The big battle is coming for Idlib, Syria It really is a big deal

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
As promised, some sources for this area of conflict.
Start with Sana the Syrian Arab news Source
Step News Agency covers this area as well, but can be difficult to navigate in the translated version. It is domestic, so they do not offer an English one. Has to be translated with third party.
Al-Masdar News is my primary source for this area of conflict.

Twitter accounts:
Rojava Defense Units covers the area primarily from the perspective of the SDF Kurds.
Cᴀʟɪʙʀᴇ Oʙsᴄᴜʀᴀ focuses on identifying arms from irregular groups. Writes more extensively on his website
XXVII | Military Analyst | Syrian War | Ret. Boogeyman | Phd. Linguist | | Askeri Analist | Suriye Savaşı | Dilbilimci 🇹🇷🇬🇧🇩🇪🇳🇱 |
Woofers "I do Syria stuff. Mostly in the north. Now focusing on reconstruction"
MrRevinsky covers jihadists groups and debunks Russian bull#, but I linked his Syria/Idlib thread which is updated daily it seems.

Theres plenty more, and the key is to look for re-tweets in their feed of other accounts who will add exclusive content and grow the list of regular sources. Sometimes a source will only update like once a week, others daily. Some will have images and videos, others will only have text of breaking events. I tell you this, there is no shortage whatsoever.

If you find a video you cannot find on youtube for an embed, you can just go to www.downloadtwittervideo.com, enter the url and save it. Then you can upload it to youtube, or if you want I can upload it for you if you ask me. The thing is though, many times the video is already there but uploaded in either Arabic, Turkic, Kurdish or some other language that will not show if you search in English. That changed in the middle of me covering Mosul liberation a year and a half ago.

I do check in here now and then, if you need help finding something just ask or send me a PM.

Absolutely great links for those who are interested !

I am literally walking out the door, but there is fresh activity, check out my feed @tampanonmyous for the activity I retweeted. Turkey wants to annex Idlib, and a Syrian helicopter was allegedly shot down by rebels using MANPAD. ANyways, I am off!

Sure has been awhile. The operation is getting really interesting now.

Here is a collection of successful ATGM strikes used in anti-personnel role against fortified positions and mortar/artillery placements. From Thanksgiving to about early December.

A video of militant attacks against positions of the Syrian Army in December surprise attack. There is an oddly modified tracked tank in use throughout. Estimated death toll on the SAA side is 10-15.

Then the army launches their widest scale offensive since September managing to establish control over 15 towns and villages over the weekend. It was a costly battle however as they had some 40 KIA and 50+wounded with estimates citing the terrorists losses as double that or a bit higher.


Looks like Assad's government has managed to still only get about ten - fifteen percent of the land back from terrorists in 2019. He needed a good win for the year's end I suppose. As a result though, they seem to have surrounded the Turkish observation post.
Some footage of the Syrian troops deploying tanks and artillery with close air support provided by a pair of I think Su-25's.

Here is the situation as of today in Southern Idlib province. I would say that is a pretty good gain for the end of the year even if it did cost a lot in sacrifice.

Well over the last weekend militants managed to regain control of two newly liberated towns/villages back from the Syrian army. Word is there were many casualties on both sides, with the army having more than fifty killed allegedly on their side. Some videos on that operation here.


And here is also a collection of successful executions of atgm strikes on Syrian government forces by the jihadists through the first half of January.


Call me reckless, but I have a feeling 2020 is the year Syria will get serious and start making huge operations to take back idlib fully.

Fighting alongside with Rebels is suicide. It is a losing war. The Kurds know whats up, if I was there I'd join Assad too. The Western side always stabs you in the back since both WW/Colonialism. US can't get involved in this one or else its instantly WW3. The Uyghurs asked for it first place pissing off China with ISIS/Caliphate wannabes. Ain't no one goes into China and piss them off. The Chinese don't play games. The whole reason the Mongol Empire got so big is because they have Chinese to help. It is end game for rebels once China joined in.

I'd totally desert right now because US is already done helping. Turkey would be an idiot to join in. Anyone against Assad is a losing game because he is backed by Russia.

I'm pretty sure I know what's behind those big gains the Syrian army has made recently. Turkey is transferring its proxy troops to Libya to support the failing Tripoli-based government. It would seem they were a big part of the Rebel's manpower, and their removal has swung the battle for Idlib in Assad's favor.

a reply to: worldstarcountry
The thing is, that's only 2 villages recaptured out of what looks like a few dozen villages captured by Assad's forces. Still a good day's work on the part of Assad's forces.


And I'm sure the Rebel's suffered a lot of casualties a well. We just don't hear about them, because the media reports have a strong pro-Rebel bias.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

Well the Russians have just been pounding them with airstrikes as well pretty dang hard.

a reply to: St Udio

China is already an ally to Assad. He already went to them for trade and business talks.

Well it's been an active week, let's get some highlights. The following battles took place Monday and Tuesday near South Aleppo. Hayat tahrir Al sham and Turkestan Islamic party launched a vicious counter attack and took back a small town. The Syrian army had the further embarrassment of losing a T-90 tank when it was captured by the attackers. Russia will profit twice though. First for the airstrike to destroy the tank as soon as they see it again , and second for the replacement that will be ordered.

There were some escalation of hostilities as well when the Turks moved soldiers without informing the Syrian or Russian side during operations to take the town of saradiq. The Turks lost five guys in shelling, prompting Erdogan to authorize multiple air strikes on Syrian army positions, resulting in over thirty deaths and up to seventy injuries.


We will be seeing and escalation between regular Syrian and Turkey armed forces if Erdogan continues to place his soldiers where Assad is trying to reclaim his country.

a reply to: worldstarcountry
Those tanks from the convoy of Turkish reinforcements are now being staged as we speak.
twitter.com...

The following is a great analysis of the military situation in idlib, including a full history of th militants currently in power, their various rebranding, and Turkey's influence.
I meant to add this video from February 11. It was a counterattack against the Syrian army to try and regain control of lost territory.

This news segment from ANNA covered some of the activity from the Syrian side during the operations to retake the M5 highway. The anchor comments prior to soldiers taking cover behind some rocks and then returning fire, then some footage of artillery dug in dropping shells on the enemy. They conclude with a panel discussion on the exchange of their re last week between American forces and regime backed militants. It's all in Russian though.

a reply to: 727Sky

Some mean folks got whacked on halloween by a loitering munition of unknown origin. I think th is the first time in video out of idlib. Lots of finger pointing at russia, syria government and iran, but no corroberation. Honestly it has the profile of those DIY drones some of the militants were using to attack the Russian base with high frequency, little to no success.

Hayat tahrir al-sham and another nusra faction have been hitting each other hard lately as well. I should have kept updating my terrorist vs terrorist thread, there have been many ambushes and assassinations.

In any case, i suspect it could have been one faction targeting another??