Syria news/Archive/2018-11

30 Nov. Another Israeli attack on targets in southern Syria is claimed to have been a success by Israel and a failure by Syria.

According to Kurdish sources, in a special operation the SDF rescues 100 civilians from the ISIS capital Hajin.

26 Nov. In an offensive over the weekend, ISIS was able to overtake a town bordering the Hajin pocket from the SDF. The town is now back in SDF hands.

25 Nov. SANA: rebels target neighborhoods in Aleppo city with shells containing toxic gas, causing asphyxiation among civilians, 50 said to be affected, with different numbers reported elsewhere. Washington Post denies. It is said that Russian military chemists arrived on the scene. Preliminary reports (based on symptoms) suggest chlorine.

Russian MoD published a brief video of the chemical attack aftermath (RT), again accusing the White Helmets of staging the attack.

Russian Air Force performed strikes on rebel positions said to be involved in the chemical attack (RIA)

21 Nov. Local sources cited by SANA claim that the US-led "coalition" today used white phosphorus ammunition in their bombing of Hajin again. 20 Nov. US Treasury announced sanctions on Russian-Iranian network shipping oil to Syria

19 Nov. The latest episode of the "Around The Empire" podcast features an interview with Joshua Landis about the latest Syria developments.

A new, 11th meeting in the Astana format is planned to take place in the Kazakh capital on November 28-29.

According to Iranian media, Iraq's Hashd al-Sha'abi (PMU) have blocked US troops from taking over a military base in Anbar province close to the Syrian border.

18 Nov. According to Kurdish sources, Turkish special forces in Afrin canton have taken up operations against some mercenary gangs supposedly aligned to themselves.

17 Nov. The SAA takes over a strategic hilltop and now controls 80 percent of the former ISIS pocket at al Safa volcanic fields. 16 Nov. According to Russian numbers, among the 50,000 people in Rukban refugee camp are 6,000 militants of the US-nurtured Maghawir al-Thawra group.

Despite support through heavy bombardments by the US-led "coalition", the SDF has a hard time making any progress against ISIS in the Hajin pocket.

15 Nov. The Rojava administration calls again on Western countries to take back the ISIS fighters that came from them to Syria and are now in prison. These calls are routinely met with silence for example by Germany from where 10 men, 10 women and 15 minors are in SDF hands.

14 Nov. Southfront publishes a collection of recent reports about "mysterious helicopters" evacuating ISIS fighters from Middle East battle fields.

12 Nov. Reinforced, the SAA starts a new offensive against ISIS at the al Safa volcanic fields.

Fights between SAA and al Qaeda "rebels" along the Idlib demarcation line continue.

ANHA publishes a report about what they call the "systematic Turkification policy" in Turkish-occupied Afrin canton.

Pro-Erdogan Turkish newspaperYeni Safak claims that the US "is monitoring Turkey from military bases located near border". It claims that the US has three bases in Manbij, 22 over the whole Syrian north, three military runways, a radar system and seven resupply lines from the south(ern oil fields) to the north(ern border region).

11 Nov. An SDF statement announces the resumption of the suspended offensive against ISIS in the Hajin pocket. It also announces that a high-ranking leader of the terror cult was arrested during a special operation in Raqqa.

10 Nov. Arab clan elders in Hasakah province issue a statement of support for the SDF in case of any Turkish cross-border aggression.

The military chief of the 6,000 fighters strong FSA "Hamza division" tells Daily Sabah that they completed training by the Turkish military and are ready to fight the US-supported YPG east of the Euphrates now. As Joshua Landis points out, the Hamza Divison was originally vetted and armed by the US to fight Assad.

9 Nov. According to SOHR, coalition airstrikes on the Hajin pocket have again caused many civilian deaths, at one target today "twenty-six IS family members including 14 children and 9 women".

A captured ISIS member tells his interrogators that the ISIS cell in the al Safa volcanic fields gets supply directly and indirectly from the US Army base at al Tanf to the north-east of it.

SANA publishes details on the liberated ISIS hostages.

8 Nov. Based on the controversial so-called Caesar Report, France indicts and issues arrest warrants against three Syrians including Assad intimus Ali Mamlouk for complicity in torture, disappearances and crimes against humanity.

The SAA liberates 19 women abducted months ago in as-Sweida by ISIS in an operation in Homs desert.

A SANA correspondent is sentenced to four years in prison in Turkey for "insulting the state and the Turkish government". According to SANA, his real "crime" is that he exposed Turkish aid to terrorist groups through its border policies.

The Turkish army again shells border villages in Kobane and Tal Abyad countryside.

7 Nov. At a film screening at the European Parliament, the protagonist of the film, a YPJ commander during the defense of Kobane, is present through a video call and urges the EU to "stop the Turkish state" from destroying the progress made in Rojava.

The SAA at Al Safa volcanic fields receives reinforcements from Syrian and Russian special forces after the recent attacks by the surrounded ISIS forces there.

6 Nov. After having arrived there recently with the UN convoy, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is carrying out a vaccination campaign for the children of Rukban camp.

5 Nov. According to Turkish state news agency Anadolu, YPG and ISIS made a deal earlier this year to hand over seven US soldiers captured by ISIS in exchange for the YPG leaving some oil wells for the terror cult to take over. The US denies the allegations.

According to Novaya Gazeta, six Russian mercenaries of the "Wagner" company are among 11 victims of an explosion in a former police station between Damascus and Deir ez-Zor.

4 Nov. Iraqi PMU forces stand at the border willing to take up the fight against ISIS in the Hajin pocket after the SDF halted its efforts. They are waiting for the Syrian and Iraqi governments to make an agreement.

According to its chief pharmacist, Syria is exporting medicine to 16 countries, down from a pre-crisis number of 56 countries.

The US continues to be accused of using banned white phosphorus ammunition in their air attacks on Hajin pocket.

3 Nov. After several attempts failed due to security reasons, a Russian-escorted UN humanitarian aid convoy finally reaches Al Rukban camp in the illegally US-occupied Al Tanf pocket.

2 Nov. There are continuous skirmishes happening between SAA and Al Qaeda across the Idlib buffer zone.

According to SOHR, Turkish intelligence is mobilizing its proxy forces west of the Euphrates for the expected operation to the east of it.

Turkish military expands its cross-border artillery attacks further east from the previous targets Kobane and Tal Abyad to Ras al-Ayn.

Two young reporters of ANHA agency are attacked and injured by Turkish military while covering the attacks on the Syrian border towns. The agency directs a statement at international human rights organizations.

1 Nov. The surrounded ISIS gangs in Al Safa volcanic fields conduct a number of attacks with considerable SAA casualties.