Article

2017-05-15 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Huge explosion rocks rebel base in northern Syria

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Posted by Fred 2017-05-15 00:00|| || Front Page|| [12 views ] Top
File under: Islamic State

#1 What kind of rebels?

My first thought was Turks shooting at Kurds, but these could be Russian/Syrian targets or US targets.

I don't know that ISIS has ground to ground missles.

Posted by AlanC 2017-05-15 06:26|| 2017-05-15 06:26|| Front Page Top

#2 Whuh? Who's got a program?

Posted by Richard Aubrey 2017-05-15 06:31|| 2017-05-15 06:31|| Front Page Top

#3 Generally speaking, altohough that may not apply in the Middle East, ammo dumps are protected by...stuff. Concrete. Sandbags. Big holes with overhead cover.
IOW, it's not a target for an area weapon. It has to be very accurate and that means you need to know the position to the nearest, say, ten meters.
Additionally, military explosives or propellantes are designed not to go off willy nilly. So you have to put a high explosive--detonator prefearbly--on it. Or a gib ol' bomb close by.

Posted by Richard Aubrey 2017-05-15 09:07|| 2017-05-15 09:07|| Front Page Top

#4 east of Raqqa and north of the Euphrates

I think it is in Kurdish controlled territory

Posted by lord garth 2017-05-15 10:21|| 2017-05-15 10:21|| Front Page Top

#5 A quick google of "Liwa al-Fateh" suggests that it first became Liwa al Tawhid and then Jabhat al Shamiya, which is one of the US-supported power brokers in Aleppo among the 50+ rebel groups operating there, according to an Institute for the Study of War backgrounder dated February, 2016. Perhaps someone with a mind better suited to such complexities could do further research, as I do not stand behind any of this beyond averring that I found it on the internet.

Al Jabhat al Shamiya (U.S. Supported)

Al Jabhat al Shamiya is the newest incarnation of one of Aleppo’s oldest Free Syrian Army A liates, Liwa al Tawhid.27 Al Jabhat al Shamiya likely maintains the Liwa al Tawhid’s connections to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, although the formation of Al Jabhat al Shamiya reportedly followed months of negotiations between Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, which may have included a new funding agreement for the group.28 The group’s in uence appears to be growing in 2016. The group publically declared its merger with prominent U.S.-backed, TOW anti-tank missile recipient Thuwar al Sham Brigades on January 27, 2016.29 The merger appears to have transferred the TOW missiles, as Al Jabhat al Shamiya demonstrated its rst use of the weapon on January 26, 2016.30 Al Jabhat al Shamiya controls the Babal Salameh border crossing with Turkey north of Aleppo City, which feeds the GLOC pro-regime forces severed on February 4, 2016.31 The group is therefore now likely split between the Northern Aleppo countryside, where it retains access to the border, and the city, where it is at risk of siege.

Al Jabhat al Shamiya is a major anti-ISIS opposition group, and increased its anti-ISIS messaging in late 2015. It released a mock execution video styled after ISIS propaganda on December 9, 2015, in which ghters staged an execution of ISIS ghters and walked away from the detainees, asserting “Muslims are not criminals” and demanding that ISIS repent for its violent actions.32

Al Jabhat al Shamiya is also a major political and religious actor in the province. The group maintains specialized units for activities behind the front line, including a Security Commission, which is responsible for internal security measures on behalf of the Shari’a Court of Aleppo and its Countryside. Its activities include policing, managing checkpoints,33 and conducting arrests and executions.34 The Security Commission also claims to provide services such as maintaining electricity and water infrastructure in Aleppo, although this appears to function at a more localized level;35 Jabhat al Nusra maintains control over the main water and power plants in Aleppo city.36 Al Jabhat al Shamiya also manages several “monitoring centers” in Aleppo Province to assist other opposition factions with surveillance and command and control.37

Posted by trailing wife 2017-05-15 11:06|| 2017-05-15 11:06|| Front Page Top

#6 If you found it on the internet you know it must be true.

Posted by Skidmark 2017-05-15 14:51|| 2017-05-15 14:51|| Front Page Top

#7 Personally, I save a lot of time by assuming all "America's allies" in Dar are the opposite.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-05-15 14:59|| 2017-05-15 14:59|| Front Page Top

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