Breaking: Syria Fears Betrayal by Russia as Turkish Air Attacks Intensify

5
1585


By Gordon Duff with Nahed al Husaini, VT Damascus

Turkish F16s have flown dozens of sorties against Syrian Army positions south of al Bab in Aleppo, Province.  Two days ago, VT reported, based on sources at the scene, that Turkey had taken al Bab though an agreement with ISIS, resupplying their forces, 950 strong, and redeploying them against the US and Kurdish fighters at Raqqah.

A few hours later, Turkey announced they had “taken” al Bab in what they called a “lightning offensive.”

Today, the Turkish Air Force has commenced a full scale bombing campaign against Syrian forces despite agreements in place between Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria.



High level sources in Syria are trying, yet unsuccessfully, to reach both Moscow and Tehran, in order to bring about an end to these attacks.

More later.

Background from FARS News, Iran:

Syrian Army Captures ISIL-Held Town Adjacent to Al-Bab

Syrian Army Captures ISIL-Held Town Adjacent to Al-Bab

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops continued their advances against ISIL in the Eastern parts of Aleppo province, and seized a strategic town close to the Southern gates of the town of al-Bab on Sunday.

The army soldiers started their operation in the town of Tadif this morning and managed to purge the town of ISIL terrorists after several hours of fierce clashes.

A military source said the army men started the Tadif operation from the town of Abu Taltal and opened their way into the key town.

Clashes are now underway in areas surrounding the newly-liberated town, he added.

The source further stated that no fighting has thus far been reported between the Syrian soldiers and the Turkish forces deployed in the region.

Reports said earlier today that the army troops engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL and managed to win back the towns of Laqiteh, al-Shami, Syritel hill (Tal Fikheh) and Abu Jabbar Kabir and al-Maqzouwat farms South of the terrorist-held town of al-Bab.

 

 

Field sources in Eastern Aleppo said that the army men also pushed ISIL back from the towns of Mastariheh Meiri, strategic Salim mountain, Um Khazreh mountain, Khirbet al-Kayar, Qasr al-Brij, Shahnaseh, al-Mazroufeh and several more positons and farms in the region.

A large number of ISIL terrorists, including foreign nationals, were killed and a number of bomb-laden suicide vehicles were destroyed in the army advances.

Syrian Army Advances in Eastern Aleppo Means End of Turkey’s Raqqa Dreams
Syrian Army Advances in Eastern Aleppo Means End of Turkey's Raqqa Dreams

TEHRAN (FNA)- Media sources said that the Syrian Army troops are about to move towards al-Khafseh region near Assad Lake East of Aleppo province to block the Turkish army move in the direction of Raqqa.

The Arabic language al-Ahd daily quoted opposition sources as saying that the ISIL withdrew from the al-Bab town via the road connecting the town of Tadif to al-Khafseh region and moved its forces from there to al-Tabaqh in Western Raqqa after ferrying across the Assad Lake on Thursday.

The daily further added that the Turkish army and Ankara-backed militants of the Euphrates Shield operation entered al-Bab after ISIL’s withdrawal.

Al-Ahd went on to say that the ISIL was afraid of the Syrian Army advance from the Eastern direction of Kuweires airbase towards al-Khafseh as such a move could lay siege on ISIL terrorists in al-Bab.

The daily further pointed out that once the Syrian soldiers start their march from their positions in Kuweires airbase and go to a 15km distance from al-Khafseh, they will reach al-Babiri pumping station and foil the Turkish army’s planned road to Raqqa.

Al-Ahd reported that Turkey has called on the US to provide air cover and ground backup for its forces to reach Raqqa via two roads that run along the Euphrates River’s banks and go through the regions under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Tal Abyadh in the East and Jarabulus in the West.

The Syrian army’s advance from Kuweires to al-Khafseh is predicted to be fast as no one lives in the region anymore.

Media sources said on Friday that the ISIL terrorists began withdrawal from the strategic town of al-Bab in Northern Syria.

The ISIL terrorist group started leaving the besieged town of al-Bab, al-Mayadeen news channel reported, adding that the town was under siege by the Turkish-affiliated and Syrian army forces.

The remaining areas of al-Bab which were occupied by the terrorists came under siege as the Syrian army approached the town from the South earlier, cutting off militants’ routes.

A senior Syrian legislator disclosed on Tuesday that Damascus troops were about to launch a massive operation to capture the SIL-held town of al-Bab East of Aleppo province within the next few days after Turkey sustained a major defeat and withdrew forces from the strategic town.

“The army will capture and impose full control over al-Bab in coming days,” Mohanad al-Haj told FNA.

Noting that liberation of al-Bab would defuse Turkish and US plots to create a safe zone in Northern Syria and would be a new winning card for Damascus in peace talks, he said, “The al-Bab battle will certainly cut the link between terrorists and their backers in Syria and will be a second decisive battle before declaring Syria’s full victory in the war.”

Al-Haj stated that Turkey and its affiliated militant troops failed to push ISIL back in al-Bab after their recent losses and defeats, and said liberation of al-Bab by the army would push Turkey, Europe and the US into a status of confusion because they will be faced with a flood of defeated foreign terrorists seeking to return to their homelands.

Reports said on February 13 that the Turkish troops and their affiliated forces had taken as much as 40 percent of the Northern Syrian town of al-Bab from ISIL.

But only a few days later, reinvigorated ISIL troops returned to the battle scene and captured almost the entire city. Media sources disclosed on February 19 that the Turkish army and Ankara-backed militant groups have sustained a major defeat in al-Bab and lost almost the entire town.

“In spite of what Turkey has claimed that the Euphrates Shield military operation in al-Bab is nearing its end, the Turkish-back militants have not made any progress in the town and the ISIL is now in control of 90 percent of al-Bab,” the Arabic-language al-Watan daily said quoting the pro-militant Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The report comes as Turkish airstrikes as well as artillery attacks by the Turkish army and the Ankara-backed Euphrates Shield Operation militants were strongly underway, taking the lives of over 100 civilians in the last 10 days.

The Turkish army troops have also sustained heavy losses and casualties in their operation that has been underway without the Damascus government’s permission.

ATTENTION READERS

We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.

About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.

Comments are closed.