MILITARY SITUATION IN SYRIA ON DECEMBER 30, 2018

South Front (Russian) ^ | 30.12.2018 | South Front (Russian)

[BeauBo]

US forces are reportedly evacuating their military base near al-Hasakah; The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) still press their operation against ISIS in the Hajin pocket.

[BeauBo]

Yesterday (29 Dec) South Front (Russian source) reported ""The US-led coalition has intensified its air and missile strikes on the remaining ISIS positions in the middle Euphrates River Valley" with 100 airstrikes in a 24 hour period. Also, they have been reporting that SDF ground forces have increased their pace of clearing the remaining Hajin pocket over the last week - that ISIS is no longer putting up determined resistance, but increasingly trying to escape in small cells without heavy weapons.

Iranian sources were reporting that a convoy of 200 American trucks carrying military supplies recently entered Syria (after the President's withdrawal announcement), and that a coalition military base is being established near Hajin (likely for SDF).

US Forces Remain in Manbij for now, as do the French. Conflicting reports on whether Assad regime forces are deploying into Manbij, and whether SDF is moving out. South Front separately reported that Turkey is ordering their FSA (jihadi) troops back from the front near Manbij.

[AAABEST]

[BobL]

I’m starting to think that the reason we’re leaving is that we don’t want to be around the neighborhood when the (well-deserved) bloodbath of ISIS takes place.

[PIF]

Small caption reads, "The Syrian Army eliminated 3 ISIS members"; the large caption reads, "According to the SOHR, 1,000 ISIS members have been killed since the start of the final phase of the SDF advance".

[McGruff]

...a convoy of 200 American trucks carrying military supplies recently entered Syria...

I hope they are being protected.

[BeauBo]

The major blood bath for ISIS is long since passed, and we dropped most of the bombs on them for it. Mosul, Fallujah, Raqqa were all much, much bigger than what is left.

Basically, we are coming to the end of ISIS holding territory (with the ability to tax locals) or standing as a military force with heavy weapons. It looks like just a few weeks left, and they will be reduced to small guerrilla cells hiding in territory controlled by other authorities. No further need of airstrikes or artillery support, they will be hunted by local police and security services.

[mrsmith]

Couple of biased, but factual tweeters:
https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq
https://twitter.com/CivilWarMap
So hard to find good media sources!

I believe some officers of the SAA made a ‘ceremonial’ entry into Manbij. The troops are actually in the surrounding countryside. MMC is in charge in the city.

CivilWatrMap reports Turk Jihadis are pulling back from Manbij and likely to attack from Turk border further East. Makes sense. The crux, to me, is what support SDF get from Syria and Russia against Turk attacks in the East. Strong incentive for Assad to let the Turks and Kurds kill each other off in ‘Rojava’.

[BeauBo]

“I hope they are being protected.”

Probably just stocking them up with mountains of devices to steadily kill Russians, like Afghanistan all over again. That just never gets old.

[BeauBo]

Looks like there will be time for a battle handover for anyone who will to step up in Manbij, and that the ISIS pocket will be mopped up first in the South East (not Hajin anymore, maybe we could call it the al Bukamal pocket for a few weeks).

[BobL]

Nice, but I know lots of them were allowed to leave areas as they were overtaken by Syria/Russians...but when there’s no territory left - they have no place to go. Hence my bloodbath comment.

[familyop]

;-D

Lindsey Graham says Trump is 'slowing down' Syria withdrawal
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3716271/posts

Graham says 'I feel pretty good' about Syria after lunch with Trump
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3716272/posts

[familyop]

"Probably just stocking them up with mountains of devices to steadily kill Russians, like Afghanistan all over again. That just never gets old."

Never. It's a quagmire, you know.

The Soviet War in Afghanistan, 1979 - 1989

[familyop]

Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_withdrawal_from_Afghanistan

[Widget Jr]

That map brings up a point that most of the news is avoiding. ISIS is all but gone.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[Pikachu_Dad]

And Syria should now be able to fill the void.