Russia To Intensify Syria Airstrikes, Claims ISIS Now On The Ropes

Russia Claims ISIS Now On The Ropes As Fighters Desert After 60 Airstrikes In 72 Hours

One question that’s been asked repeatedly over the past thirteen months is why Washington has been unable to achieve the Pentagon’s stated goal of “degrading and defeating” ISIS despite the fact that the “battle” pits the most advanced air force on the planet against what amounts to a ragtag band of militants running around the desert in basketball shoes. 

Those of a skeptical persuasion have been inclined to suggest that perhaps the US isn’t fully committed to the fight. Explanations for that suggestion range from the mainstream (the White House is loathe to get the US into another Mid-East war) to the “conspiratorial” (the CIA created ISIS and thus doesn’t want to destroy the group due to its value as a strategic asset). 

The implication in all of this is that a modern army that was truly determined to destroy the group could likely do so in a matter of months if not weeks and so once Russia began flying sorties from Latakia, the world was anxious to see just how long the various rebel groups operating in Syria could hold up under bombardment by the Russian air force. 

The answer, apparently, is “less than a week.” 

On Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said it has conducted 60 bombing runs in 72 hours, hitting more than 50 ISIS targets.

According to the ministry (Facebook page is here), Islamic State fighters are in a state of “panic” and more than 600 have deserted. 

Here's what happens when the Russians locate a terrorist "command center": 

According to The Kremlin, the structure shown in the video is (or, more appropriately, "was") "an ISIS hardened command centre near Raqqah." Su-34s hit it with concrete-piercing BETAB-500s setting off a series of explosions and fires that "completely destroyed the object."  

Now obviously one must consider the source here, but Kremlin spin tactics aside, one cannot help but be amazed with the pace at which this is apparently unfolding. If any of the above is even close to accurate, it means that Russia is on schedule to declare victory over ISIS (and everyone else it looks like) in a matter of weeks, which would not only be extremely embarrassing for Washington, but would also effectively prove that the US has never truly embarked on an honest effort to rid Syria of the extremist groups the Western media claims are the scourge of humanity.

Syria: Russia Destroys Al Qaeda Hideouts, Command Post and Training Camp | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Since yesterday, Russian Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25 jets conducted eighteen flights from the Hmeimim base in Latakia province on the Mediterranean coast, targeting 12 terrorist targets. More then 50 Russian warplanes are used in the Syrian operation.

Based on intelligence gathered from a variety of sources, including “space and drone reconnaissance,” the ministry confirmed the “total destruction” of terrorist targets in Idlib Province by Su-24 M jets. One of the targets was an Islamic State command post. The other was a terrorist training camp.

Earlier in the day, Russian military also released footage of the overnight air raids on four terrorist facilities, including an ammunition depot near Idlib, a three-level HQ near Hamah, and a reported car-bomb plant in the north of Homs.

Russian pilots also prevented the Islamic State fighters from restoring one of its command posts in Hama Province which had been struck by Russian jets on Wednesday.

To stop further ISIS activity on the object near Al-Latamna village, Russian jets conducted an additional strike, which led to the destruction of the target. The strike carried out by the Su-24M fighter jet.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Armed Forces have attempted to recapture the Al-Ghaab Plains from the possession of the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliates in “Jaysh Al-Fateh”. The clahes have been continuing there.

Jabhat Al-Nusra with support of Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham and the Free Syrian Army attempted to advance on the Nayrab Military Airport’s on Thursday afternoon. In a series of intense firefights, the pro-government Palestinian group “Liwaa Al-Quds” defended the sector.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) carried out another assault on the ISIS positions at the village of ‘Ayn Sabil around the Kuweires Military Airport.

Inside of the provincial capital SAA and Liwaa Al-Quds continued their counter-offensive at the Scientific Research Facility in the Al-Rashideen District.

Expected offensiv of the Government forces in east Aleppo will likely lead to the most violent battle inside Syria since the ISIS offensive inside the provincial capital of Al-Hasakah in July of 2015 could be started.

Russia to intensify Syria airstrikes against ISIS

Russia’s air forces will intensify airstrikes against the posts of extremist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria, a senior military official said Saturday.

“We will not only continue conducting our airstrikes, but will also increase their intensity,” Andrey Kartapolov, deputy chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces told reporters.

The primary targets are IS command points, ammunition and explosives depots, communication hubs, workshops to produce weapons and militant training camps, he said.

Russia’s aircraft have carried out more than 60 missions and destroyed over 50 IS facilities during the round-the-clock airstrikes, he said.

“Over the past 72 hours, we have managed to undermine the material and technical base of terrorists and significantly reduce their combat potential,” Interfax news agency quoted Kartapolov as saying.

He added that reconnaissance units obtained information of terrorists leaving districts under their control.

Meanwhile, the official stressed that all relevant countries were informed of Russia’s airstrikes in advance, and that the U.S. confirmed to Russian side that there were only terrorists in the airstrike regions.

Moscow started the airstrikes which it said were targeting IS forces and fighting terrorism, but U.S. leaders are skeptical of that.

Kartapolov called on other countries to coordinate anti-terrorism activities, noting that the information and coordination center could be used as the sharing channel.

The center was jointly established by Russia, Syria, Iran and Iraq with its headquarters in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Any useful information about the IS group’s facilities on the territory of Syria and Iraq is expected to be shared by any country, Kartapolov said.

“(The center) remains open to dialogue with all countries concerned and welcomes any constructive contribution,” he said.