ISIS Update 10/17/2015.. ISIL Fighters Are Leaving Their Beards Behind

Turkey shoots down “drone of unidentified nationality” near Syria

Moscow denies downed drone in Turkey belonged to Russia

Obama: Russia can’t bomb its way to peaceful solution inside Syria

US airdrop in Syria a response to Russia

Russia satisfied with progress being made in fighting against ISIL

Media-briefing of Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Army

Russian warplanes have destroyed 456 Daesh targets in Syria since Sept. 30

POWER PLAY: RUSSIA DEPLOYS AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO SYRIA

FSA Attempt To Defend Kafarnabodah Against SAA Push Backed By RuAF

Exclusive scenes of military operations in Salma, Lattakia

Syria, Hama, Syrian Arab Army at outskirts of Kafr Nabudah, Hama

SAA/NDF Operations In South-West Aleppo

Syrian Arab Army performs successful ground op near Homs as Russia targets ISIS in the area

Russian military combat cam Jets bomb ISIS command center, fuel depot in Idlib province, Syria

Russia continues airstrikes in Homs and Damascus after period of ease

Impressive drone footage of war damaged crusader castle Krak Des Chevaliers in Syria

Why US Fears Putin Success in Syria

By Finian Cunningham

The US and its allies would like to see Russia’s military operations in Syria go horribly wrong as Russia’s success heralds a crushing defeat for Western regime-change machinations. It would also signal the balance of power shifting away from US hegemony.

Last week, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter darkly predicted that Russia would suffer blowback from its intervention in Syria with acts of terrorism being committed on “Russian soil.”

Within days for Carter’s pointed warning, Russian authorities arrested a jihadist cell in Moscow plotting terror attacks. This week, the Russian embassy in Damascus came under fire from two mortar shells – an attack which Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov quickly condemned as an act of terrorism.

It might be assumed that Washington has taken some nefarious satisfaction over what appears to be a harbinger of the terror blowback Carter warned of.

From the outset of Russia’s aerial bombing campaign against terror groups in Syria, beginning on September 30, Washington and its Western allies have sought all possible ways of discrediting and derailing the intervention. US President Obama poured scorn saying “it was doomed to fail,” while Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron labeled the Russian move as “a grave mistake” on the part of Putin.

This week, European Union foreign ministers amplified American claims that Russian air strikes are targeting “moderate rebels” and called on Moscow to halt its operations unless they are specifically against Islamic State and other “UN-designated terror networks.” The credibility of American and European claims about Russian air strikes is, of course, highly questionable.

But the point here is that it is becoming glaringly obvious that Washington and its allies want to make as much trouble for Russia’s military intervention in Syria. Why is the West going out of its way to thwart Russia’s intervention?

As has been widely documented, the notion of “moderate rebels” in Syria is something of a fiction peddled by Western governments and their media to provide cover for Western support to foreign mercenaries fighting illegally in Syria to topple the sovereign government. Russia’s Sergey Lavrov last week dismissed the supposed moderate ‘Free Syrian Army’ – much lionized by the West – as a “phantom”. This view was confirmed this week by Britain’s former ambassador to Syria Peter Ford, who said “virtually all the opposition armed groups in Syrian are Islamist radicals, either ISIS [Islamic State] or interchangeable with ISIS.”

One reason why the West is gagging to see a Russian failure in Syria is simply because Putin’s intervention is being so effective in destroying the terror networks, whether they be associated with Islamic State or the plethora of Al-Qaeda-affiliated mercenaries. The latter include brigades from the so-called Free Syrian Army which share weapons and fighters with the Al-Qaeda franchises of Al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Shams and Jaish al-Fatah, among others.

If we assess the four-year conflict in Syria as being the result of a Western-backed covert war for regime change, then it follows that the foreign mercenary groups fighting in Syria are Western assets. We know this because the former head of the US Defence Intelligence Agency, Lt General Michael Flynn has candidly disclosed that the Obama administration made a “willful decision” to sponsor the extremist groups for the purpose of regime change.

So Russia’s effective anti-terror operations – as opposed to the year-long ineffectual US-led so-called anti-terror coalition – are causing angst among Washington and its allies precisely because Moscow is helping to destroy Western regime-change assets. Don’t forget that billions of dollars have been “invested” by Washington, Britain, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to overthrow the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, partly in order to undermine his allies in Russia and Iran.

Another reason for Western vexation over Russia’s intervention in Syria is that it is exposing the fraudulence and criminality of the Western powers and their regional client regimes. Russia is conducting operations that are lawful under international law with the full consent of the Syrian government – unlike the US-led coalition which is bombing the country illegally. Vladimir Putin has cogently delineated the all-important legal difference. From the Western viewpoint, this exposure of their depredations is intolerable. That is partly why Washington and its European minions are desperate to discredit Moscow in Syria. But they are failing.

Even the Western media has had to report on the rising popular support for Russia across the Middle East. The Washington Post this week headlined: ‘Amid Russian air strikes, a Putin craze takes hold in Mideast’. The paper reported how the Arab Street – from Syria to Egypt, Iraq to Lebanon – is celebrating Vladimir Putin as a hero because of Russia’s decisive anti-terror operations.

“Posters of Putin are popping up on cars and billboards elsewhere in parts of Syria and Iraq, praising the Russian military intervention in Syria as one that will redress the balance of power in the region,” says the Post. The paper goes on: “The Russian leader is winning accolades from many in Iraq and Syria, who see Russian airstrikes in Syria as a turning point after more than a year of largely ineffectual efforts by the US-led coalition to dislodge Islamic State militants who have occupied significant parts of the two countries.”

Three days after Russia began its anti-terror campaign in Syria, Obama made a curious offer to Putin. On October 3, CNN reported the American president saying that the US was willing to cooperate with Russia “but only if that plan includes removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.” If Russia did not go along with this scheme to unseat Assad, then Obama “warned Russia’s air campaign would only lead to further bloodshed and bog down Moscow.” Russia, he said, would become “stuck in a quagmire.”

Putin has since stated unequivocally that Assad is the legitimate president of Syria and that Russia’s intervention is aimed at supporting his sovereign government. In other words, Obama’s offer of a regime change “pact” was repudiated.

Ominously, this week the New York Times reported that militants in Syria “are receiving for the first time bountiful supplies of powerful American-made anti-tank missiles.” The paper notes: “With the enhanced insurgent firepower and with Russia steadily raising the number of airstrikes against the [Assad] government’s opponents, the Syrian conflict is edging closer to an all-out proxy war between the United States and Russia.”

Washington wants, and needs, Russia to fail in Syria. Given the stakes of America’s dirty war, not just in Syria but across the region, Russia’s success would be too much to bear for Washington’s hegemonic ambitions. 

Farsnews

IRGC Commander: 100,000 Volunteer Forces Organized in Syria

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari announced that 100,000 popular forces have been prepared in Syria to fight against the terrorist groups, highlighting martyred IRGC Commander Brigadier General Hossein Hamadani’s role in mobilizing these troops.

“Martyred Brigadier General Hamadani played an important role in convincing the Syrian officials, including President Bashar al-Assad, of the importance of organizing people as the only way to save Syria,” Jafari said in an interview with the state TV on Saturday.

“Today, we are witnessing the organization of 100,000 Syrian people to fight against insecurities and Brigadier General Hamadani played an effective role in this regard,” he added.

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan stressed that the country’s military experts and advisors were taking preparatory actions that would end up in the complete annihilation of the Takfiri groups, including the ISIL terrorists, in Syria.

Dehqan made the remarks in a ceremony in Tehran to commemorate martyrdom of Brigadier General Hamadani, who was killed in Northern Syria on October 9.

He referred to the new joint operations plan of Iran, Syria, Iraq and Russia to destroy the ISIL, and said, “At present, we are witnessing start of new developments in Syria, thanks to the efforts and measures adopted by martyr Hamadani.”

“God willing, these developments will pave the ground for the full annihilation of the Takfiri groups,” Dehqan said.

General Hamadani was killed in Northern Syria while providing military counseling services to the Syrian forces in their fight against the Takfiri terrorists.

“Brigadier General Hamadani was martyred during an attack by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the outskirts of the city of Aleppo while fulfilling his duty as military advisor and defending the holy Shiite shrines in the country,” the IRGC said in a statement on October 10.

General Hamadani was in Syria to render military advice to the Syrian army and popular forces in their fight against the ISIL terrorists in the Arab country.

In relevant remarks on Monday, Major General Jafari underlined that the terrorist groups in Syria would sustain great losses in coming days.

“We will witness great victories in Syria in the next few days,” Jafari said.

Noting that the security of Western Asia, including Iran, is dependent on Syria and the resistance front, he said, “We should support this front with all our power.”

Jafari also warned that the “arrogant powers in the region are after overthrowing the ruling system in Syria to extend their influence in the Muslim states”.

Terrorists Fleeing Syrian, Russian Strikes in Aleppo

The Takfiri terrorists are on the run to save their lives after suffering heavy casualties in Syria’s Province of Aleppo as the Syrian army, backed by Russian warplanes, continues to tighten the noose around them.

The Syrian army forces alongside the Lebanese Hezbollah forces struck heavy blows at the Takfiri militants with the Russian air backup, forcing the Takfiri militants to retreat from the province, reports said Saturday.

The Syrian Armed Forces announced on Saturday that the army troops’ operations in the Southeastern territories of the Northern province of Aleppo have resulted in the full recapture of al-Huwayjinah town and its surrounding areas.

The army said that the Syrian ground forces stormed the militant groups’ strongholds in al-Huwayjinah with the Russian fighter jets’ backup and retook full control over the town after fierce clashes.

The sources added that the militant groups in the nearby battlefronts of al-Huwayjinah sustained heavy casualties in the Syrian army’s today operations.

Earlier today, the Syrian Army troops seized back al-Nasiriya area form the militant groups in Aleppo, informed sources said, adding the army is advancing towards Barayjeh with the Russian jets’ backup.

The sources said that the Syrian army, with the Russian fighter jets’ backup, is advancing step by step to break the over-two-year siege of Kuweires airbase in Aleppo province.

The sources added that recapture of al-Nasiriya area will lay the way for liberation of remaining areas around Kuweires.

The militant groups left scores of the members killed or wounded and pushed back their forces after al-Nasiriya failure.

Moscow: Sending Stingers to ISIL Would Mean West Siding with Terrorists

If the terrorists in Syria obtain portable surface-to-air missiles Russia will view it as direct means of condoning terrorism and will bring the matter before the UN Security Council, a Russian deputy foreign minister said on Saturday.

“Thus far we have registered no advanced MANPADS ending up in the hands of the terrorists, but we know about their attempts to obtain such western weapons in neighboring countries,” Oleg Syromolotov said, RIA Novsoti reported.

He stressed that delivery of shoulder-fired missiles to any of the terrorist groups active in Syria would mean that the supplying country had sided with the “terrorist international”.

“I want this to be viewed as a serious warning,” Syromolotov added.

According to the news agency REGNUM, Russia’s General Military Staff warned on Sunday that in the event of ISIL terrorists obtaining US-made Stinger missiles, the issue of condoning terrorism would be submitted for consideration by the UN Security Council.

URGENT: Senior Al-Qaeda Leader Killed in Syria

At Least 300 Takfiris Killed in Lattakia

Damascus Welcomes Russia’s Decision to Set up Military Base in Syria

Syrian Army Wins Back Aleppo’s Al-Nasiriya with Russian Air Backup

Iran Condemns Terrorist Bombings in Nigerian Mosque

Syrian Armed Forces Take Back Al-Huwayjinah in Aleppo Countryside

The New South Aleppo Campaign

Yesterday the Syrian Arab Army supported by Iraqi and Iranian forces and the Russian air force launched a surprise attack to the south and east of Aleppo. Progress at the beginning was rapid but resistance has by now grown and the current progress is at a slower and more sustainable pace. As the front lines are constantly moving the the news about actual positions vary.

An excellent map of the ongoing operation via TexMapMaker1. (Again with green=insurgents, red=Syrian government and allied forces)

There are three important axis. The first one (the upper left marked 1 and 2 in the map) towards the besieged cities Nubl and Al-Zahra developed when earlier this week foreign paid insurgents lost some of their positions north-east of Aleppo in fighting with the Islamic State. The SAA took the opportunity of that fighting in the area to extend its position towards the besieged cities. Extending that position to relief the cities would also cut off the supply line of the insurgents within the northern parts of Aleppo city.

Towards the east SAA troops are fighting to relief the besieged military airport of Kuweiris (on the right of the map). Coming from the south they bypassed the direct west to east road that connects Aleppo city with Kuweiris but is under insurgent control. They made decent progress and might reach the airport tomorrow or the day after.

The main surprise attack yesterday and today was southward from Aleppo city. The troops progressed some six miles south before turning right towards the west and the M5 highway (in dark yellow on the left). They will try to reach the insurgency held highway or at least the controlling range of hills directly east of it……..more here………The New South Aleppo Campaign

The Humiliation Is Complete: ISIS Fighters Cut Off Beards And Run Away As Russia, Iran Close In

Sputnik:

Hundreds of ISIL fighters are fleeing Syria for Turkey, as Russia’s Defense Ministry previously said, and reports are popping up that they are leaving their beards behind.

Now obviously, these are just pictures of hair on the ground with razors, so that shouldn’t be interpreted as anything that even approximates definitive evidence of a full-on ISIS retreat but put yourself in the following situation for a moment. You’re a Sunni extremist and your regional and Western backers have just abandoned you. You are now under siege by the Russian Air Force. If you survive the air strikes you will soon have to come face to face with the fiercest, most experienced Shiite militia on the planet and if you somehow manage to survive that, well then you have to fight the Quds Force (“how do you shoot the devil in the back“?).