ISIS update 5/18/2017...US coalition jets strike Assad convoy in Tanf

BREAKING! U.S. Warplanes Bomb Pro-Assad Military Forces In Syria!

US Coalition Jets Strike Assad Convoy In Southern Syria | Zero Hedge

With most expecting Trump to strike North Korea as part of his next foreign military adventure-cum-distraction from the chaos in D.C., the president once again surprised everyone by pulling a lighting bolt, striking twice in one month in the same place.

According to Reuters coalition jets have struck an Assad convoy in Southern Syria; near Tanf where US and British special operations forces have been training Syrian rebel fighters near the border with Iraq and Jordan. A US-led coalition spokesperson has confirmed that coalition strikes in southern Syria struck Syrian government militia “after it moved against US-backed forces in Syria.”

According to a BuzzFeed News reporter, Syrian rebels based with the US Special Forces in the area said that militia supporting the Syrian army has been nearby as well.

According to a BuzzFeed News reporter, Syrian rebels based with the US Special Forces in the area said that militia supporting the Syrian army has been nearby as well. Media reports suggested that Syrian rebels have voiced concerns over the Syrian army getting “too close” to the US Special Forces’ base at Tanf.

As previously reported Tanf is the area in Syria where US Special Forces train Syrian opposition groups for “counter ISIS” missions.

On Monday, the Al-Masdr News reported that Syrian Arab Army soldiers along and militias affiliated with the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units are preparing to recapture the nearby Tanf Border crossing from Daesh. Subsequent media reports suggested that Syrian rebels had voiced concerns over the Syrian army getting “too close” to the US Special Forces’ base at Tanf.

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Thousands of Hezbollah Forces Deployed in Al-Tanf to Foil US Plot in Syria

Thousands of Hezbollah troops were sent to al-Tanf passageway at Iraq-Syria bordering areas to prepare the Syrian army and its allies for thwarting the US plots in the region and establish security at the Palmyra-Baghdad road.

Hezbollah has deployed 3,000 forces in al-Tanf region to participate in Badiyeh operations in Syria. Most of the forces had earlier been stationed in al-Zabadani, Madhaya and Sarqaya regions as well as the Western parts of the town of al-Tofail and Brital, Ham and Ma’araboun heights in the Eastern mountain.

Other units, including the Syrian army allies, have also been sent to this front to block the way to the US-backed forces.

A well-informed military source said on Wednesday that the Syrian army forces will not allow the US and its western or regional allies to create a buffer zone in the Southern part of the country as a safe heaven for militants’ activities.

The Russian-language Izvestia daily quoted a field source as saying that the Syrian pro-government sources are getting ready to take control over a chunk of Damascus road to Baghdad to restore sustainable security to the main supply line of importing arms and other military equipment from Iraq.

In the meantime, Mohammad Abbas, a retired army general and military expert, said that terrorist groups and the US as their main backer intend to create a buffer zone in parallel with the Golan Heights and borders with Jordan and Iraq in Southern Syria, but the Syrian Army is to prevent them to do their plan.

Intelligent agents reported last week that the US, British and Jordanian forces were preparing for a possible invasion of Syria under the pretext of war on ISIL terrorists.

According to reports, Damascus went on the alert after intelligence reports gathered from surveillance drones suggested that the US, Britain and Jordanian militaries might be prepping a massive invasion of Syria.

Nearly 400 American and Jordanian military vehicles were located at a Jordanian military base near the Syrian desert border, the reports said, adding there was no ISIL terrorists in the region in which the US, British and Jordanian forces were operating.

The reports further added that activities of these three countries at border were aimed at gathering Arab and Western forces in al-Zarqa camp in which there were almost 4,500 gunmen.

The report went on to say that the gunmen in al-Zarqa camp went under training to battle the Syrian army to stretch a belt around Syria, a plan that was nothing more than an occupation.

The intelligence reports also said that the military convoys of the US, Jordan and Britain might launch an assault to help the West-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) around the Al-Tanf border crossing.

Reports also said that the Syrian Army troops, in response to the possible attacks by the US, British and Jordanian forces on their soil, launched a large-scale operation along the Damascus-Baghdad highway to drive FSA out of the border crossing of al-Tanf.  

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 Turkey Warns of Severe Response to Attacks by Kurds without Warning US

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his US counterpart Donald Trump during their recent meeting that Ankara has the right to take necessary measures if it is attacked by the Syrian Kurdish militia People’s Protection Units (YPG) without holding consultations with Washington prior to its response.

Erdogan and Trump met at the White House, on Tuesday, during which the two leaders discussed among other issues, the Kurds, Sputnik reported.

This topic is particularly relevant as earlier in the month Trump approved a plan to arm the YPG in Syria in order to intensify the fight against terrorists, despite Turkey’s objections.

During a joint press briefing, Trump said that the US supports Turkey in its fight against ISIL and the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara.

“We openly told the US administration that any attack by the YPG on Turkey will immediately trigger a response as per Turkey’s rules of engagement and no one will be consulted prior to our action,” Erdogan told reporters after the meeting.

Erdogan added that Turkey decided to abstain from joining the Kurdish-led operation to liberate Syria’s Raqqa from Daesh terrorist group as the US-backed offensive would involve the YPG.

“What we are telling them is this: We cannot be a party to such a policy. We cannot support you. We find cooperation with a terrorist group to free Raqqa wrong … We told them to ignore terrorist groups and join us to combat terrorism. Unfortunately, they failed to agree,” Erdogan stressed.

Ankara considers the YPG to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, However, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the YPG, have been receiving support from the United States in fighting ISIL terrorists in Syria.

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Syria in Past 24 Hours: Tens of ISIL Terrorists Killed, Wounded in Deir Ezzur

The Syrian army troops warded off ISIL’s heavy offensive on their positions in the Southern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city, killing and wounding almost 60 terrorists.

Deir Ezzur

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in al-Maqaber (cemetery) region and al-Mowazafin neighborhood in the Southern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city and managed to repel their attack, killing 28 militants and wounding 30 others.

In the meantime, two military vehicles and a bomb-laden tank of ISIL were destroyed by the army men before reaching the pro-government forces’ positions.

Also, the Syrian Air Force carried out several combat flights over the concentration centers and movements of ISIL in al-Thardah mountain, the regions of al-Maqaber, al-Ma’amel, al-Makbat and the neighborhoods of Khasarat, al-Kanamat, al-Arzi and Shiekh Yasin and the village of al-Jafreh, inflicting a number of casualties on the terrorists and destroying several vehicles.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops, backed up by the country’s Air Force, repelled several offensives of ISIL in Deir Ezzur’s military airports, killing and wounding a number of terrorists and destroying their equipment.

The army soldiers engaged in heavy fighting with ISIL in areas surrounding Jonayd division base Southwest of Tamin brigade base and in the Southern direction of Deir Ezzur airbase and managed to fend off their attacks, killing or wounding a number of terrorists.

The army men also targeted and destroyed a bomb-laden suicide vehicle of ISIL before reaching their positions in al-Makbat region.

The Army’s artillery and missile units, meantime, shelled ISIL’s position heavily in al-Ma’amel region, killing and wounding the entire terrorists in the position.

The army aircraft, also, bombed ISIL’s concentration centers and movements in Jonayd division, power company, al-Makbat Southwest of Tamin brigade, al-Thardah mountain, al-Mohandeseen region South of airbase and al-Ma’amel in the Southern part of the city, inflicting heavy losses on the militants.

Aleppo

The Syrian army troops continued to clashes with ISIL in Eastern Aleppo and managed to push them back from more heights, inflicting major losses on the terrorists, field source said.

The sources said that following the liberation of Aliyat Bu Kamal on Tuesday afternoon, the army soldiers advanced further South to the Tal Hassan Quarries, where they were confronted by an exhausted ISIL force.

Not long after launching the attack on the Tal Hassan Quarries, the army units managed to break-through the ISIL’s first-line of defense; thus, forcing the terrorist group to withdraw South in order to avoid being overrun.

With the Tal Hassan Quarries captured, the army’s Tiger Forces have successfully secured the important Jarah Military Airbase and positioned themselves to strike the integral town of Maskana.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army troops continued their operations in Eastern Aleppo and managed to drive ISIL out of one more town in the Southern direction of the newly-liberated Jarah airbase.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with the ISIL South of Jarah airbase and imposed full control over the town of Bilouneh, killing over 25 terrorists and destroying several military vehicles.

Military sources said that Maskana as the last bastion of ISIL in Aleppo province is the next target of the Syrian army forces, adding that recapture of Maskana by the army men will end ISIL’s presence in the province.

Homs

The tenth phase of an evacuation deal between the Syrian Army and militants ended after over 2,600 gunmen and their family members left al-Wa’er district North-West of Homs city, local sources confirmed.

The sources said that in line with the implementation of the tenth phase of the evacuation deal in Homs province, 2,613 people including 425 gunmen left al-Wa’er district on 58 buses for Idlib.

The sources further said that the tenth phase of the evacuation of gunmen from al-Wa’er ended.

In the meantime, 427 militants that had handed over their weapons to the army men and applied for government pardoning in al-Wa’er received amnesty after they pledged not to do any act against the country’s security.

Raqqa

A new artillery unit of the US Marine Corps has arrived in Syria to assist partnered forces on the ground in Raqqa province in Northeastern Syria, US Central Command Spokesperson Maj. Josh Jacques said.

“They are providing support, on a temporary basis, across the combined joint operations area that the commander needs to ensure a lasting defeat for ISIL,” Jacques told the Marine Corps Times.

However, Jacques declined to say how long the unit will be deployed in Syria.

The unit has replaced some 400 Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit who deployed to Syria in March to establish an outpost in support of the ongoing operation against ISIL in Raqqa.

Central Command head Gen. Joseph Votel said the Marines were aiding with all-weather fire support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Force partners and assisting with the logistics capability in Syria.

Damascus

A military source disclosed that the Syrian Army has dispatched hundreds of its commandos to a region in Southwestern Damascus near the Golan Heights to take part in an imminent operation against terrorists.

The sources reported that elite forces of the Syrian Army that were operating in the newly-freed al-Qaboun district in the Northeastern outskirts of Damascus city have been forwarded to the town of Beit Jinn near the Golan Heights border to join their comrades to launched a fresh round of anti-terrorism operations in the region.

The sources underscored that liberation of Beit Jinn is of significant importance for the Syrian Army troops because it is the last main bastion of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board) in Western Damascus.

Also in the past 24 hours, a well-informed military source said that the Syrian Army forces will not allow the US and its western or regional allies to create a buffer zone in the Southern part of the country as a safe heaven for militants’ activities.

The Russian-language Izvestia daily quoted a field source as saying that the Syrian pro-government sources are getting ready to take control over a chunk of Damascus road to Baghdad to restore sustainable security to the main supply line of importing arms and other military equipment from Iraq.

In the meantime, Mohammad Abbas, a retired army general and military expert, said that terrorist groups and the US as their main backer intend to create a buffer zone in parallel with the Golan Heights and borders with Jordan and Iraq in Southern Syria, but the Syrian Army is to prevent them to do their plan.

Idlib

Media sources reported that rival terrorist groups in Idlib are getting ready to engage in a large-scale battle after reports came out about the Turkish Army’s military intervention in the province.

The sources said that simultaneous with the attacks of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board) on Ahrar al-Sham’s positions in Idlib province and the reports about a possible military meddling of the Turkish army in the province, the Idlib city has now come on the verge of a large-scale battle between the two rival groups.

The sources said Tahrir al-Sham has announced that its forces seized control over several sites of Ahrar al-Sham in Saraqib, around Ma’arat al-Nu’aman, Ma’arat Mesrin, Sarmin and in the slopes of al-Rawj plain from Sinjar direction, while both Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham have deployed their heavy arms in the conflict-prone regions, mainly in Western and Northern countryside of Idlib.

Media sources close to Ahrar al-Sham, meantime, said that the group’s field commanders have started reinvigorating their defense lines in the region.

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