Syria/Iraq update 1/18/2019..Syrian Military Reinforces Positions In Northwestern Hama

Syrian Military Reinforces Positions In Northwestern Hama

Syrian Army Sends More Reinforcements to Northern Hama Front

Interview with a foreign ISIS member captured by the “SDF” Kurdish Militia

“Prisons in Syria …. A Look from Inside”

Farsnews SOHR: Manbij Attack Harbors Turkey’s Political Message to US

Head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) Rami Abdul Rahman said that the Wednesday suicide blast in Manbij in Northeastern Aleppo in which several US soldiers were killed bore a political message from Ankara and its allied militants to Washington to accelerate withdrawal of its forces from Northern Syria.

Abdul Rahman said that the Wednesday blast against the US-led coalition’s patrolling forces in a restaurant in Manbij occurred after US President Donald Trump’s remarks about establishment of a safe zone in Syria and carried a political message to Trump from Turkey and its allied militant groups.

He added that if the ISIL claim of perpetrating the blast proves to be untrue, then it will be a message to the US forces to hurry in their evacuation from the region.

Abdul Rahman said that the Turkey-backed militants had earlier claimed responsibility for attacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Manbij, noting that the Wednesday suicide blast was the first of its kind against the US forces in Manbij.

He added that political messages are more important than the security ones in Northern Syria today.

A huge explosion at the center of Manbij in Northeastern Aleppo killed and wounded over 30 people, including several US soldiers.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported on Wednesday that the explosion occurred in Kasr al-Umara restaurant at Sondos street, killing at least 10 people, including members of Manbij military council.

Meantime, the Arabic-language service of Sputnik news agency quoted local sources in Manbij as saying on Thursday that the number of people killed in the blast has increased to 23 which includes 5 US forces and 18 members of Manbij military council and civilians.

Syrian Army Sends More Military Convoys to Hama, Idlib for Imminent Operations

Syrian Army warded off terrorists’ attacks from the demilitarized zone in Northern Hama as army’s military convoys were dispatched to the same region for an imminent assault.

Battlefield sources in Northern Syria said that the Syrian Army sent a military convoy comprising tens of Syrian Army troops along with heavy weaponry and military hardware to Northwestern Hama and Southern Idlib.

Pointing to the dispatch of large numbers of special forces of the Syrian Army (Tiger Forces) and military equipment to Saqilieh region in Northwestern Hama, battlefield sources said the Syrian Army is preparing for imminent military operations against the terrorist groups.

Other units of the Syrian Army pounded the movements and positions of the Kataeb al-Izza terrorists’ attacks from Kafar Zita region in Northern Hama in response the militants assaults, destroying several of their military positions and killing a number of them.

Meantime, other Syrian Army artillery and missile units targeted terrorists’ movements from the surrounding areas of the town of Ma’arkabeh in Northern Hama towards the Syrian Army’s military positions and warded off their attacks.

In a relevant development on Thursday, the Syrian army warded off new offensives by Tahrir al-Sham al-Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) and other allied terrorists in the demilitarized zone against their positions in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib, inflicting heavy damages and tolls on them.

The Syrian army units in Northern Hama launched heavy artillery and missile attacks on Jeish al-Izza terrorists in regions near the town of Hasraya who intended to infiltrate into the army-controlled regions, destroying militants’ strongholds and killing and wounding several of them.

Also, the army troops stationed in areas near the village of Zalin in Northern Hama targeted terrorists’ positions in the town of al-Latamineh in response to their attacks, inflicting heavy damages and casualties on them.

The Syrian army forces also repelled an offensive by Tahrir al-Sham from al-Katibeh al-Mahjoureh region against military points in Eastern Idlib, killing and wounding several militants.

Meantime, the artillery units of the army targeted the positions and moves of terrorists in Sakik, Sahal, al-Baraj, Mas’adah and Tal Khatarah in Southern and Southeastern Idlib, destroying several of their military vehicles and equipment and killing a number of terrorists.