Syrian government forces press attack in east Aleppo

Etain

Etain

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Don't think it was covered here, but it should be. Big news.
The Syrian army pressed an offensive in Aleppo on Friday with ground fighting and air strikes in an operation to retake all of the city's rebel-held east that would bring victory in the civil war closer for President Bashar al-Assad.

"The advance is going according to plan and is sometimes faster than expected," a Syrian military source told Reuters.

The Syrian army and its allies had recaptured 32 of east Aleppo's 40 neighborhoods, about 85 percent of the area, he said.

Reuters journalists, rebels and a monitor confirmed the military thrust. There were no reports the Syrian army had made significant gains.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syrian army had suspended military activity to let civilians leave rebel-held areas, RIA news agency reported.

The army and its allies tried to advance on two fronts, a Turkish-based official with the Jabha Shamiya rebel group said.

"Helicopters, warplanes and rocket bombardment like every day. Nothing has changed," the official said. Despite the bombardment, "the guys are steadfast," the official added.

During a tour of Old Aleppo on Friday, which the Syrian army took control of this week, Reuters journalists counted the sound of nine air strikes in about half an hour. Fighting could be heard from other areas nearby.

The Russian air force and Iran-backed Shi'ite militias are fighting in Aleppo on the government side. Rebel leaders have given no sign they are about to withdraw as the civilian population is squeezed into an ever-decreasing area.

Russian Defense Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi said on Friday up to 10,500 Syrian citizens had fled parts of east Aleppo still controlled by rebels in the last 24 hours. This could not be independently verified.

Syrian government and allied forces have in the last two weeks driven rebels from most of their territory in what was once Syria's most populous city. The rebels have controlled the eastern section since 2012, and Assad said in an interview published on Thursday that retaking Aleppo would change the course of the civil war across the whole country.

The Syrian government now appears closer to victory than at any point in the five years since protests against Assad evolved into an armed rebellion. The war has killed more than 300,000 people and made more than half of Syrians homeless.

Outside of Aleppo, the Syrian army declared a ceasefire in several areas around Damascus and the northwestern province of Idlib beginning on Friday evening, without saying how long it would last. There was no immediate comment from rebels.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-aleppo-idUSKBN13Y0VP
 
KingA said:
It looks like Aleppo will be liberated before Mosul. Was not expecting that at all!
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I sort of did expect that. Considering that Syria is a more powerful country than Iraq.
 
Kebabs?s said:
lol, syria is not stronger then iraq
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Okay, now it's not Russia in comparison, but it is somewhat more competent than Iraq, which has been corrupt for over a decade. Iraq barely has a consistent, "powerful" president (compare Assad to Masum).
 
Iraq is stronger than Syria both from military and economical point of view . While Iraq has "only" ISIS as enemy, Bashar has many groups against him.
Dicators looks always stronger than democratic leaders, because they are too brutal and kill everyone stands on their way
In addition, in Iraq all main forces against ISIS are Iraqis ( Iraq forces, The People's Mobilization, peshmerga etc). If Bashar was not getting support from Iranian forces , Russian and Hezbollah, he could lose the power long time ago.
 
KingA said:
Iraq is stronger than Syria both from military and economical point of view . While Iraq has "only" ISIS as enemy, Bashar has many groups against him.
Dicators looks always stronger than democratic leaders, because they are too brutal and kill everyone stands on their way
In addition, in Iraq all main forces against ISIS are Iraqis ( Iraq forces, The People's Mobilization, peshmerga etc). If Bashar was not getting support from Iranian forces , Russian and Hezbollah, he could lose the power long time ago.
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If you include the Kurdish militias in the north, then yes, that part of Iraq is powerful. Also, that part of Iraq (Kurdistan) is relatively stable and economical. Perhaps more than Syria.

I guess I had the "Arabian" part of Iraq in mind (Baghdad, Basra, etc), which aren't that prosperous.
 
Neon said:
If you include the Kurdish militias in the north, then yes, that part of Iraq is powerful. Also, that part of Iraq (Kurdistan) is relatively stable and economical. Perhaps more than Syria.

I guess I had the "Arabian" part of Iraq in mind (Baghdad, Basra, etc), which aren't that prosperous.
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I thought she meant military and yes Iraq is military stronger then syria. Most of Syria's warplanes and armor are old outdated soviet equipment
 
Yes, even without Kurdish militias and their region, Iraqi forces were more capable to kick ISIS out of Iraq relatively "alone".
On the other hand, even with Russians help, Assad lost Palymera for second time.

 
Neon said:
If you include the Kurdish militias in the north, then yes, that part of Iraq is powerful. Also, that part of Iraq (Kurdistan) is relatively stable and economical. Perhaps more than Syria.

I guess I had the "Arabian" part of Iraq in mind (Baghdad, Basra, etc), which aren't that prosperous.
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the kurds are cowards that fled from mosul in 2014. it has been the NON Kurdish Iraqis (Shiites) that have been retaking that country from isis, with virtually no help from the kurds. the kurds have been given billions of dollars worth of us military equipment and billions of dollars of economic aid by the us, per year, and they still fled from isis without even resisting.... that's not what I would call powerful.
 
It has to be stated that Syria has to deal with more than what Iraq faces though. Isis is one thing but you got all the other branches of islamic terrorist groups, all the rebels(why do I feel like I already mentioned those just a few words earlier? Ha) and I can't say for a fact but they get more outside funding(US/zionists with their "FSA training") than Isis in Iraq.

It is unfortunate that just after the success in Aleppo they let Palmyra slip away from their grasps again. Always one step forward, one step back. But there is hope.
 
john11121 said:
the kurds are cowards that fled from mosul in 2014. it has been the NON Kurdish Iraqis (Shiites) that have been retaking that country from isis, with virtually no help from the kurds. the kurds have been given billions of dollars worth of us military equipment and billions of dollars of economic aid by the us, per year, and they still fled from isis without even resisting.... that's not what I would call powerful.
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By powerful I meant that they have good economy in contrast to the southern "Arab" parts of the country. For instance, Duhok is more prosperous than Baghdad. That's why so many Assyrians (and Kurds) have moved there from Baghdad.

Not surprised that Iraqi Arabs (Shiites) are defending their country from ISIS, since it's THEIR country. And THEY will continue to fight for THEIR country. Like any countrymen would. Kurdistan isn't even an independent nation, so of course Iraqi Arabs would have a better advantage in some cases.
 
Neon said:
By powerful I meant that they have good economy in contrast to the southern "Arab" parts of the country. For instance, Duhok is more prosperous than Baghdad. That's why so many Assyrians (and Kurds) have moved there from Baghdad.

Not surprised that Iraqi Arabs (Shiites) are defending their country from ISIS, since it's THEIR country. And THEY will continue to fight for THEIR country. Like any countrymen would. Kurdistan isn't even an independent nation, so of course Iraqi Arabs would have a better advantage in some cases.
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most of the assyrians that moved to the Kurdish part of Iraq went in the early years of the Iraq war, when us troops were still fighting in Iraq. and they went there because of the lack of violence in that area. the rest of Iraq was being destroyed by the war, but Kurdistan was pretty much untouched. and, btw, its not "THEIR" country, its all Iraqis' country. the Shiites, themselves, even say that. moqtada al sadr has even said multiple times, even in regards to assyrians.
 
john11121 said:
btw, its not "THEIR" country, its all Iraqis' country. the Shiites, themselves, even say that. moqtada al sadr has even said multiple times, even in regards to assyrians.
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This.
 
john11121 said:
the kurds are cowards that fled from mosul in 2014. it has been the NON Kurdish Iraqis (Shiites) that have been retaking that country from isis, with virtually no help from the kurds. the kurds have been given billions of dollars worth of us military equipment and billions of dollars of economic aid by the us, per year, and they still fled from isis without even resisting.... that's not what I would call powerful.
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Kurds fled from North of Mosul province mainly from Senjar and Nineveh Plain, what about Mosul city and other provinces ( Saladin, Diyala, Anbar, around Kerkuk , around Baghdad etc.. and who gave 2300 Humvee to ISIS?. no matter what, I blame all that to Al maliki, because he was the head at that time.

Iraqi shiities liberated many more cities than  Kurds, because kurds did not lost many places to ISIS to begin with.

The kurds left minorities behind probably to get more support from Western countries which was very evil by them.
 
john11121 said:
most of the assyrians that moved to the Kurdish part of Iraq went in the early years of the Iraq war, when us troops were still fighting in Iraq. and they went there because of the lack of violence in that area. the rest of Iraq was being destroyed by the war, but Kurdistan was pretty much untouched. and, btw, its not "THEIR" country, its all Iraqis' country. the Shiites, themselves, even say that. moqtada al sadr has even said multiple times, even in regards to assyrians.
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The main point is, it's still THEIR country. And they will defend it, like any reasonable countrymen would. The Kurds or Assyrians being Iraqi or not is besides the point.
 
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