Islamic State militants have lost "most" of their ammunition, heavy vehicles and equipment in Russian airstrikes, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. At least 86 ISIS targets were hit during 88 sorties in the last 24 hours.
Sukhoi Su-24M and Su-34 bombers, together with Su-25SM ground support aircrafts targeted Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) sites in the provinces of Raqqah, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo, according to the ministry. The jets hit command posts, ammunition and armament depots, military vehicles, plants producing explosives, field camps and bases.
Su-24M bombers also targeted an IS field headquarters near the city of Anadan in the province of Aleppo from which the terrorists coordinated their activities. There was an ammunition depot at the site, the ministry said.
One more IS field post was destroyed near the city of al-Bab in Aleppo Province.
One more IS field post was destroyed near the city of al-Bab in Aleppo Province.
A new set of videos was released showing targets hit in Latakia and Hama.
An Su-34 bomber airstrike completely destroyed a bunker with an ammunition depot near Latamna in the province of Hama, the ministry said in a press release.
According to intercepted communications, the militants suffer from shortages of ammunition, small arms and grenade guns. Several commanders allegedly say they will withdraw their units unless their ammunition needs are satisfied.
“Russian airstrikes resulted in the elimination of the majority of ISIS ammunition, heavy vehicles and equipment,” the Defense Ministry tweeted.
According to intercepted communications, the militants suffer from shortages of ammunition, small arms and grenade guns. Several commanders allegedly say they will withdraw their units unless their ammunition needs are satisfied.
“Russian airstrikes resulted in the elimination of the majority of ISIS ammunition, heavy vehicles and equipment,” the Defense Ministry tweeted.
Russia launched its anti-IS military operation in Syria on September, 30, at the request of the Syrian government. Western countries have voiced concerns that Russia rather targets moderate opposition in Syria, but Moscow says it is after terrorist groups such as IS and Al-Nusra Front.
“[Western countries] say we are bombing false targets. On Sunday US air forces targeted a power station and a transformer in Aleppo. Why did they do it? Whom did they punish? What was the sense? That is unclear,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense has prepared an agreement concerning the safety of flights in Syria and sent it to US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, who confirmed that talks are being held. However, no agreements have yet been reached, RIA Novosti reported.
Russia has struck over 110 ISIS targets in Syria in just two weeks. Over 40% of the Islamic State’s infrastructure has reportedly been destroyed already.
We lost track somewhere (sadly), but it was recently noted by Putin that, by the time Russia showed up and started systematically destroying ISIS in short order, there were already 11 other countries bombing Syria.
Eleven other countries…
In fact, it has been over a year since America started an airstrike campaign over there.
It hardly needs to be pointed out how blatantly obvious it is that, regardless of how many billions the American people were told just had to be spent “fighting the terrorists” over there, this was never for one hot second about the West actually stopping ISIS.
The only way that lie works is if the Western coalition is the most inept terror rescue team ever invented in the history of time.
Further, instead of applauding Putin’s timely and efficient intervention in Syria, the West is protesting Russia’s involvement and bombing of terrorists.
Meanwhile, NATO has dusted off and thoroughly updated its Cold War plans like giddy children at Christmas. Sure took them long enough to get their pretext to drag Russia into war, didn’t it?
Whatever Russia’s motives in Syria, one thing is clear: persecuted Syrian Christians favor Russian intervention against the jihadis slaughtering them, while accusing the U.S. and Western allies of only engaging in cosmetic strikes. Here are the words of a Syrian Christian leader — one well acquainted with the persecution his people are experiencing — concerning Russian intervention, as reported in Asia News. Note also what he says of the non-IS rebels being struck by Russia, the groups the U.S. is eager to portray as simply “anti-Assad rebels,” but which in fact are also Christian slaughtering jihadis:
Damascus (AsiaNews) – US air strikes in Syria are window-dressing, and have little real effect on the militias of the Islamic state (IS), who are left free to act on the ground. Instead the Russian attacks in recent days have been effective, forcing jihadists to fall back towards the Iraqi desert. This is according to Msgr. Jacques Behnan Hindo, referring to testimonies of people living in areas of conflict theater.
“Moscow’s intervention has been positive – said the prelate who leads the archieparchy Syrian Catholic Hassaké-Nisibis, – because they are really targeting Daesh [Arabic acronym for the IS/ISIS, Islamic State] and the militia are beginning to flee. They fled from the area in about 20 cars in a hurry in the direction of Iraq, leaving another 20 cars on site. A sign of a real retreat. “
The bishop of Hassaké-Nisibi lives under constant threat from IS: “I am less than three kilometers from the town – he says – a month ago their offensive was repelled and they folded around the city. In the past two weeks, thanks to the attacks of the Russians, they began to retreat. ”
In contrast, Msgr. Hindo reserves rather harsh words for the United States, who are not bombing the positions of jihadi militias but the Syrian government.
“It’s not about being for or against the government – he says – but people never believed in America’s attacks. Only the Kurds have really fought on the ground, but to hold their ground “and it is not plausible that they can, alone, solve the emergency. Besides the United States, France, Britain only speak of “attacking the Daesh, but do not speak of the Nusra Front and other Islamist militias linked to Al Qaeda. Indeed, there are extremist groups that have changed names to rebuild credibility, and these are not even mentioned. This is also a big problem. “
With Russian airstrikes dealing heavy losses to the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group, reports have surfaced that Iranian troops will soon launch a ground offensive alongside the Syrian army to retake Aleppo.
Last week, IS fighters managed to seize a large swathe of Aleppo, in Syria’s north. While Syrian forces have already reclaimed part of that territory, a ground offensive will be launched in the coming days to purge the terrorist group from the area.
According to two senior regional officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the offensive will include a coalition including Syrian and Iranian troops, protected by Russian air support.
“The big battle preparations in that area are clear,” one of the officials told Reuters. “There is a large mobilization of the Syrian army…elite Hezbollah fighters, and thousands of Iranians who arrived in stages in recent days.”
A second official, who is close to the Syrian government, reaffirmed the plan.
“The decision to launch the battle of Aleppo has been taken…It is no longer hidden that thousands of Iranians are now in Syria and their role is fundamental.”
This follows the death of Hossein Hamedani, a general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Tehran’s military confirmed on Friday that the Hamedani had been killed in Aleppo province while advising Assad’s forces in its fight against IS.
In the last 24 hours, Russian aircraft have carried out 88 sorties against terrorist command posts, weapon storage facilities, and explosive manufacturing centers.
“Over the past day, Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft completed 88 sorties on 86 terrorist infrastructure positions in the Raqqa, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo regions,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Tuesday.
These have already significantly weakened the Islamic State’s presence. Radio intercepts reveal that militants are running low on ammunition and threatening to abandon combat zones.
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