POWER PLANT: RADIATION LEAKING INTO ATMOSPHERE
https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/675
Sat. Dec. 19, 2015 - A steam pipe has cracked at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in Russia and is venting radioactive steam into the atmosphere. The radiation is blowing toward southeast Finland.
"The accident occurred at the second power unit when a pipe with steam cracked in turbine hall yesterday. The steam filled the room, and leaked beyond the power plant. The employees of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (LNPP) had to go home. The second unit was stopped manually, Ekho Moskvy reports.
According to specialists, the release was radioactive, because the waste steam entered the so-called loop reactor coolant.
East wind is carrying a radiation cloud west, in the direction of Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland as shown on the map below:
The LNPP is located 80 kilometers from St. Petersburg, on the Gulf of Finland. It is considered one of the largest producers of electricity in the north-west Russia.
UPDATE Dec. 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM Eastern US Time:
Radioactive steam is still being released from the incident. Local residents have begun taking photos of the steam cloud coming directly out of the reactor building, as shown below.
German Business Sharply Protests EU Sanctions Against Russia
http://russia-insider.com/en/german-business-sharply-protests-eu-sanctions-against-russia/ri11955
Germany has already lost 6.5 billion euros in trade in 2014, and is expected to lose another 8.5 billion in 2015.
The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations has used unusually strong wording to protest against the EU’s extension of sanctions against Russia. The Committee praises Russia and and at the same time, puts an end to the fairytail that trade with Ukraine could compensate for the losses incurred with Russia.
Today and tomorrow (19, 20 December), representatives of the 28 EU member countries will come together to decide, among other things, another six-month extension of the economic sanctions against Russia. The Chairman of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Eckhard Cordes, spoke on this topic as well as the planned January 1st implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).
Is Iran’s Ahmadinejad seeking a comeback?
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2015/12/55909/
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is still being harshly criticised in public, especially by the pro-reform, outspoken officials of President Hassan Rouhani’s administration. Rouhani, a centrist cleric, has himself opted to keep a restrained, inconspicuous stance in regard to the policies of the previous administration.
Ahmadinejad has launched a comprehensive news website (in Persian) that features his statements, runs a long list of his “breakthroughs” as president, amplifies them through graphs, illustrations and visual statistics, publishes photo essays of his public appearances, and recruits supporters. There are other websites that are also in charge of enlisting the fans and supporters of Ahmadinejad so as to keep them mobilized for a possible future campaign, and at the same time serve as the propaganda wing of Ahmadinejad’s media advisers, who continue holding up this mantra that he was a superlative and phenomenal president and his enemies simply “defamed” him.
The hardliner has now started going on lecture tours across the nation, entertaining crowds of those who have remained faithful to him and get together as soon as they hear the announcement that the former president wili be delivering a speech somewhere. It’s understandable that he has already kicked off an informal electoral campaign for the 2017 presidential vote.
angelburst29
The Living Force
angelburst29 said:
New York Times quietly edits article to delete embarrassing statements Obama made about terrorism
http://www.naturalnews.com/052408_NYT_Obama_apologist_terrorism.html
In recent days The New York Times covered a rare visit by Obama to the National Counterterrorism Center, in which the paper initially published some very embarrassing comments the selfie-obsessed president made, but then memory-holed them later.
As noted by The Federalist, the original story, written by reporters Peter Baker and Gardiner Harris and published Dec. 17, contained a stunning admission by the president following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif. But by the next day – Dec. 18 – the embarrassing passage was removed.
In a Twitter post, CNN's Brian Stelter included the quote:
In his meeting with the columnists, Mr. Obama indicated that he did not see enough cable television to fully appreciate the anxiety after the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and made clear that he plans to step up his public arguments. Republicans were telling Americans that he is not doing anything when he is doing a lot, he said.
The first New York Times version confirmed a version of Obama that his critics have long suspected – that when it comes to issues of national security, this president is an out-of-touch and disinterested bystander.
"Obama critics immediately pounced on the stunning admission from the president, expressing shock that he would claim that a lack of TV time was the real reason for him not understanding Americans' anxiety about terrorism," The Federalist reported.
Pathetic
But then, The Times went into protection mode and removed the offending passage from its online version of the story, and that drew the attention of other journalists and Times watchers, who questioned the deletion.
That wasn't all The Times did to protect Obama, however. In addition to deleting the embarrassing section, as tracked by Newsdiffs.org, Times editors changed the piece's headline on four separate occasions, each time putting Obama in a better light or portraying Republicans in a worse light.
As reported by The Federalist:
The original headline when the story was first published was "Obama Visiting National Counterterrorism Center." Less than two hours later, the headline was "Obama, at Counterterrorism Center, Offers Assurances On Safety." Then the headline was changed to "Frustrated by Republican Critics, Obama Defends Muted Response to Attacks." Two hours later, the headline was once again revised to "Under Fire From G.O.P., Obama Defends Response to Terror Attacks." The most recent headline revision, which accompanied the deletion of the passage where Obama admitted he didn't understand the American public's anxiety about terrorism, now reads, "Assailed by G.O.P., Obama Defends His Response To Terror Attacks."
What's even more comical – and pathetic – is The Times' reporters "explanation" of what editors did, a sort of "nothing to see here, just move on" response.
Changes made no sense
In a statement to the Washington Examiner's T. Beckett Adams they responded:
Thanks for the question. There's nothing unusual here. That paragraph, near the bottom of the story, was trimmed for space in the print paper by a copy editor in New York late last night. But it was in our story on the web all day and read by many thousands of readers. Web stories without length constraints are routinely edited for print.
Sure. Why all the headline changes, then?
Crickets. Silence. No response.
As noted by Sean Davis of The Federalist, however, the changes made no sense.
"NYT says it 'trimmed' the Obama quote for space. It deleted 66 words and added 116 in that revision," he said in one tweet.
"The NYT's excuse that it was just 'trimming for space' makes no sense. Its revision of that section added 50 words," he said in another.
The Times has been in the tank for Obama since he got the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. To expect the paper to now change the way it has protected him is ludicrous. But every time it does, the paper needs to be exposed for doing so.
Kremlin's Press Spokesman: Western Mainstream Media Is Losing Its Power
http://russia-insider.com/en/putins-spokesperson-theres-great-info-war-going/ri11979
(Originally Appeared at Contra Magazine. Translated from the German by Werner Schrimpf)
From the perspective of the Kremlin, there's a huge information war going on. Spokesperson Dmitri Peskov claimed that Russia’s opponents and critics lack any kind of objectivity and addressed his accusations primarily to Western mainstream media. According to Mr. Peskov, Russian media on the other hand, would offer a quite sophisticated and balanced level of standards.
During recent days, Contra Magazin“ had reported several times on the lies and half-truths circulated by Western mainstream media. During an interview given by Russia’s TV station Rossiya 24, Mr. Peskov stated that Western mainstream media would continue to lose its humanity and would also give away its role as a provider of mass media.
The adequate remedy to counter this information war would be to play an active part in the global media game and to inform the international community and people to the best advantage. According to Mr. Peskov, Russia’s public and private run media are in a good position to fulfill this task. Russia’s media would be able to maintain a high level in quality and standards.
The problems with Western and especially German mainstream media are well known. This is true at least to consumers of independent blogs and portals who are pretty much aware of the continuous lying in the self-proclaimed “quality media”.
Hardly a day goes by without private as well as state run mainstream media launching an ugly and impertinent lie about Russia. Western media representatives often claim that Russian journalists would report biased and doubt their journalistic independence.
However the sinister connections and conspiracies between Western media in terms of politics, media, transatlantic think tanks and NGO’s are kept secret. But in contrary to German media, which is just pretending to be “independent”, Russia’s media portals like Russia Today and its branches make no secret of the fact they present facts and news from a Russian point of view.
angelburst29
The Living Force
LQB said:
angelburst29
The Living Force
Score another one for Syria - Assad and Putin in Diplomacy.
Hundreds of wounded ISIS fighters and their families are allowed to leave rebel-held areas of Damascus for treatment after negotiating deal with Assad’s government
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3373328/Families-IS-fighters-leave-S-Damascus-UN-deal-monitor.html
* ISIS fighters and families given safe passage from areas near Damascus
* The groups, including injured fighters, are currently in rebel-held areas
* The aim is believed to be to end ISIS's presence near the Syrian capital
Hundreds of families of ISIS fighters, as well as some injured jihadis are expected to leave rebel-held areas in Damascus, Syria under a UN-brokered deal, a monitoring group said on Thursday.
Safe passage for the fighters and their families is expected to be given from two districts on the outskirts of the capital, to ISIS-controlled areas in northern Syria.
The aim is believed to be to end ISIS's presence near Damascus, hopefully leading to a truce between the militants, the rebels and President al-Assad's government troops.
ISIS fighters are expected to be allowed to leave Yarmouk, an district of Damascus which is a Palestinian refugee camp, and the suburb of Hajar al Aswad, said Rami Abdulraham, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The families and some fighters will be taken to Raqqa in northern Syria, the stronghold of the militant Sunni Islamist group, and other IS-controlled areas over several months, eventually ending the group's presence near the capital.
ISIS has had a significant foothold in Hajar al Aswad, just a few kilometres from President Bashar al Assad's seat of power.
Syrian minister for national reconciliation Ali Haidar said efforts were under way to get militants out of the Yarmouk camp but gave no details.
Several local ceasefires and safe-passage agreements have been concluded elsewhere in Syria recently.
One, brokered with support from Iran and Turkey, halted fighting in the town of Zabadani on the Lebanese border, and in two villages in the northwest.
A deal was also reached in the last rebel-held district of the Syrian city of Homs that allowed rebels and their families to leave the besieged area.
The U.N. said the agreement could help pave the way for a nationwide truce.
Hundreds of wounded ISIS fighters and their families are allowed to leave rebel-held areas of Damascus for treatment after negotiating deal with Assad’s government
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3373328/Families-IS-fighters-leave-S-Damascus-UN-deal-monitor.html
* ISIS fighters and families given safe passage from areas near Damascus
* The groups, including injured fighters, are currently in rebel-held areas
* The aim is believed to be to end ISIS's presence near the Syrian capital
Hundreds of families of ISIS fighters, as well as some injured jihadis are expected to leave rebel-held areas in Damascus, Syria under a UN-brokered deal, a monitoring group said on Thursday.
Safe passage for the fighters and their families is expected to be given from two districts on the outskirts of the capital, to ISIS-controlled areas in northern Syria.
The aim is believed to be to end ISIS's presence near Damascus, hopefully leading to a truce between the militants, the rebels and President al-Assad's government troops.
ISIS fighters are expected to be allowed to leave Yarmouk, an district of Damascus which is a Palestinian refugee camp, and the suburb of Hajar al Aswad, said Rami Abdulraham, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The families and some fighters will be taken to Raqqa in northern Syria, the stronghold of the militant Sunni Islamist group, and other IS-controlled areas over several months, eventually ending the group's presence near the capital.
ISIS has had a significant foothold in Hajar al Aswad, just a few kilometres from President Bashar al Assad's seat of power.
Syrian minister for national reconciliation Ali Haidar said efforts were under way to get militants out of the Yarmouk camp but gave no details.
Several local ceasefires and safe-passage agreements have been concluded elsewhere in Syria recently.
One, brokered with support from Iran and Turkey, halted fighting in the town of Zabadani on the Lebanese border, and in two villages in the northwest.
A deal was also reached in the last rebel-held district of the Syrian city of Homs that allowed rebels and their families to leave the besieged area.
The U.N. said the agreement could help pave the way for a nationwide truce.
angelburst29
The Living Force
TEHRAN (FNA)- Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said following independent reports in support of Moscow's intel and evidence on the Turkish scandal of oil trade with the ISIL Takfiri terrorist groups, it's now President Erdogan's turn to act on his words and resign.
Russia Asks Erdogan to Keep Promise of Resignation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941003000763
Addressing a weekly press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that her country's information about smuggling of ISIL oil in Turkey has been confirmed by other sources now.
"For instance, Danish newspaper Klassenkampen has published report on Turkish participation in oil smuggling, which has been prepared by consulting company Rystad Energy," she said.
The Spokesperson stressed that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan had stated earlier that he would step down if ISIL oil smuggling would be confirmed, but Russia has presented evidence on Turkish partnership in the smuggling, implying that it's now Erdogan's turn. "I would like to remind you that not too long ago, Turkish President announced his readiness to resign if it is proven that oil deliveries by Ankara or with the help of the government of Ankara from the terrorist group [are taking place], that ‘if this fact is proven, I’ll leave this chair,’ Erdogan told journalists on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris. I’d like to understand: What’s up with that chair?" the Russian FM spokeswoman underlined.
"Russia is implementing all measures in countering oil smuggling by the ISIL and hopes that other countries will join in cooperating with Moscow," Zakharova said.
"As you know, and we’ve said this constantly, Russia is implementing measures in order to stop and close the paths of oil deliveries by terrorists. We hope for active actual cooperation with other countries towards goals," she added.
Earlier, the Russian defense ministry announced that Erdogan and his family members are directly involved in illegal oil deliveries from ISIL oil fields in Syria.
Turkey’s leadership, including president Erdogan and his family, is involved in illegal oil trade with ISIL militants, the Russian Defense Ministry had said, stressing that Turkey is the final destination for oil smuggled from Syria and Iraq.
Satellite and drone images showed hundreds and hundreds of oil trucks moving from ISIL-held territory to Turkey to reach their destination at Turkish refineries and ports controlled by Turkish president's family.
Iraq: Popular Forces' Commander Reveals US Plots to Evacuate ISIL Leaders from Ramadi
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941003000828
"The delay in operations to liberate Ramadi and Fallujah cities in al-Anbar province is the result of the US interference," Commander of Imam Khamenei Battalion Haidar al-Hosseini al-Ardavi told FNA on Thursday.
"It seems that the US intends to evacuate the ISIL terrorist group's infamous ringleaders secretly (with helicopters) from Ramadi to unknown places," he added.
His remarks came as Iraqi security forces continue to gain ground in Ramadi, and opened their way to the central parts of the strategic city where hundreds of ISIL terrorists are trapped under siege.
The Iraqi forces made a considerable advance in the strategic city of Ramadi in Anbar after they reached the Tigris River and are preparing to enter the city center after crossing al-Khor bridge, a senior commander of volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) announced on Wednesday.
"The Iraqi forces have reached al-Khor region and they are preparing to cross this bridge and the Tigris River," Raed Raisan said.
The commander said that the ISIL has planted mines all over al-Khor bridge, adding that the bridge will lead the Iraqi forces directly to the city center.
Raisan reiterated that only the Hashd al-Shaabi forces are helping the Iraqi army in the Ramadi operations.
On Wednesday, the Iraqi security forces continued to gain ground in Ramadi city, and opened the path to the central parts of the city where hundreds of ISIL terrorists were under siege.
Russia Asks Erdogan to Keep Promise of Resignation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941003000763
Addressing a weekly press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that her country's information about smuggling of ISIL oil in Turkey has been confirmed by other sources now.
"For instance, Danish newspaper Klassenkampen has published report on Turkish participation in oil smuggling, which has been prepared by consulting company Rystad Energy," she said.
The Spokesperson stressed that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan had stated earlier that he would step down if ISIL oil smuggling would be confirmed, but Russia has presented evidence on Turkish partnership in the smuggling, implying that it's now Erdogan's turn. "I would like to remind you that not too long ago, Turkish President announced his readiness to resign if it is proven that oil deliveries by Ankara or with the help of the government of Ankara from the terrorist group [are taking place], that ‘if this fact is proven, I’ll leave this chair,’ Erdogan told journalists on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris. I’d like to understand: What’s up with that chair?" the Russian FM spokeswoman underlined.
"Russia is implementing all measures in countering oil smuggling by the ISIL and hopes that other countries will join in cooperating with Moscow," Zakharova said.
"As you know, and we’ve said this constantly, Russia is implementing measures in order to stop and close the paths of oil deliveries by terrorists. We hope for active actual cooperation with other countries towards goals," she added.
Earlier, the Russian defense ministry announced that Erdogan and his family members are directly involved in illegal oil deliveries from ISIL oil fields in Syria.
Turkey’s leadership, including president Erdogan and his family, is involved in illegal oil trade with ISIL militants, the Russian Defense Ministry had said, stressing that Turkey is the final destination for oil smuggled from Syria and Iraq.
Satellite and drone images showed hundreds and hundreds of oil trucks moving from ISIL-held territory to Turkey to reach their destination at Turkish refineries and ports controlled by Turkish president's family.
Iraq: Popular Forces' Commander Reveals US Plots to Evacuate ISIL Leaders from Ramadi
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941003000828
"The delay in operations to liberate Ramadi and Fallujah cities in al-Anbar province is the result of the US interference," Commander of Imam Khamenei Battalion Haidar al-Hosseini al-Ardavi told FNA on Thursday.
"It seems that the US intends to evacuate the ISIL terrorist group's infamous ringleaders secretly (with helicopters) from Ramadi to unknown places," he added.
His remarks came as Iraqi security forces continue to gain ground in Ramadi, and opened their way to the central parts of the strategic city where hundreds of ISIL terrorists are trapped under siege.
The Iraqi forces made a considerable advance in the strategic city of Ramadi in Anbar after they reached the Tigris River and are preparing to enter the city center after crossing al-Khor bridge, a senior commander of volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) announced on Wednesday.
"The Iraqi forces have reached al-Khor region and they are preparing to cross this bridge and the Tigris River," Raed Raisan said.
The commander said that the ISIL has planted mines all over al-Khor bridge, adding that the bridge will lead the Iraqi forces directly to the city center.
Raisan reiterated that only the Hashd al-Shaabi forces are helping the Iraqi army in the Ramadi operations.
On Wednesday, the Iraqi security forces continued to gain ground in Ramadi city, and opened the path to the central parts of the city where hundreds of ISIL terrorists were under siege.
