Russian Ground Force Participating in War on Terrorism in Syria

Sat Dec 24, 2016 1:29
Russian Ground Force Participating in War on Terrorism in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951004000658

TEHRAN (FNA)- Media sources released that Russian Army soldiers have been
engaged in several anti-terrorism operations across Syria.

The Arabic language al-Hadath news website reported that the Russian ground
troops are present in the centers of several cities in Homs, Aleppo and
Damascus province in addition to the missions they are doing in the military
bases of Lattakia and Tartous.

The website added that the Russian soldiers have been deployed in several
important airports, including T4 airbase in Eastern Homs, Aleppo airport and
Damascus airport, while the Russian forces have serious presence in
al-Zabadani and Palmyra (Tadmur) regions.

Al-Hadath underlined that the Russian Special Forces have carried out
several outside battlefield operations, meaning that the Russian ground
force has not taken part in battles in the Southern countryside of Aleppo
and Northern Lattakia.

“Thousands of Russian forces and experts are in Syria,” the website added.

Earlier this month The Russian VGTRK TV channel released a video showing the
country’s Ministry of Defense’s Special Operation Forces (SOF) in war in
Syria.

Al-Hadath news website reported that the video released by the state VGTRK
TV channel was actually an interview with one of the officers of SOF, who
got home after carrying out his mission in Syria.

According to the report, the video displayed some war scenes from Syria, but
did not mention anything about the location and time of the SOF operation.

In some parts of the video, a group of SOF were shooting at terrorist groups
in different regions (in Syria).

In the meantime, the video showed that the Russian warplanes bombed the
gatherings and military vehicles of the terrorists.

Al-Hadath quoted experts as saying that the Russian air raids showed in the
video had been conducted in Eastern countryside of Homs and in Aleppo city.

Massdar news reported for its part that the Russian state VGTRK TV channel
released a video that had somewhat lifted a veil of secrecy over SOF and its
role in Syrian war.

The reportage was focused on a commander of a SOF unit regularly operating
in Syria, Colonel Vadim, whose first name might well be fictitious, while
his last name was not disclosed at all.

Speaking to a VGTRK correspondent, the commander revealed some details about
SOF’s mission in Syria. Based on his words, the primary objectives of the
operations carried out by his unit in this Middle Eastern country could be
summarized as follows:

Providing the Russian Air Force with target designation which allows fighter
jets and attack helicopters to carry out precise airstrikes on positions and
movements of various terrorist groups;

Carrying out special operations in the enemy’s rear, that include
intelligence data collection and liquidation of terrorists’ field
commanders;

Destroying fortified positions of the terrorists and thus propelling Syrian
Army’s advance;

Supporting the Syrian Army in crucial battles.

The Colonel also described, in a few words, the level of secrecy that covers
all of his unit’s operations.

“My wife does not even ask where I am heading when I leave,” he said.

“She does guess, I think,” he added answering the reporter’s question about
whether Colonel’s spouse is aware of his assignments in Syria.

A significant part of the reportage was dedicated to description of process
of SOF officers’ combat training. Every officer was being prepared to combat
in basically any areas (deserts, forests, mountains, water), any weather
conditions and in any season.

It is noteworthy to mention that, according to a decree signed by the
President of the Russian Federation, Colonel was awarded with the highest
Russian honorary title, “Hero of the Russian Federation” Gold Star medal.

Source: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=71930