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Israel arrests 10 East Jerusalemites suspected of leading Temple Mount clashes
Today's Headlines
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Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 3: Non-WoT
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
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Africa Subsaharan
Boko Haram Kills Nine Villagers in NE Nigeria
[AnNahar] Nine people were killed and nine others injured when Boko Haram
... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
fighters raided two villages in northeast Nigeria
... a particularly crimson stretch of Islam's bloody border...
, the civilian militia said on Thursday.

Jihadists in pickup trucks attacked Kalari Abdiye and nearby Amarwa, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Borno state capital Maiduguri, on Wednesday evening.

"The button men, who were obviously Boko Haram fighters, killed nine people and injured nine more in the attacks," Ibrahim Liman, from the Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF) told AFP.

"They attacked the villages around 8:30 pm (1930 GMT) when it was raining and people were indoors."

Frightened residents rushed out of their homes but when they did so they were shot "indicriminately", said another CJTF leader, Babakura Kolo.

"The two villages were completely burnt by the attackers," he added, giving a similar toll.

Both villages are in Konduga, a district of Borno state that has suffered repeated attacks in a nine-year insurgency which has left more than 27,000 dead.

Last December six people were killed in a suicide kaboom on a crowded market in Amarwa, while 10 people bit the dust in April when twojacket wallah'> exploding trollop female suicide bomber
s attacked the village.

It was not clear which of the two Boko Haram factions was behind the attacks and there was no claim of responsibility.

Fighters loyal to the group's long-time leader, Abubakar Shekau
... the lunatic leader of Boko Haram who has been reported dead at least eleven times, pledged his body and soul to ISIS, told his fighters to hang it up once or twice, and been fired by the Caliph and refused to step down ...
, have indiscriminately targeted civilians, particularly using suicide bombers and hit-and-run raids.

A separate faction backed by the Islamic state group and known as ISWAP (Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
West Africa Province) has focused more on attacking military and government targets.

But more radical elements are said to have taken over the ISWAP leadership, prompting fears of an upsurge in violence against the local population.

On Monday, ISWAP killed a Red Thingy health worker who had been kidnapped with two of her colleagues in a raid six months earlier, stoking fears for the other hostages being held.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 05:24 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Boko Haram (ISIS)


The Grand Turk
Istanbul court jails executives of shuttered TV channel
[DAWN] An Istanbul court on Wednesday tossed in the slammer
Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up!
three former executives of a closed down leftist television channel for spreading "terror propaganda", reports said.

The court convicted Hayatin Sesi TV’s former co-owners Mustafa Kara and Ismail Gokhan Bayram and editor-in chief Gokhan Cetin of disseminating propoganda both for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and IS holy warriors.

All three were handed jail terms of three years and nine months.

Hayatin Sesi TV, a leftist channel which had been strongly critical of President Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey...
and closely covered the summer 2013 protests against his rule.

It was shut down by emergency decree in the wake of 2016 failed coup.

Media rights groups Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI) confirmed the three-year nine-month sentences handed down by the court to each of the men.

Prosecutors had asked that they serve at least 13 years in jail. Supporters had described the charges as absurd.

They were convicted of disseminating propaganda for IS, the PKK and another radical Kurdish group the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) in their reporting.

The three can remain at liberty pending appeal, the The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund....
representative of RSF Erol Onderoglu told AFP, slamming the jail sentences as "harsh and disproportionate".

Press rights groups accuse Erdogan of squeezing freedom of expression in Turkey, especially after the failed coup.

Posted by: Fred || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Sublime Porte


Iraq
Blast reported in front of Dawa office in Kirkuk: security source
More on this report from yesterday.
[Rudaw] An kaboom has rocked Kirkuk’s Tas’een quarter Wednesday night.

"A terrorist attack occurred in Kirkuk province via an abandoned explosive-laden vehicle that moderately injured three people," Yahya Rasul Abdullah, spokesperson for Iraq's Joint Operations Command, confirmed in a statement.

The injured people have been taken to hospital, he added.

The boom-mobile blew up in front of an office of the Dawa party, Idris Rafaat, head of Kirkuk Asayesh, told Rudaw TV.

Rafaat is based in the Kurdistan Region. He left Kirkuk when the city was taken over by Iraqi federal forces last autumn.

Dawa is the party of rivals Nouri al-Maliki and Haider al-Abadi.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Anbar antics: ISIS claims to have foiled US military landing near Syrian border
[AlMasdar] The so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) published a statement on Thursday that claimed their forces foiled a U.S. military landing near the Syrian border.

According to the statement released by ISIS, their terrorist forces allegedly killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded four others.

The terrorist group also claimed that the landing area was under their observation before they carried out their deadly ambush in western Iraq’s Al-Anbar Governorate.

The U.S. military has yet to corroborate these claims by the terrorist group.

ISIS often hyperbolizes their claims in an effort to hide their own losses in their ranks and on the ground.

While the Islamic State has been nearly defeated in both Syria and Iraq, they still have several sleeper cells that are wrecking havoc inside both countries.

Most recently, the Iraqi Army launched a large-scale operation in the Mosul District of the Nineveh Governorate’s provincial capital in order to clear these Islamic State sleeper cells.

The Iraqi Army operation has been relatively successful thus far, as they have managed to kill scores of Islamic State terrorists and cleared several hideouts.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
IDF chief: Abbas’s declining health, influence will spark Palestinian violence — report
[IsraelTimes] IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot reportedly warned ministers this earlier week that an outbreak of violence among Paleostinians in the West Bank is highly likely due to PA President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas
... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial...
’ waning influence and declining health.

During Sunday’s high-level security cabinet meeting, Eisenkot said a flare-up of attacks in the West Bank would require more troops than an escalation of hostilities in the Gazoo Strip, highlighting the severity of the threat, according to a Hadashot news reports.

He estimated there was a "60-80 percent" chance of such a scenario unfolding, according to the report.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 02:08 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Palestinian Authority

#1  ...In fairness, people breathing will spark Palestinian violence....

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 09/21/2018 4:50 Comments || Top||

#2  In fairness, they don't need a spark.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 09/21/2018 4:52 Comments || Top||

#3  "declining health?" is this a warning that Mossad will finally do something about that putz
Posted by: Shailet de Medici6224 || 09/21/2018 7:51 Comments || Top||

#4  Nah, his problem is the AIDS drugs are losing their effectiveness.
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 09/21/2018 8:07 Comments || Top||

#5  He'll never stand for re-election.

Oh...wait. He never has before
Posted by: Frank G || 09/21/2018 9:01 Comments || Top||

#6  declining health?

There has been a doctor within shouting distance for at least the last year or so as I undrestand it, Shailet de Medici6224, with several sudden and extended hospitalizations later attributed to a bad cold or some such.

Cute, Frank G. I still want to know what happened to Yasser Arafat’s red binder
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 10:59 Comments || Top||

#7  In Antifragile, Taleb wrote something along the lines of "If you want to accelerate someone’s death, give him a personal doctor."
Posted by: james || 09/21/2018 11:22 Comments || Top||

#8  I suspect the violence will be a result of competing parties looking for influence and power. I'd like to see some analysis about who(m) will be taking control of the PA? What will Hamas do? Will the IDF take the opportunity to cull off some of the leadership? What are the Americans doing behind the scenes?
Posted by: jvalentour || 09/21/2018 11:50 Comments || Top||

#9  Let the shitshow begin, then.
Posted by: Raj || 09/21/2018 12:29 Comments || Top||

#10  "Dread Red Binder", TW
Posted by: Frank G || 09/21/2018 14:11 Comments || Top||

#11  I'd like to see some analysis about who(m) will be taking control of the PA?

It will be a fight between the radical Jew-haters and the even more radical Jew-haters.

What will Hamas do?

Blame Israel and try to kill Jews.
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 09/21/2018 18:46 Comments || Top||


Israel says it’s reinforcing its nuclear sites because of Iranian threats
[IsraelTimes] In rare remark, Israeli atomic energy chief tells international conference that Jewish state is upgrading its facilities to ’withstand any attack’.

The head of the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission, Ze’ev Snir, made the remarks at the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency forum in Vienna on Tuesday.

The Israeli Atomic Energy Commission director-general also requested the IAEA remove its permanent agenda item relating to the Jewish state’s alleged nuclear weapons capabilities.

"The agenda item entitled, ’Israeli Nuclear Capabilities,’ placed on the agenda each year, is politically driven, and contradicts the IAEA spirit and mandate," Snir said.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 02:08 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Israel arrests 10 East Jerusalemites suspected of leading Temple Mount clashes
[IsraelTimes] Group that sparked fight at holy site between police, worshipers in July was led by a Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,-linked ex-con whose father committed a deadly shooting attack in 2016, Shin Bet says

Israeli security forces tossed in the calaboose
Please don't kill me!
10 East Jerusalem men in recent weeks who were suspected of leading festivities with police on the Temple Mount earlier this summer, the Shin Bet security service said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 02:08 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Hamas


IDF aircraft fires at Gazans launching arson balloons at Israel
[IsraelTimes] Strike comes after at least nine blazes sparked Thursday by airborne devices

An Israeli aircraft shot up a group of Paleostinians launching incendiary balloons at Israel from the northern Gazoo Strip, the army said on Thursday night.

There were no immediate reports of injuries from the Arclight airstrike.

The strike came amid a marked uptick in suspected attacks from Gazooks launching incendiary balloons into Israel.

"Moments ago, a terrorist squad launched arson balloons from Gazoo into Israel. In response, We fired towards the squad," the army said in a tweet.

On Thursday, firefighters in southern Israel worked to extinguish at least nine blazes sparked by incendiary balloons flown over the border from the Gazoo Strip, the Israeli Fire and Rescue Services said.

A front man said the fires broke out near several Israeli communities adjacent to the Gazoo border, including Kibbutz Be’eri.

On Wednesday, the fire service said there were four blazes started by suspected incendiary balloons near Kibbutz Be’eri over the Yom Kippur holiday.

The use of fire balloons had been halted for several weeks, after several months of multiple daily attacks that left thousands of acres in southern Israel scorched and sparked fears of children being injured by bombs placed on balloons or kites and launched over the border.

The return of the fire balloons come as tensions along the Gazoo-Israel frontier have ramped back up after a brief lull, with the Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, terror group leading weekly marches on the fence. The last several days have also seen smaller nightly protests along the border.

Some 200 Gazooks were protesting near the fence in southern Gazoo on Thursday night, according to the Hamas-linked Shehab news outlet.

Israel has accused the Hamas terror group of encouraging the protests and using them as cover to attempt to carry out terror attacks, including firing at troops and attempting to breach the border fence.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 02:06 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Hamas


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Afrin: Kurds target Turkish proxies with deadly results, locals march against barbaric Ottoman invaders


YPG carries out deadly attack against Turkish-backed rebels in Afrin (video)

[AlMasdar] (9:30 A.M.) – The Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) carried out a deadly attack against the Turkish-backed rebels in the Afrin region of northwest Aleppo this week.

According to the official media wing of the YPG, their sleeper cell targeted a group of Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters in the Sherawa District.

On September 18th,YPG targeted a military point of the Ahrar al-Sharqiya mercenary fraction, located between the villages of Kafr Nabu and Berade of Afrin’s Sherawa district.

As a result of this attack, at least two Free Syrian Army fighters were killed and three others were badly wounded.

Thousands demonstrate against Turkish military presence in Afrin (video)

[AlMasdar] (2:45 P.M.) – Thousands of people gathered in Kobani in northern Syria on Wednesday to demonstrate against the Turkish military operation in Kurdish-dominated Afrin.

Protesters marched through the streets carrying the flag of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.

Demonstrator Nabi Ahmed explained that the protest was calling out to the international community, including the UN and human rights groups, for support in defending the Kurdish cause and the people of Afrin.

Another demonstrator, Alyaa Husain, said: “We want Erdogan to know that we will never give up, on the contrary, we will resist to the last drop of blood in our bodies.”

In late January, the Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield forces launched a large-scale offensive to capture the strategic Afrin region of northwest Aleppo.

By early March, the Turkish-backed forces had captured the Afrin region after the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) withdrew to government-held areas.

However, since losing the Afrin region, the YPG’s sleeper cells have been wrecking havoc on the Turkish-backed forces that are currently deployed all over the northwestern countryside of Aleppo.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Sublime Porte


Aleppo: HTS executes 5 suspected ISIS members in west Aleppo
Green on green... or perhaps green on black, given ISIS’ preferences...
[AlMasdar] (1:45 P.M.) ‐ Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
carried out new executions in northern Syria recently after launching a large-scale security operation to capture Syrian government sympathizers and Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) members.

According to the official media wing of HTS, their fighters executed five suspected members of the Islamic State that were captured in the western countryside of the Aleppo Governorate.

Among the suspected Islamic State fighters executed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham recently were two field commanders that operated a sleeper cell in western Aleppo.

These Islamic State members were reportedly captured by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham two weeks ago; they were later found guilty by HTS’ courts before their execution.

As shown in the photos below, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham executed the five Islamic State members in an undisclosed location in western Aleppo:

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has been trying to crackdown on these Islamic State sleeper cells recently after several of their commanders were executed by the aforementioned terrorist group in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

With the recent demilitarized zone agreement in Idlib, it is not clear whether or not this will have any significant affect on the remaining jihadist groups in the province, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra

#1  Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is basically the New Coke of Al Qaeda
Posted by: lord garth || 09/21/2018 16:12 Comments || Top||


Deir Ezzor: US-backed SDF continue to fight ISIS in Euphrates valley at Hajjin and Baghouz Fouqani, 50 turbans surrender

US-backed forces advances through the heart of ISIL’s last Euphrates stronghold (video)

[AlMasdar] (1:30 P.M.) – The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
...the Kurd-dominated anti-ISIS paramilitary in the Syrian portion of Kurdistan. The YPG’s American military advisors encouraged them to ally with and train Arab and Syrian minority auxiliaries under the SDF banner in order to shut down Turkish fussing about their Communist Kurdish enemies arming up and successfully defending themselves from both ISIS and Ottoman conquest attempts. The SDF periodically announces the graduation of yet another auxilliary unit from basic training, and their proud plans to go home and defend their village from hostile attacks. Meanwhile, the Kurds and their American advisors get on with driving ISIS out of the region...
recently scored an imperative advance in the Islamic State’s (ISIS) last pocket in the Euphrates River Valley.

Backed by US and French artillery strikes, the Syrian Democratic Forces managed to crack the Islamic State’s lines near the key town of Hajjin.

According to the official media wing of the SDF, their troops advanced north of Hajjin after a fierce battle with the Islamic State terrorists this week.

The SDF said that their troops dismantled a car bomb and killed more than 15 Islamic State terrorists during this large-scale advance this week.

The Syrian Democratic Forces have repeatedly attempted to capture Hajjin and its surrounding towns; however, the Islamic State has managed to repel all of these advances in the past.

Once the SDF captures Hajjin, the Islamic State will likely collapse in the Euphrates River Valley once and for all.

At least 50 ISIS terrorists surrender to US-backed forces in east Deir Ezzor

[AlMasdar] (3:40 P.M.) – At least 50 Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists reportedly surrendered to the the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern countryside of the Deir Ezzor Governorate in the past 48 hours.

According to local observers, at least 50 Islamic State militants surrendered themselves to the Syrian Democratic Forces after the latter advanced on Hajjin, which is the terrorist group’s Euphrates stronghold.

Over the past 72 hours, the Syrian Democratic Forces have been steadily advancing in the eastern part of the Euphrates River Valley, while eliminating several hideouts and trenches that belonged to the Islamic State terrorists.

If the Syrian Democratic Forces are successful in this military endeavor to capture Hajjin, it will force the remaining Islamic State terrorists to surrender their remaining areas in the Euphrates River Valley.

However, it should be noted that the Islamic State has managed to repel all of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ previous attacks on Hajjin and the key town of Baghouz Al-Fouqani.

It appears the US-backed forces have recently shifted their attention to Hajjin after failing take control of Baghouz Al-Fouqani, which is located at the southern part of the Islamic State’s pocket.

US-backed forces enter strategic town in southeast Deir Ezzor

[AlMasdar] (7:30 P.M.) – The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reportedly entered a strategic town located at the eastern bank of the Euphrates River this evening.

According to a report from an SDF fighter, their troops entered the key town of Baghouz Fouqani this evening after a fierce battle with the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) near the Iraqi border-crossing.

The report stated that the Syrian Democratic Forces are now in control of half of Baghouz Fouqani, as they steadily advance through the well-fortified defenses of the Islamic State terrorist organization.

The SDF report added that the U.S. Air Force’s attack choppers and French artillery units are providing close air and ground support to the advancing troops.

If the Syrian Democratic Forces can seize Baghouz Fouqani from the Islamic State, they will have successfully secured the Iraqi border and nearby town of Baghouz Tahtani.

Furthermore, the Syrian Democratic Forces are rapidly advancing near Hajjin, which is the Islamic State’s main Euphrates stronghold.

Hajjin is believed to be the town where the Islamic State’s commanders are currently headquartered.

They were previously headquartered at Al-Mayadeen following their loss in Raqqa; however, their defeat at this city would ultimately result in their departure to Hajjin.

ISIS launches big counter-attack in southeast Deir Ezzor

[AlMasdar] 2018-09-21(12:45 A.M.) – The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reportedly captured the strategic town of Baghouz Fouqani in southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor this evening.

According to local activists, the Syrian Democratic Forces, in coordination with the French and U.S. armies, managed to score a major breakthrough in southeast Deir Ezzor on Thursday after spending the last 24 hours involved in a fierce battle with the so-called Islamic State (ISIS).

The Syrian Democratic Forces were able to crack the Islamic State’s lines after U.S. attack helicopters repeatedly bombarded the Islamic State terrorists, forcing them to ultimately fall back.

However, the SDF would not have much time to secure the town after its capture, as the Islamic State terrorists launched a large-scale counter-attack in a bid to retake Baghouz Fouqani.

The Islamic State media alleges that their forces have reentered Baghouz Fouqani after killing more than 20 fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The Islamic State often exaggerates the death toll of enemy forces, which is something they have done since their units began losing a lot of ground in Syria and Iraq.

Intense clashes are now ongoing inside of Baghouz Fouqani, as the Islamic State attempts to reclaim the town from the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Idlib: Despite agreement, Syrian army still sent spies behind enemy lines, shelled Al Nusra, built helicopter fields, while Turkey suggests civilians not flee


Despite Idlib agreement, Syrian Army spies continue operations behind enemy lines
To be fair, the agreement is not yet finalized. And anyway, it is between Russia and Turkey without any consultation of Syria that can be seen.
[AlMasdar] (10:15 A.M.) – On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached an agreement in Sochi that would establish a 10-15km demilitarized zone inside the Idlib Governorate.

However, despite the Russian-Turkish agreement in Sochi, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has continued their psychological warfare campaign in an effort to hound the jihadist rebels in the Idlib Governorate and its surroundings.

Most recently, the official media wing of the Tiger Forces released a video showing a Syrian Arab Army spy touring the key town of Saraqib, which is located in the northwestern countryside of the Idlib Governorate and just south of the Aleppo provincial border.

As shown in the video below, the Syrian Army spy is operating freely inside of Saraqib, despite the fact that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
and their allies have attempted to crackdown on government sympathizers.

Syrian Army launches powerful attack across southern Idlib

[AlMasdar] (12:15 P.M.) – Despite the recent Turkish-Russian agreement, the intense shelling between the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their rebel adversaries in the Idlib Governorate has yet to dissipate.

According to a military source in nearby Hama, the Syrian Arab Army launched a powerful attack across the southern Idlib axis, targeting several trenches that were dug up by the jihadist rebels of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and their allies.

The military source said the Syrian Arab Army concentrated most of their artillery shells and missiles on the jihadist trenches that were dug between the towns of Khan Sheikhoun and Khuwayn in southern Idlib.

A Syrian Arab Army source in Damascus told Al-Masdar News on Wednesday that the military has yet to pull back their troops from the Idlib-Hama axis, adding that they have not yet received information regarding the location of the demilitarized zone.

With Russian and Turkish soldiers preparing to deploy to this newly agreed upon buffer-zone, it appears that if the Syrian Arab Army does in fact launch an offensive in Idlib, it will likely be concentrated on the strategic district of Jisr Al-Shughour in the southwestern part of the province.

Jisr Al-Shughour has long been a jihadist stronghold and it hosts two of the largest groups: Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and the Turkestan Islamic Party.

Both of the aforementioned jihadist groups have a large number of foreign combatants that have proven incredibly important in the previous rebel offensives in the Idlib Governorate.

Syrian Army reportedly building new helicopter fields near southwest Idlib

[AlMasdar] (2:00 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is building new helicopter fields near the provincial border of the Idlib Governorate, a military source told Al-Masdar News this afternoon.

According to the military source, the Syrian Arab Army is building the helicopters fields inside the town of Jubb Ramleh, which is located near the Al-Ghaab Plain of southwest Idlib and Jabal Al-Akrad region of northeast Latakia.

The military source said that these helicopter fields will be used for the Syrian Arab Army’s upcoming operations that are expected to take place in northeast Latakia and southwest Idlib.

While the locations of the demilitarized zones in Idlib have yet to be announced, the Syrian Arab Army expects that they will not include areas controlled by jihadist groups like Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and the Turkestan Islamic Party.

Both the Syrian Arab Army and Russian military have made the key city of Jisr Al-Shughour a top priority because of the large presence of jihadist groups.

Jisr Al-Shughour is strategically located near the Hatay Province and the Idlib-Latakia Highway, which is another reason why the Syrian Arab Army wants this area cleared.

For the Russian military, the constant jihadist drone attacks on the Hmeimim Airbase from Jisr Al-Shughour has prompted them to threaten a large-scale operation to clear this area.

Civilians will remain in Syria’s Idlib: Turkish FM
2018-09-20

[AlMasdar] (5:20 P.M.) – The residents and displaced civilians inside the Idlib Governorate will remain, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.

“The borders of Idlib will be protected under the memorandum of understanding signed in Sochi. There would be no change in the status of Idlib,” Cavusoglu said at a news conference, as quoted by the state-owned Anadolu News Agency.

The Turkish Foreign Minister added that the newly agreed upon demilitarized zone in the Idlib Governorate will provide a safe haven for these civilians.

Cavusoglu’s comments came just one day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Sochi to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in order to discuss the fate of the Idlib Governorate.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra


Jihadists attack Syrian Army in northern Latakia following Idlib agreement
[AlMasdar] Jihadi groups attacked Syrian Army positions in northern latakia countryside with armed drones a few days after the Russia-The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire....
Idlib agreement.

The attack, however, was foiled as the government forces shot down the armed drone before unloading its explosives on Army positions near Salma.

The Syrian Army responded with heavy artillery and rocket shelling which targeted jihadi positions in Jisr al-Shughur where the drone is believed to have been launched.

The failed attack comes a few days after Russia and Turkey concluded a deal on a de-militarized zone along the frontlines in Idlib, Hama and latakia provinces.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Quneitra: Syrian army captures abandoned field hospital, Russia enforces peace in Heights


Syrian army uncovers field hospital in former jihadi stronghold near Golan Heights

[AlMasdar] (7:55 A.M.) – A well-equipped field hospital has been exposed in a town formerly held by jihadi militants near the occupied Golan Heights.

The deployable clinic, found in Bariqah town in South Qunitrah countryside, is fitted with Israeli and French-made devices, supplies and medications.

Jihadi groups who had controlled the area for years left to the country’s north following an evacuation deal with the Syrian government a few months ago.

The Syrian authorities are carrying out a full-scale mop-up operation in order to entirely secure the area before civilians can safely return to their houses and farms.

Russian military maintains peace along border of occupied Golan Heights
Those of a fashionable turn of mind will enjoy the photo at the link of the Russian military police all nicely lined up in their spiffy camouflage uniforms and even spiffier red berets.
[AlMasdar] (2:30 P.M.) – The Russian military police that are currently deployed along the demilitarized zone of the occupied Golan Heights region have managed to maintain the peace between the Syrians and Israelis on the both sides of the border, the Russian Reconciliation Center reported on Thursday.

According to the Deputy Commander of the Russian Forces in Syria, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, stated that construction crews are currently working to repair several areas in the Al-Quneitra Governorate, while also providing aid to the people in the area.

“Throughout this area, we delivered humanitarian supplies to the population that had suffered during the combat operations. We’re monitoring the observance of the agreement in accordance with the UN [Security Council] resolution to restrict weapons near the Bravo Line on Syria’s side. Thus, we’re supporting the UN body that is keeping a close watch on the reconciliation,” he told journalists, as quoted by the Tass News Agency.

Lt. Gen. Kuralenko said that the Russian military is also working with the U.N. Peacekeeping Forces that are currently present in the region.

“We are confident that the UN patrols will follow in the footsteps of the Russian military police, after performing certain procedures. There have been no UN forces in this neck of the woods for more than six years, and today people see only Russian and Syrian flags here,” Kuralenko said.

“I’m confident that our actions will ensure the completion of the tasks by UN forces in the central part of the demilitarized zone, as well as along its southern border. It can be said that, by accomplishing (our) mission in the community of Al-Rafid, as well as in the communities of Adra, Maariah, we paved the way for the UN forces,” he continued.

“The actions of the Russian military police and Russian officers have provided stability to the demilitarized zone and (the vicinity) around it, which enabled UN forces to begin their procedures to extend or restore its patrolling zone in order to implement the UN [Security Council] Resolution of 1974,” he added.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/21/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria



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