You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Monitor: Al-Nusra Front Killed at Least 56 Troops in Syria Base Seizure
2015-09-11
[AnNahar] Militants led by Al-Nusra Front in Syria killed at least 56 soldiers, some execution-style, when they overran the regime's last base in Idlib province under the cover of a sandstorm, a monitor said Thursday.

Dozens of others were either taken prisoner or went missing when the Al-Nusra Front and a coalition of mostly Islamist groups captured the Abu Duhur military airport on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"There were at least 56 (soldiers) killed yesterday and at least 40 taken prisoner, and dozens more are missing," the Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman told Agence La Belle France Presse.

"Some soldiers were executed," said the head of the Britannia-based group that relies on a network of sources on the ground in Syria for its information.

Al-Nusra Front posted pictures on Twitter of about 15 men it said were Syrian soldiers now "in the hands of the mujahedeen".

Rebels also uploaded images of helicopters and planes abandoned on the tarmac, with holy warriors posing seated on one of the aircraft making V-for-victory signs.

The fate of other missing soldiers remained unclear, said Abdel Rahman, who added that the entire northwestern province of Idlib was under the control of Al-Nusra Front and other rebel groups.

The Lions of Islam had taken advantage of an intense sandstorm that blanketed much of the Middle East on Tuesday evening to seize the airbase, the Observatory said.
Apparently the sandstorm is predicted to last through the weekend, giving scope for more such attacks by the boldest, but most throughout the region will huddle under cover until it passes.
Assad's regime effectively acknowledged the loss, with state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
saying troops had left the base.
Posted by:trailing wife

#1  Where is the new Russian base? Will that be used to run the "anti-terrorist" campaigns of Pencilneck?

This era in the middle east might just be the most f***ed up era anywhere in the world and anywhen in history.

I really can't imagine there ever being a way out until the A-bombs start falling.
Posted by: AlanC   2015-09-11 12:59  

00:00