RSS: region:central syria

region:central syria

  • @nidal
    Nidal CC BY
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    @simplicissimus
    @unagi
    2

    Selon Elijah J. Magnier, l’escalade entre Israël et la Syrie est terminée pour aujourd’hui. Selon lui, Israël opte pour la dé-escalade et a demandé une médiation russe pour calmer la situation.
    ▻https://twitter.com/ejmalrai/status/962311125193850880

    This is the end of it guys: #Israel decided to stand down and de-escalate. #Russia received & Israeli request to mediate to stop the escalation. Israel has lost the first battle against #Damascus when Syria was ready, after eliminating ISIS in central Syria

    Moon of Alambama (qui se base beaucoup sur les rapports d’Elijah Magnier) écrivait en gros la même, notant en particulier l’absence de déclaration américaine : Is War With Israel Imminent (Updated) ?
    ▻http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/02/syria-is-war-with-israel-imminent.html

    The parties are now deescalating. In the last round Israel claimed to have hit several Syrian air-defense positions and “Hizbullah depots” while Syria claimed to have shot down more incoming missiles. Israel signaled that it is not interested in further escalation and Russia called for both sides to calm down. There has been no statement from Washington.

    If this outcome persists we can state that there are now new “rules of engagement” and new “red lines”. Further Israeli attacks on Syria will be responded to by effective means. The Russian officers who are co-located with the Syrian air defense will not intervene to Israel’s advantage. That fact is in itself a message from Moscow to Israel to stop its open and its clandestine provocations.

    Nidal CC BY
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  • @souriyam
    Souriyâm
    4
    @unagi
    @loutre
    @colporteur
    @reka
    4

    A lire cet article sur le site du WINEP, ce genre de think tank où quand dans une phrase pour évoquer le gouvernement israélien on utilise la métonymie « Jérusalem » plutôt que « Tel Aviv ». Reste que l’article évoque la question épineuse de la coordination russo-israélienne en Syrie et l’ambiguïté de l’accord dont la forme (tacite ou plus formalisé) ou le contenu ne sont pas encore bien connus. Pour l’instant la Russie tolère des opérations israéliennes en Syrie et Israël n’a pas réagi au viol de son espace aérien par la chasse russe, la confrontation n’étant dans l’intérêt d’aucun des deux mais cela pourrait changer sous la pression des évènements, s’alarme l’auteur qui imagine des scénarios pouvant amener à des incidents dangereux :
    Israeli-Russian Coordination in Syria : So Far So Good ?
    ▻http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/israeli-russian-coordination-in-syria-so-far-so-good
    Extrait :

    In the longer term, two main trends will challenge Israeli-Russian coordination. The first is Iran and Hezbollah’s objective to expand their presence in the Golan Heights. In mid-October, Hezbollah and Syrian forces pushed back rebels in Quneitra and regained control over a number of important military posts. Since then, the Assad regime and its partners have intensified their operations in the south, taking more ground with the help of Russian airstrikes. Although the scope of these airstrikes is still small compared to operations in northern and central Syria, any expansion of Hezbollah and Iranian proxies in Quneitra or western Deraa province would be considered a threat to Israel. And if Russia facilitates such advancement with its airpower, Jerusalem’s ability to react will be more limited (see Policy Watch 2514, “Russia in Southern Syria: Israeli and Jordanian Concerns”).

    Another trend often belittled by Israeli policymakers is Russia’s deepening relations with Hezbollah and Iran. The intervention’s unremarkable results thus far have shown Moscow that the air campaign has its limits without a capable ground force. In that regard, Hezbollah and Iranian forces have proven to be instrumental on some fronts, with both reportedly helping to recover one of the downed pilots after the Su-24 shootdown. Such operations will bring the Russian coalition members closer together, and as the fighting continues, Moscow might discover that its relations with Hezbollah and Iran outweigh its silent agreement to allow Israeli airstrikes against them. In that scenario, Israeli pilots would quite suddenly find themselves under threat from sophisticated Russian air defenses.

    Souriyâm
    • @souriyam
      Souriyâm

      Les frappes israéliennes récentes (depuis l’implication militaire directe des Russes) en Syrie contre le Hezbollah et l’armée syrienne sont par ailleurs considérées comme établies par l’auteur :

      Last month saw numerous reports about Israeli airstrikes in Syria targeting Hezbollah arms transfers to Lebanon. These included an alleged October 30 attack on a ballistic missile facility near al-Qutayfah run by the Syrian army’s 155th Brigade (the so-called “Scud brigade”), as well as a November 11 strike against a target close to Damascus International Airport. Similarly, opposition and pro-regime sources reported Israeli strikes on the night of November 23 that killed eight Hezbollah fighters and five Syrian soldiers in the Qalamoun area.

      Although Syrian media reports of Israeli strikes should generally be taken with a grain of salt, several factors indicate that they could be accurate in this case. In addition to the exceptionally large number of such reports in recent weeks, other sources have noted a recent increase in arms shipments from Iran to Hezbollah. Moreover, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has confirmed twice in the past month that Israel is operating across the border. On December 1 he stated, “We operate in Syria from time to time to prevent it turning into another front against us. We act, of course, to prevent the transfer of deadly weaponry from Syria to Lebanon.”

      Souriyâm
    • @souriyam
      Souriyâm

      La conclusion est une série de recommandations aux autorités israéliennes qui consistent à tenter de maintenir et d’accentuer la coopération avec la Russie tout en balançant cela par une communication militaire plus intense avec les USA si jamais des tensions avec la Russie risquaient de limiter la liberté de manœuvre militaire israélienne en Syrie :

      Planning for the long term, Israel should maintain close contact with its American partner on these issues. If Moscow eventually decides to stop looking the other way when Israel operates in Syria, Jerusalem may face some tough choices. Accordingly, it is crucial to keep updating Washington in case of any change in relations with Russia, since Israel would need the United States to convey to Moscow the same redlines that Israel has laid out — namely, preventing Iran and Hezbollah from opening a new front in the Golan, and preventing the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah. U.S. support on these issues might convince the Russians to keep tolerating Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

      Finally, it is worth noting that Israel’s communication with the Kremlin since the intervention began is only a tactical coordination, not a strategic realignment. Although Russia seems to be respecting Israel’s redlines in Syria, this is not because Moscow sees Jerusalem as an indispensable ally, but rather because Israel’s actions in Syria have not interfered with Moscow’s plans as of yet. Many Israeli officials no doubt hope that the situation will remain as it is, but they also realize that Russia and Israel are not equal partners. The minute that Israel’s actions interfere with Russian interests, its relative freedom of operation will diminish significantly.

      Souriyâm
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  • @kassem
    Kassem CC BY-NC-SA

    Live du « The Telegraph » sur les bombardements russes en Syrie,
    ▻http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11903702/Russias-Vladimir-Putin-launches-strikes-in-Syria-on-Isil-to-US-anger-li

    Are the non-Isil groups being bombed terrorists?

    The groups they are bombing a spectrum of opposition groups from an alliance called Jaish al-Fatah - Army of Conquest - to brigades of “moderate” rebels backed and even, according to one account, trained by the US.
    Jaish al-Fatah made up of hardline groups that include Jabhat al-Nusra, which is aligned to #al-Qaeda, so they are formally designated by the West and the United Nations as terrorists.

    Good ! Hit ALL jihadi groups ! Create a coordination center !
    ▻http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2015/09/httpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewseuroperussia11900853putin-requ

    “So, who else could Russian jets be targeting? Ruth Sherlock writes:

    Russia may have targeted Jaysh al-Fatah as they are the rebel group that poses the greatest threat to Latakia, the regime’s heartland and location of the Russian controlled port of Tartous.

    Some background on who this group are: Jaysh al-Fateh - the Army of Conquest - is a broad alliance of hardline Islamist groups, which includes both Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham.

    In March this group captured Idlib, making it the second provincial capital to fall to the opposition since the start of the war.

    Since then they have been effective in fighting the regime in Idlib and it looks like they may be able to push on government strongholds in central Syria and Latakia.

    One interesting note - the Russians appear to have been watching this group for a long time: A year ago much of the Ahrar al-Sham leadership was wiped out by an explosion that took place where all the commanders had gathered.” Telegraph

    Kassem CC BY-NC-SA
    • @kassem
      Kassem CC BY-NC-SA

      Pour vérification plus tard,

      The Telegraph :

      Iran was on Thursday night moving up its ground forces in Syria in preparation for an attack to reclaim rebel-held territory under the cover of Russian air strikes, according to sources close to Damascus.

      Hizbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia which has come to the Assad regime’s rescue in battle-fronts across the country in the past two years, is being prepared to capitalise on the strikes, a Syrian figure close to the regime told The Telegraph

      Sources in Lebanon told Reuters that Iran, which is the main sponsor and tactical adviser to Hizbollah, was sending in hundreds of its own troops to reinforce them.

      Iran made no comment on the claims but Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, said the move would be an “apt and powerful illustration” that Russia’s military actions had worsened the conflict.

      A Hizbollah-backed advance would fit the pattern of Russian air-strikes, which have predominantly targeted those rebels not aligned to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant who currently present the gravest threat on the ground to core regime territory.

      The long-term aim would be to defeat or demoralise the non-Isil opposition, so that Isil became the regime’s only enemy. That would force the West to back President Bashar al-Assad against it.

      “They want to clean the country of non-Isil rebels, and then the US will work with them as Isil will be the only enemy," the Damascus source said.

      In the first instance, an attack in north-western Homs province, the apparent chosen battle-front, would help distract the rebel alliance from attacking Latakia, the stronghold of the Alawite minority from which much of the regime is drawn.

      Kassem CC BY-NC-SA
    • @loutre
      Loutre

      Syrie : les Russes ont frappé des rebelles formés par la CIA
      AFP
      Jeudi, 1 octobre 2015

      Les bombardements russes en Syrie de mercredi ont visé des rebelles entraînés et financés par la CIA notamment pour combattre le groupe État islamique, a affirmé l’influent sénateur américain John McCain.

      « Je peux absolument confirmer que ces frappes visaient l’Armée syrienne libre ou des groupes qui ont été armés et entraînés par la CIA », a affirmé jeudi matin M. McCain sur la chaîne de télévision CNN.
      (...)
      Poutine s’attend à une guerre de l’information

      Vladimir Poutine a dit être prêt à la « guerre de l’information » après les accusations de meurtre de civils formulées par l’opposition syrienne en exil contre l’aviation russe, qui a entamé la veille ses premières frappes en Syrie.

      « En ce qui concerne les informations de presse à propos de victimes au sein de la population civile, nous sommes prêts à cette guerre de l’information », a déclaré M. Poutine, affirmant que ces accusations ont été formulées avant même que les avions russes ne décollent dans le ciel syrien.

      Loutre
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  • @cdb_77
    CDB_77
    3
    @simplicissimus
    @02myseenthis01
    @reka
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    @reka @fil

    The Hills of Raqqa – Geolocating the #James_Foley Video

    Earlier this week the Guardian reported on claims made by hostages held by the Islamic State, identifying the speaker in the James Foley video as being an Islamic State member based in Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold in north-central Syria. Based on that claim, and information in the James Foley video it’s possible to narrow down the location the video was filmed at.

    https://wp4553-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Raised-2.jpg

    ▻https://bellingcat.com/resources/case-studies/2014/08/23/the-hills-of-raqqa-geolocating-the-james-foley-video
    #géolocalisation
    cc @reka @fil

    CDB_77
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  • @al-akhbar
    Al-Akhbar English [RSS] CC BY-NC-ND

    Assad to be sworn in for seven-year term
    ▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/assad-be-sworn-seven-year-term

    President #Bashar_al-Assad will be sworn in and set out his plans for a new seven-year term on Wednesday, state media reported, after his victory in an election that affirmed his grip on power more than three years into #syria's war. Dismissed as a sham by Assad’s opponents, the vote was held in June in areas of central and northern Syria that remain under state control. Large areas of Syria have fallen to an insurgency dominated by Islamists, including a powerful al-Qaeda offshoot known as the Islamic State that has also seized swathes of Iraq. read more

    #ISIS

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  • @jean_pierre
    Jean-Pierre Séréni
    2
    @orientxxi
    @02myseenthis01
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    ISIS in control of 60 percent of Syrian oil: sources « ASHARQ AL-AWSAT
    ▻http://www.aawsat.net/2014/07/article55334174

    ISIS in control of 60 percent of Syrian oil: sources
    Al-Qaeda-splinter group expanding oil production efforts in Syria

    London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is preparing to seize one of the few remaining major oil production centers in Syria not under its control, according to Syrian opposition officials.

    “ISIS is already in control of more than 60 percent of Syria’s oil, with a total production rate of 180, 0000 barrel per day” and now plans to seize facilities in the northern province of Hassakah, an official from the Ministry of Energy in the interim Syrian opposition government, Yamin Al-Shami, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

    Having seized control of the majority of oil fields in Raqqa province, in central Syria, and Deir Ezzor province, along the Iraqi border, ISIS is preparing to mobilize fighters in a new push towards the town of Rmelan, home to the largest oil fields in Hassakah. Rmealn is under the control of Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG.

    Shami warned that oil production constitutes a significant source of revenue for ISIS, adding that the Islamist militant group is able to sell a barrel of crude oil for around 18 US dollars. Brent crude, a global benchmark, currently sells at around 107 US dollars.

    Oil is transported from ISIS-held areas with the help of local and foreign brokers, Shami said.

    Despite its recent advances in Iraq, ISIS has been unable to take control of oil resources comparable to those it holds in Syria, and its recent attempt to capture the key Baiji refinery was successfully deterred by Iraqi forces. But Iraq’s oil infrastructure is far from secure, and there are frequent reports that huge amounts of crude oil are being smuggled out of the country by militants.

    “Militant groups, along with ISIS, are stealing crude oil from fields near the Hamrin mountains” in northeastern Iraq, a local administrative official, Shallal Abdool, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

    “Kurdish Peshmerga forces that control the area have seized more than 50 tankers loaded with stolen crude oil,” he added.

    When asked about the destination to which oil is being taken, Abdool said: “There are many sides inside and outside Iraq that buy crude oil . . . and there are smugglers and brokers in Iraq who buy it for a cheap price in order to sell it abroad.”

    Valerie Marcel, of London-based Chatham House think tank, said: “Fighters from ISIS can sell oil on the black market to buyers from Turkey, the Kurdistan region and Iran.”

    “ISIS’s use of temporary refineries allows them to sell oil more easily.”

    But, pointing to the fact that oil smuggling has been a problem for decades, others played down worries about ISIS’s oil activities.

    “Oil smuggling operations from these sites exist and have been taking place for a long time before ISIS took over Nineveh province,” the governor of Salah Al-Din province, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Jubouri, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

    Jean-Pierre Séréni
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  • @nidal
    Nidal CC BY

    Evacuation of Syria’s Homs rebel districts begins | Middle East Eye
    ▻http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/evacuation-syrias-homs-rebel-districts-begins

    Some 2,000 rebels and civilians were to begin leaving besieged opposition-held districts of Homs city in central Syria on Wednesday under a deal between fighters and the government.

    Activists on the ground said two buses arrived in Homs early in the morning to begin the first of the evacuations. Injured people who have been trapped in the Old City and surrounding areas for nearly two years under a tight government siege are to be the first to leave.

    Under the deal negotiated with the assistance of Iran’s ambassador to Damascus, the group will be taken to an opposition-held area in the north of Homs province, according to a rebel negotiator.

    Fighters will be allowed to withdraw with light weapons, and one rocket launcher will be permitted on every bus used for the evacuation.

    The deal will be guaranteed by the United Nations and Iran, according to a copy of the text seen by AFP.

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  • @al-akhbar
    Al-Akhbar English [RSS] CC BY-NC-ND

    Twin car bombs kill 18 in central #syria: state TV
    ▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/twin-car-bombs-kill-18-central-syria-state-tv

    Two car bombs in Syria’s central province of #Hama killed 18 people, including 11 children, and wounded 50 others on Friday, state television said. It said the explosions took place in the towns of Jibrin, a few miles northeast of Hama city, and al-Hamairi. Friday’s attack came after a double car bombing claimed by al-Qaeda killed dozens of people on Tuesday in the central city of Homs. (Reuters)

    #Top_News

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  • @al-akhbar
    Al-Akhbar English [RSS] CC BY-NC-ND

    #car_bomb kills four in central #syria
    ▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/car-bomb-kills-four-central-syria

    At least four people were killed and 22 wounded on Thursday in a bomb blast near a security headquarters in Syria’s central #Hama city, state news agency SANA said. “A car bomb blew up near General Establishment for Poultry, Hama Branch, at the southern entrance of the city ... claim[ing] the lives of four citizens and injur[ing] 22 others, in addition to huge material damage,” the statement said. More than 140,000 people are estimated to have been killed since the start of the Syrian conflict in March 2011. (AFP, Al-Akhbar)

    #Top_News

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  • @al-akhbar
    Al-Akhbar English [RSS] CC BY-NC-ND

    #UN set to deliver aid to besieged #Homs
    ▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/un-set-deliver-aid-besieged-homs

    http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/118221-01-08.jpg

    A man sits amidst the debris in a street in the old city of Homs in central #syria on January 31, 2014. (Photo: AFP - Mohamad Abu Hamza)

    The United Nations was waiting Friday for a promised pause in fighting around besieged rebel-held areas of Syria’s third city Homs to deliver desperately needed aid and evacuate civilians who want to leave. Under a surprise deal struck by the UN on Thursday, the Syrian government agreed to a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting around the rebel-held enclave in the city center to allow in food and medicines for the hundreds of civilians who have lived under siege for more than 600 days. read (...)

    #Top_News

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  • @al-akhbar
    Al-Akhbar English [RSS] CC BY-NC-ND

    Massive #car_bomb kills 16 in central #syria
    ▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/massive-car-bomb-kills-16-central-syria

    A massive car bombed killed at least 16 people and injured dozens more in Syria’s central #Hama province on Thursday, state news agency SANA reported. The report said women and children were among those who died in an attack near a school in the town of #al-Kafat, about 19 kilometers southeast of Hama. The area is controlled by government forces. Syrian opposition sources cited by Reuters also reported the attack, putting the death toll at 18. read more

    #Top_News

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  • @al-akhbar
    Al-Akhbar English [RSS] CC BY-NC-ND

    Suicide bomber kills 37 civilians in #syria's #Hama : State news
    ▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/car-bomb-kills-several-hama-syrian-state-tv

    http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/465768-01-08.jpg

    A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on October 20, 2013 shows Syrians on the site of a suicide bombing hit the government-held city of Hama in central Syria. (Photo: AFP / SANA)

    Updated at 6:00 pm: A suicide bomber driving a truck packed with 1.5 tons of explosives killed at least 37 civilians and wounded dozens in the Syrian city of Hama on Sunday, state media reported. The man blew himself up inside the vehicle on a busy road (...)

    #car_bombs #Top_News

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  • @al-akhbar
    Al-Akhbar English [RSS] CC BY-NC-ND

    Assad : Hamas Has Betrayed Us Repeatedly, But…
    ►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/assad-hamas-has-betrayed-us-repeatedly-but%E2%80%A6

    http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/080425-01-09_0.jpg

    SAn image grab taken from a video shows an opposition fighter firing an rocket propelled grenade (RPG) on August 26, 2013 during clashes with regime forces over the strategic area of Khanasser, situated on the only road linking Aleppo to central #syria. (Photo: AFP - Salah al-Ashkar) SAn image grab taken from a video shows an opposition fighter firing an rocket propelled grenade (RPG) on August 26, 2013 during clashes with regime forces over the (...)

    #Mideast_&_North_Africa #Articles #Bashar_al-Assad #Damascus

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