https://twitter.com/NorthernStork/s...040623699378176 Faylaq al-Sham & Sultan Murad supported by Turkish artillery expelled #ISISL frm Qarah Kubri & Khirbat north #Aleppo Turkey is helping FSA groups on the Turkish border to advance, almost certainly as a counter to recent SDF/YPG advances. Whatever, ISIL getting beaten back is always good. But lest you think Turkey is doing better on the whole ISIL thing: https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivi...rying_to_cross/ Turkish Army shoots at civilians trying to cross the Rojava border: One girl dead, multiple others injured" -They did not try to enter the border via ISIS or al-Nusra Front/Ahrar al-Sham/Sultan Murad held areas. -They crossed the border between Rojava and Turkey. -One of them tells: "We tried to cross the border. Then we saw a vehicle of the Turkish army. They got out of the vehicle and shoot in our direction. Then we laid down on the ground, but they started to shoot at us again." -Border crossings are done illegally, because crossing the border from Rojava to Turkey is not allowed. http://aranews.org/2016/01/مقتل-طفلة-وجرح-عدد-من-أفراد-عائلتها-برص/
Turkey is a NATO ally but at the same time actively fighting the groups that the west are on the ground working with to defeat ISIL which is being re inforced and finically supported by our other ally the Saudis. SA by a nose.
Ivan Sidorenko @IvanSidorenko1 #Syria #Latakia Battle of #Salma officially started. #SAA rocket/artillery pounding the terrorist stronghold Strategic city in Latakia province, it's in the mountains and rebel positions are well fortified. This view is from the south, terrain isn't as bad from the east and northeast.
The leader of Furat Jarabulus (FSA group originally from Jarabulus, who left to the Kobani area when ISIL took over) said some things: https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivi..._the_people_of/ Leader of al-Furat Jarabulus: "The people of Jarabulus are waiting for the Syrian Democratic Forces to rid the city off ISIS" (hawarnews.com) Also said: -ISIS has started forced recruitment in the city. -Ammunition, weapons and 300 fighters have passed the border from Turkey into Syria and went to Jarabulus. -The leader estimates there are 26 thousand people still living in the city. He claims 90% of the civilians want ISIS to leave. -According to him the people of Jarabulus live in a state of fear and panic. This comes as a result to the inhuman practises of ISIS. Including torture, imprisonment and executions
Hassan Ridha @sayed_ridha Here we go | Reports of #SAA launching an assault on the jihadi stronghold Salma #Latakia
Washington (AFP) - A US-led coalition air strike has destroyed a cash storage facility used by Islamic State jihadists in the Iraqi city of Mosul, a US defense official said Monday. Two 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs struck the facility, destroying "millions" of dollars worth of cash, the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We estimate in the millions of dollars... from all their illicit stuff: oil, looting, extortion," the official said. The strike came early Monday
ISIS fighters who fled to the terror group’s Iraqi stronghold of Mosul after being defeated in Ramadi were burned alive in the town square, sources told FoxNews.com, in an unmistakable message to fighters who may soon be defending the northern city from government forces. Several residents of Mosul recounted the grisly story for stateside relatives, describing the deadly reception black clad jihadists got when they made it to Mosul, some 250 miles north of the city retaken by Iraqi forces operating with cover from U.S. air power. https://pjmedia.com/trending/2016/1...s-alive-after-losing-ramadi-to-the-iraqi-army
SAA has taken Salma or at least most of it with significant help from the RuAF and Russian commanders on the ground. Russian general Russia honors Colonel Suheil al-Hassan https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsRep...-army-figure-seen-as-potential-rival-to-assad
Two US navy boats seized by Iran Assurances given on safe return of 10 sailors who were captured when the boats drifted into Iranian waters. The US is seeking the return of two navy boats along with 10 sailors captured by Iran, according to the Pentagon. After losing contact with the "two small naval craft", US officials established communication with Iranian authorities "who have informed us of the safety and well-being of our personnel", the Pentagon said in an email to the DPA news agency. Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook told the Associated Press news agency that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when contact was lost. "We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly," Cook said. Iranian news agency Fars reported that the vessels were carrying "heavy weapons". Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said the White House has been informed of the incident and is "working as quickly as it can" to release the boats and the sailors. She added that it was unclear when Iran will release the boats. "There's a lot of anxiety and concern about the well-being of these persons," Jordan said. US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the AP, said that the incident happened near Farsi Island, an Iranian island located in the middle of the Gulf. The officials added that one of the vessels suffered mechanical problems, forcing it to drift into Iranian territory. "Our sailors are safe," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told CNN. US Secretary of State John Kerry called Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif immediately, according to a senior US official. Kerry "personally engaged with Zarif on this issue to try to get to this outcome", the official said. The incident comes days before the reported lifting of sanctions imposed by the US and other Western powers against Iran due to its nuclear programme. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new U.S. force of special operations troops has arrived in Iraq and is preparing to work with Iraqi forces to go after Islamic State targets, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday. Carter disclosed the deployment in a broad speech to U.S. soldiers that sought to underscore American efforts to accelerate the campaign against Islamic State, both in Iraq and Syria. "The specialized expeditionary targeting force I announced in December is now in place and is preparing to work with the Iraqis to begin going after ISIL's fighters and commanders," Carter said at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. http://news.yahoo.com/special-u-targeting-force-now-place-iraq-u-184400094.html
oh by the way, in his speech following the ISIS bombing in Istanbul, Erdogan reserved most of his scorn for intellectuals and academics who signed a petition to end curfews in Kurdish cities. He called them no different than terrorists and that they are going to be treated by the state accordingly. You can read the petition (in English) here. http://barisicinakademisyenler.net/node/63
View image on Twitter ✔@todayszamancom #LATEST #İstanbul bomber identified as Saudi-Arabian born Nabil Fadlı, Doğan says http://www.todayszaman.com/national_istanbul-blast-thought-to-be-act-of-syrian-suicide-bomber-says-erdogan_409409.htm Other news, there were clashes in Qamishli involving Assyran Christians and possibly the Kurds, still unsure of the exact line of events that caused it: http://www.assyriatv.org/2016/01/ku...qamishli-syria/ https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivi...arriers_set_by/ -The Pro-Regime Sootoro recently placed these barriers. According to some the Pro-Regime Sootoro thinks the attacks on the christian neighbourhood were done by the Kurds, or in coordination with the Kurds. -The clashes lasted for 15 minutes -A stray bullet killed a 30 year old civilian in Asayish controlled area. The man was returning home from work. -Two asayish were wounded, two Pro-Regime Sootoro fighters killed and five wouned. -This event did not cause a full out ethnic war between Kurds and Assyrians eyed at the destruction of the other's ethnicity. Map: Blue area is shared control between YPG-Allied Sutoro (note the U) and Pro-Regime Sootoro (note the double OO).
Hadn't followed this much over the weekend but massive ISIS assault on Deir ez Zor has been going on for a few days. Sputnik Verified account @SputnikInt Syrian field commander refutes reports of 400 people kidnapped by #Daesh http://sptnkne.ws/a2Cz
Hassan Ridha @sayed_ridha 2m2 minutes ago #RuAF re-enter the battle in #DeirEzzor Hassan Ridha @sayed_ridha 4m4 minutes ago #SAA clash with #IS in Jafra #DeirEzzor Hassan Ridha @sayed_ridha 4m4 minutes ago #IS claims control of Missile Battalion base in the outskirts of #DeirEzzor Airbase ISIS reporting so who knows what's true
Would result in the slaughter of a lot of non-Sunni civilians and free up ISIS forces for other fronts. SAA needs to resupply asap once the sandstorm is over.
Fighting continues in Deir ez Zor, generally unreliable SOHR reporting 120 SAA dead(40 executed) and 70 ISIS dead(28 SVBIED). I would presume ISIS losses would be much higher.
Americans missing in Baghdad kidnapped by Iran-backed militia: four sources Three U.S. citizens who disappeared last week in Baghdad were kidnapped and are being held by an Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia, two Iraqi intelligence and two U.S. government sources said on Tuesday. The U.S. sources said Washington had no reason to believe Tehran was involved in the kidnapping and does not believe the trio are being held in Iran, which borders Iraq. "They were abducted because they are Americans, not for personal or financial reasons," one of the Iraqi intelligence sources in Baghdad said. Unknown gunmen seized the Americans on Friday from a private residence in the capital's southeastern Dora district, according to Iraqi officials.
Amid mounting political strife over the deluge of refugees from the Middle East and Africa, Germany has seen a sharp rise in attacks on homes intended for refugees, the government said. Nearly 500 such attacks have occurred this year, three times more than in 2014, reported the BCC Friday. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere called the violence on the homes "shameful," according to the BBC. Two-thirds of the attacks were carried out by people with no criminal records who live near the homes, he said. De Maiziere called for a swift response to the attacks against asylum-seekers. Some of the attacks have been on empty homes, but others have targeted buildings occupied by refugees, who've been coming from war-torn and economically distressed countries in record numbers over the past 10 months. Those carrying out the attacks "must be made to understand that they are committing unacceptable offenses: assault, attempted murder, arson," he said, according to the BBC. http://www.ibtimes.com/refugee-cris...-rising-2135504
View image on Twitter Follow COL Steve Warren ✔@OIRSpox #askOIR: After #SecDef finishes speaking to @101stAASLTDIV I'm hosting a Townhall to talk counter-ISIL strategy. A week ago, but could be scrolled through if you're so inclined
View image on Twitter Follow Ivan Sidorenko @IvanSidorenko1 #Syria #Raqqa #Aleppo #Kobani Euphrates Martyrs Battalion Officially Declares joining #QSD aka #SDF #TwitterKurds
ISIS has captured SAM missiles in Deir ez Zor, reports are that the radar systems are destroyed there. Not good news for any SAAF resupply attempt. Abu Sarhan @BrazilAleppo #ISIS get advance surface-to-air missile (SAM) battery in #DeirezZor.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35338901 "The US has imposed fresh sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals over a recent ballistic missile test. The new sanctions prevent 11 entities and individuals linked to the missile programme from using the US banking system. The move came the day after international nuclear sanctions on Iran were lifted as part of a deal designed to prevent it developing nuclear arms." Some specifics on the sanctions that were lifted against Iran as of 4 days ago http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/16/middleeast/vienna-iran-iaea-nuclear-deal/index.html
Will link to the report later, but pretty depressing news from Amnesty confirming the allegations that the Kurds in Iraq (and has been rumored in Syrai as well) forcibly displacing entire populaces Arab residents from their homes in retaliation for portions of the Sunni Iraqi Arab public supporting ISIS.
Disappointing that the Kurds couldn't step up and be the bigger person, they had to give into sectarian bullshit
The Kurds and Arabs have been doing this to each other since there have been Kurds and Arabs. And it's less sectarian and more ethnic. Kurds being hill-dwelling Persians and Arabs being mostly plains dwellers.
Pretty much. Its waaay more useful to frame the conflicts in ethnic terms than in religious ones, and that usually gets kicked to the side when a lot of people try to discuss the region and it's dynamics.
Band 13 destroyed a car loaded with ammunition ship missile Jintao on the road to supply Khan Tuman 20 \ 1 \ 2016 Looked like homeboy went flying out the front windshield
Wahhhhhhalllllla--- laHallllaa---lalala---allllllhhhhhawa Feel like that is in every Arabic song I've ever heard. Kanye needs to make that nigga(sand) rich
SAA - Syrian Arab Army(government) NDF - Syrian government backed militias organized by Iran's Qasem Soleimani FSA - Free Syrian Army SDF/QSD - Syrian Democratic Forces, combination of Kurds and other factions including some FSA, main goal to fight ISIS JAN - Jabhat al-Nusra(also called al-Nusra Front) al-Qaeda in Syria YPG - Kurds PKK - Kurdistan Workers Party, designated terrorist organization by NATO Those are the most common, it's obviously a fucked up mess with over 1000 different groups.