Syria makes command changes to 1st Corps, others following Israeli threats

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The Syrian Arab Army has made changes to the leadership of the 1st Corps and its operations center in the southern part of the country, following threats to its leadership by the Israeli military.

The IDF has accused the SAA of helping Lebanon’s Hezbollah establish a permanent military presence on the Golan Heights. It has been dropping leaflets along the Israeli-Syrian border in recent weeks, warning the SAA’s 1st Corps not to work with the Iranian proxy group.

According to Lebanon’s Al Modon news website, the SAA has made changes to the division and brigade leadership after the leaflets dropped by Israel threatened them.

The report named Maj.-Gen. Ramadan Ramadan as incoming commander of the 1st Corps, replacing Lua’a Ali Ahmad Asa’ad.

In April the IDF released a short video showing a visit by Asa’ad to Hezbollah positions in the country. “We see you. Consider this a warning,” the IDF said in a tweet, releasing the footage.

Ramadan is “not qualified in terms of seniority and military rank” to be promoted to commander of the 1st Corps and did not occupy any previous command positions in it, Al Modon reported, quoting an opposition military source.

“It is clear that the only reason for appointing Maj.-Gen. Ramadan to his new position is his close ties to Hezbollah and Iran, as he is from the Shi’ite community and has been known since the beginning of the revolution to push the army into confronting it,” the source was quoted as saying.

Iran has “depended” on him since it entered the civil war on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad, the source said, adding that Ramadan “previously led an important part of the military operations in the southern and eastern countryside of Idlib.”

Other changes include the commanders of the 7th Division, 5th Division, 90th Brigade and 12th Brigade, among others.

Following the return of regime forces to the south of the country and the rebuilding of the SAA, which was decimated over the course of the ongoing civil war, the influence of Hezbollah and Iran on the army has increased dramatically.

Though Israel usually refrains from targeting terrorist operatives in an attempt to avoid retaliation, several strikes blamed on the IDF have killed Hezbollah operatives in southern Syria on the Golan Heights, where the group has been trying to establish a permanent military presence.

In addition to the 1st Corps, Hezbollah forces have been deployed to 28 locations as part of Southern Command, as well as to another 30 locations where there is a presence of cells operating under the Golan Project.
Southern Command, led by Munir Ali Na’im Shaiti, is the Hezbollah unit in charge of southern Syria. Its main function is to create a Hezbollah infrastructure in the area, gather intelligence on the IDF and train the 1st Corps for war with Israel.

Should Hezbollah decide to carry out an attack from the Golan Heights, the IDF believes it would use the 1st Corps, which has significant weaponry, logistics and manpower.

The Golan Project is under the command of Ali Mussa Daqduq and has headquarters in Damascus and Beirut. Some of the operatives have undergone training by Hezbollah in sabotage, sharpshooting and firing Grad rockets. The project has been accused of launching attacks against Israel.

Source: JPOST

Russia began modernizing Syrian Army 2 years ago: Assad

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is completely dependent on Russian weapons, and that it will be modernized in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Assad told Russia’s Sputnik Agency on Thursday: “Two years ago, we began implementing a plan to modernize our army, and it is clear that we will do this modernization in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Defense, because our army for several decades has been completely dependent on Russian weapons.”

The Syrian President commented on a question about whether Syria is interested in acquiring the S-300 and S-400 systems, saying that it may not necessarily be related to missiles, as there may be other priorities for military-technical cooperation in relation to the “on the ground” conflict.

He continued, “We have priorities, we are not necessarily talking about missiles. There may be other priorities at the present time regarding the conflict on the ground. We have a complete plan, but we must act according to the priorities.”

He pointed out that Damascus usually does not talk about the details of its military plans, but it is generally a matter of modernizing the Syrian Army in all respects.

Photos: Syrian Arab Airforce strikes on Turkish backed terrorist logical sites in the western Idlib

 

Syrian Arab Airforce strikes on Turkish backed terrorist logical sites in the western #Idlib countryside. #Syria #SyAAF #Syrianarmy🇸🇾please feel free to follow for daily Syrian Arab Army updates🇸🇾 pic.twitter.com/5SxF0rlSbH

— Steele M (@SteeleSyAA) September 28, 2020

NIGERIANS: Why you should Become A VTU Owner, Make Money Per Seconds

 

US sale of Syrian oil violate international law - Russia

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The US troops, jointly with the Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, maintain control over a part of northeastern Syria, concentrating around the oil and gas fields in the provinces of Al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor.

The US oil deal with the Syrian Kurds breaks international law and is used as cover for US illegal policy to undermine Damascus’ peace efforts, Russian and Syria militaries said in a joint statement.

The illegal presence of the US and its allies in the northeast of Syria has lead to a plundering of the country’s natural resources and fanned tensions, the statement said.

Earlier, State Secretary Mike Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that an US oil firm had secured a deal to modernize oil fields controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The name of the company has not been revealed, however, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the company in question is Delta Crescent Energy.

The US troops with the SDF, retain control over a part of northeastern Syria containing most of the country’s oil and gas reserves.

The Syrian government sees the US presence there as a violation of its sovereignty and an illegal attempt to seize Syria’s natural resources.



Source: Sputnik

Syria grants Russia lands and marine space near Hmeimim Airbase

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Syria has agreed to grant Russia a plot of land and marine space in the coastal governorate of Latakia to establish a health center for the Russian Army on it.

Russia’s Sputnik Agency quoted from a document published by the official Russian legal information portal, that “the Syrian Arab Republic agreed to transfer a plot of land and water space in the Latakia Governorate to Russia in order to establish a medical center for health and rehabilitation of Russian flying teams.”

The area around ​​the site, according to the document, is 8 hectares, and Russia bears the cost of building and equipping the infrastructure.

The document was signed on June 21 in Damascus, and in Moscow it was signed on July 30.

Large Turkish military reinforcements enter northwestern Syria after Russian airstrikes

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According to the report, a massive Turkish military convoy entered northwestern Syria on Wednesday, entering the country from the neighboring Hatay Province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said over 450 Turkish military vehicles entered northwestern Syria, where they reportedly made their way to the agreed upon deescalation zone.

According to the SOHR report, the Turkish military convoy consisted of armored vehicles and heavy weapons. 

The arrival of these Turkish reinforcements comes just a day after the Russian Air Force launched heavy airstrikes over the Idlib Governorate.

According to a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) source, the airstrikes were carried out in response to the militant attack on the Turkish patrol along the M-4 (Aleppo-Latakia Highway) Highway on Monday.

How Russian general was killed in roadside bombing attack in east Syria

The incident was said to have taken place in Deir ez-Zor province, northeastern Syria. A Russian major-general was killed and two troops were injured in Syria Tuesday after vehicles they were traveling in were hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), the Russian Ministry of Defence has announced.

The blast was said to have taken place near the At-Taim oil field, about 15 km outside the city of Deir ez-Zor, with the Russian convoy said to have been hit while returning from a humanitarian action.

“As a result of the explosion, three Russian servicemen were injured. During evacuation and while receiving medical assistant, a senior Russian military advisor with the rank of major-general died from the serious injuries sustained,” the MoD said.

The military said the IED involved was placed on the side of the road along which the Russian convoy was traveling.

The family of the senior officer will receive all possible assistance and support, according to the MoD, with the major-general to be awarded posthumously for his service.

The Russian ground contingent in Syria consists of Military Police forces, whose mission includes separating Turkish and Syrian forces in the country’s north, assisting in humanitarian aid deliveries, and occasionally, helping Syrian Army forces destroy terrorist remnants.

This includes forces operating in Deir ez-Zor province. 

On Saturday, Russian forces deployed a mobile water treatment plant in Deir ez-Zor city. On August 6, the Russian military reported “an aggravation of the situation in the areas of the province of Deir ez-Zor” outside the control of the Syrian government owing to poor conditions in US-occupied areas of the province.

On Monday, Syrian and US forces engaged in a skirmish in neighbouring Hasakah province, with the incident leaving one Syrian soldier dead and two others injured.

Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor contain the vast majority of Syria’s energy resources, which the Syrian government considers vital for its efforts to rebuild the country. 

In addition to Syrian Army and Russian forces (which are deployed in accordance with international law), US troops and Turkish-backed militias also operate in the area, as do the remnants of Daesh (ISIS)* and other terrorist groups, with the concentration of these forces in close proximity leading to regular confrontations, some of them violent.

Over 120 Russian servicemen have been killed in operations in Syria since Russia began its anti-terrorist operation in the country in September 2015.



Source: Sputnik

Arab tribal forces attack US military outpost in Syria

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The largest U.S. military base in Syria was targeted by a number of missiles in the eastern countryside of the Deir Ezzor Governorate on Tuesdayby the Ara tribe.

Arab tribal forces attack US military outpost near the Deirezzor / Hasakah provincial border. 

Several rockets hit the base and multiple vehicles were damaged but no reports of US causalities.This is the second rocket attack against a US bases with the al Shaddadi base in a Hasakah shelled earlier this week

According to reports from eastern Syria, the U.S. base at the Conoco Oil Fields was targeted with a number of rockets fired by unknown group in the Deir Ezzor countryside.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Coalition said that at least three rockets were fired towards the base, but the projectiles did not manage to hit the installation.

Despite no group officially claim responsibility for the attack, the U.S. Coalition and their allies from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been facing heavy opposition from the Arab tribes inside the Deir Ezzor Governorate.

Most recently, the Syrian Democratic Forces and Al-Akidat Tribe clashed along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, culminating in a series of events that led to a number of tribes getting involved in the hostilities.

Among the tribes involved in the clashes against the U.S. Coalition and SDF is the Al-Baggara Tribe, which claimed their forces expelled the Syrian Democratic Forces from the village of Jadeed Baggara in eastern Deir Ezzor last weekend.

US Air Force bombs Syrian Army troops in Qamishli: report

The U.S. Air Force and NATO coalition allegedly bombed the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the Al-Qamishli countryside, following the latter’s obstruction of an American patrol in northern Al-Hasakah.

Syria's state news agency SANA said U.S. fighter jets bombed a checkpoint belonging to Syrian forces in Tal Zahab in south of Qamishli after the Syrian forces prevented a convoy of U.S. forces from passing through the checkpoint.

A Syrian soldier was killed and two others were wounded in the strike, SANA reported.

Meanwhile, Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a U.S.-led Coalition aircraft bombed the checkpoint, killing and sounding a number of Syrian soldiers.

There was no immediate comments from the U.S. Army or the Coalition forces.

This latest attack by the U.S. Air Force comes at a time of increased tension in northeastern Syria, as the Syrian Arab Army strengthens their posts across the Al-Hasakah Governorate.

In 2016, the U.S. Air Force ‘accidentally’ bombed the Syrian Arab Army troops in Deir Ezzor, killing over 100 soldiers while they were fending off an attack by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh).

The Monday's strike was the first deadly incident of its kind in six months, the Observatory said, although tensions are not unusual in the area, where the web of security responsibilities is complex.

Northeastern Syria is mainly under the control of US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces who are spearheaded by Kurdish fighters, but Syrian army forces are deployed in certain locations under agreements with the Kurds.

Russian Cargo ship moves tanks en route to Syria – PHOTOS

Russia’s #Syria campaign continues: #ВМФ Project 1171 #ЧФ BlackSea Fleet 197th Landing Ship Brigade Tapir (NATO:Alligator) class tank/APC carrying LST Saratov 150 transited Bosphorus towards Med en route to Russian naval base in #Tartus (formerly 720th Logistics Support Point). pic.twitter.com/Z5d1OOGAGk

— Yörük Işık (@YorukIsik) July 5, 2020

The Russian Ministry of Defense is continuing its military equipment deliveries to the Damascus forces of the Syrian Arab Army as another cargo ship was photographed transiting the Bosphorus Strait between the Mediterranean and Black seas.

Maritime observer Yoruk Isik said the LST Saratov 150 of the Black Sea Fleet was seen transiting the Bosphorus Strait, en route to the Syrian port-city of Tartous.


As pointed out by Isik above, the Saratov 150 specializes in transporting armored vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers (APC).

Turkish military’s attack on the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) equipment since early March of this year necessitated the Russia's delivery of tanks and other armoured vehicles to Damascus troops. 

 
According to AMN, during the Turkish military attack, several soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army and National Defense Forces (NDF) were killed, while tens of armoured and technical vehicles were destroyed by the barrage.

Since the attack, however, the Russian Ministry of Defense has increased its cargo shipments to Syria, as this is the third time this year that Moscow has shipped tanks and other armored vehicles to the Arab Republic.

Russia usually amplifies these deliveries to Syria when they are planning a new offensive; this is especially true, given the Syrian Army’s buildup around the Jabal Al-Zawiya region of southern Idlib.

Syrian War: Turkish aircraft stalk Damascus Forces Across Northwest Syria

The Damascus forces of the Syrian Arab Army have been experiencing stalking in the last 48 hours as Turkish military aircraft, primarily drones were positioned in the northwestern governorates of Syria.

Turkish military drones have been flying over the Syrian Army’s positions in the Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama governorates. The reports said the Turkish drones focused on the Syrian Army’s positions along the front-lines of the Jabal Al-Zawiya region (Idlib), Al-Ghaab Plain (Hama), and western Aleppo.

These overflights by the Turkish military come just hours after they traded artillery with the Syrian Arab Army in the southern countryside of Idlib.

Meanwhile, the Turkish and Syrian armies traded artillery over the weekend in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region; this exchange result in very few casualties, but both sides accused one another of violating the ceasefire.

In March, the Turkish Ministry of Defense accused the Syrian Army of bombing their troops in eastern Idlib, resulting in the death of dozens of soldiers.

The Turkish military responded by unleashing their largest attack against the Syrian Army during the nine-year-long war.

Over the course of 48 hours in early March, the Turkish military managed to destroy dozens of vehicles and posts belonging to the Syrian Army, while also killing several soldiers.

In response to the violence in early March, the Turkish and Russian presidents met in Sochi to hash out a contingency to decrease the hostilities in northwest Syria and begin joint patrols along the M-4 Highway.

Russian backed Damascus forces are already in control of more than 2/3 of the Syrian territories.

HOW Large Turkish military convoy enters Idlib amid Syrian Army buildup

Large Syrian Army convoy enter northern Raqqa

Profile Pic: Turkish military convoy 

The Turkish military has sent another convoy through the Kafr Lousen crossing that links the Hatay Province with Idlib, deploying several commandos and their armored vehicles to different parts of this governorate in northwestern Syria.

According to opposition reports, the Turkish military sent another large convoy to Idlib in convoy at the same time that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) continues to buildup its forces in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region of Idlib.

Since the Sochi Agreement was put in place on September 17, 2018, the Turkish military has been constructing observation posts in several front-line areas in northwestern Syria.

However, as seen in the Syrian Arab Army’s offensive in southern Idlib offensive earlier this year, they are willing to go around these Turkish observation posts in order to attack the militant forces.

With the Turkish military’s attack on the Syrian Army’s positions in March, it appears that the former is becoming less tolerant of these offensives and could intervene in future conflicts, especially along the Jabal Al-Zawiya region.

Meanwhile, a large SAA convoy entered the northern countryside of the Al-Raqqa Governorate this week to help strengthen the front-lines in the ‘Ayn ‘Issa District.

According to a field source, the Syrian Arab Army troops were accompanied by Russian military personnel, who also deployed to the ‘Ayn ‘Issa District, which is located north of the administrative capital.

The Syrian Army reinforcements were said to have later deployed to the front-lines in ‘Ayn ‘Issa, where they helped strengthen the front-lines in the face of the Turkish-backed militant forces.

the ‘Ayn ‘Issa front has recently witnessed an increase in hostilities between the Syrian Army and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on one side, and the Turkish-backed militants on the other.

The Turkish-backed militants have repeatedly violated the ceasefire in northern Raqqa, as they often launch artillery shells and rockets towards the defenses of both the Syrian Army and SDF troops.

PHOTOS: Damascus Forces seized foreign-supplied weapons in northern Aleppo

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) seized a large amount of weapons that were left behind by the militant groups that controlled parts of northern Aleppo.

In a report released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the state-owned publication said the SAA troops were able to seize this large batch of weapons and ammunition while combing through the areas once controlled by the militant groups in northern Aleppo.


According to a SANA report, the Syrian Army was “combing through the liberated villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo to ensure their safety and the safety of the families returning to their homes.”

They would add that “the competent authorities found weapons and ammunition, including medium machine guns, mortars, machine guns, tank shells, RPGs, propeller grenades, and large quantities of ammunition of various calibres.”


The Syrian Army has been combing through several areas across the country that were previously controlled by militant groups.

Many of these previously militant-held areas have weapons and explosives that were hidden before these groups departed for the Turkish border region.

AMN