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Syrian jets bombard plain after rebel attack: Monitor
[AlAhram] The Syrian air force bombarded a plain in the northwest of the country overnight, a group monitoring the war said, after forces of Evil launched an offensive to advance deeper into government-held areas vital to  Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... . The forces of Evil are seeking to drive into the Sahl al-Ghab plain, an area crucial to the defence of the western coastal mountains that are part of the heartland of Assad's Alawite sect as well as lying close to Hama city to the southeast. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the conflict using contacts on the ground, said Syrian warplanes had carried out more than 160 air strikes on the plain and in the nearby Idlib countryside to try to disrupt the myrmidons' progress towards key Assad territory. The myrmidons, who have entered at the northern tip of the plain, can use their anti-tank missiles to target Syrian army tank positions, giving them some advantages over flat ground, a diplomat tracking Syria said. Most of Idlib province was captured earlier this year in a major advance by the myrmidon grouping "Army of Conquest" against government forces. On Tuesday, supporters of the "Army of Conquest", which is involved in the Sahl al-Ghab offensive, said fighters had seized a power station in the area and listed a total of 16 locations captured from government forces in the attack. The military has concentrated on defending Syria's west, a tactic Assad alluded to on Sunday when he said the army had been forced to give up some areas in order to hold onto more important ones during the four-year conflict. Insurgents involved in the current offensive under the "Army of Conquest" banner include the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham ...a Syria jihadi group made up of Islamists and salafists, not that there's that much difference, formed into a brigade. They make up the main element of the Islamic Front but they don't profess adoration of al-Qaeda and they've been fighting (mainly for survival) against the Islamic State. Their leadership was wiped out at a single blow by a suicide kaboom at a crowded basement meeting in September, 2014... faction and groups including Chechen and central Asian fighters, according to the Observatory. The coastal mountain range, which acts as a buffer for government-held cities such as Latakia, is west of Sahl al-Ghab. The coastal cities, mountains and the plain itself are all home to Alawite populations. "If the rebels take the plain then they could push all the way down and could cut off Homs and Hama," the diplomat added. Posted by: trailing wife 2015-07-30 |
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