Syria news/Current

27 Sep. According to the relatively new loyalist website Muraselon, the city of Ar Rastan and 25 villages including Taldou and Kafr Laha join the cessation of hostilities agreement in the pocket in northern Homs province named after Rastan.

Pepe Escobar takes a look at the possible consequences of the Iraqi Kurd independence referendum.

26 Sep. The SDF liberates the city of as-Suwar on the banks of the Khabur river after advancing north-east on a mayor road starting in the northern Deir ez-Zor outskirts. SANA accuses US-led coalition warplanes of using white phosphorus ammunition during the operation, causing civilian casualties.

The repair of the Tabqa Dam is slowly progressing.

25 Sep. The SDF releases a statement condemning what they say was a Russian attack in the morning on their position at the Conico petrol factory north-east of Deir ez-Zor, where they are "moving in coordination with the global coalition forces". These claims are denied by Russia which says it has targeted ISIS positions, answering fire on them that came from there.

The SDF also announces that they have appointed a separate spokesperson for the Deir ez-Zor operation "Jazeera Tempest", a YPJ commander named Leilawa al-Abdullah.

Iraq: A referendum of independence is held in the Kurdistan region of the country, against criticism from the Iraqi government, many regional and international countries and organizations, but with support by some including Israel (Results, as they come in).

24 Sep. The Russian defense ministry releases photos that they say show US special forces at ISIS checkpoints north of Deir ez-Zor. Through this area, they say, the SDF can and does travel without any resistance from the terrorist group.

Russian General-lieutenant Asapov was killed by mortar shelling near Deir-ez-Zor. According to Russian MoD, shelling was by IS forces. Later, on Sep. 26, Russian media quoted Syrian intelligence sources (+Rus. MP Frants Klintsevich) blaming 'treason' for giving the exact location of the general to the enemy. Assistant FM chief Sergey Ryabkov claimed(Eng. version) that 'this was the price that Russia paid for the duplicity of the US in resolving the crisis in the region'; US denied any role.

The Turkish parliament extends the mandate for military operations in Syria and Iraq for another year.

23 Sep. The SAA liberates Ma'adan, the last ISIS stronghold in Raqqa province. It has now the complete western bank of the Euphrates north-west of Deir ez-Zor under control and formed a new, small ISIS cauldron in the desert which gets cleared the following day.

22 Sep. Loyalist sources report that Israel has targeted positions around the Damascus airport and was met by response from the Syrian air defense (Videos allegedly showing BUK launchs and aerial target hits: ).

In "Rojava", the elections for commune co-chairs take place in 3.732 communes. Further schedule has local council elections happen on October 3, and congress elections on January 19.

The SDF liberates several oil fields in north-eastern Deir ez-Zor, outracing the SAA which is busy fighting back an ISIS counter-offensive.

21 Sep. The remaining ISIS militants in the former Uqayribat pocket surrender and agree to a bus ride east.

19 Sep. Al Qaeda in Idlib starts an offensive at the southern border of the de-escalation zone. It is stopped and temporary gains reversed quickly. According to the Russians, 850 jihadis are killed in the event. Russia accuses US security services of initiating the al-Nusra Front Attack.

18 Sep. According to several sources, the SAA has crossed the Euphrates downstream of Deir ez-Zor.

Syria's first solar power plant, using cells produced in the country, is inaugurated near Damascus.

17 Sep. Following the Astana agreement, Turkey announces and is seen to move troops to the border with Idlib. Private videos emerging out of Idlib province show that the al Qaeda forces dominating the border strip are moving troops to the border as well, apparently preparing for a clash with the Turkish army.

16 Sep. The SAA announces an operation to go along the Syrian-Iraqi border from south-west up to the Euphrates valley at Abu Kamal. Clashes at the T2 pumping station are ongoing. On the other side of the border, the PMU is moving in the same direction towards Al Qaim and has already taken the town of Akashat.

According to a condemning statement by the SDF, in the early morning their forces in the northern Deir ez-Zor outskirts were attacked by "Russian and Syrian regime forces’ warplanes", leaving six fighters injured. The SAA denies that they or the Russians conducted any airstrikes on the eastern bank of Euphrates and hints at a US-"coalition" false flag attack. Later, the "coalition" releases a statement blaming the Russians.

15 Sep. The prepared agreement between Turkey, Russia and Iran on de-escalation zones is signed in Astana. In addition to the already established zones, the Idlib pocket will be divided into three subzones that are to be monitored by one of the countries respectively. Syria agrees to the measures that are planned to hold six months, pointing out that Turkey has no right to be on Syrian soil, but will be tolerated for the time being.

14 Sep. The SDF's operation Jazira "Storm" (or "Tempest" by other sources) has in just a few days advanced to the outskirts of Deir ez-Zor and is involved there in fights with ISIS. Meanwhile the SAA on the other side of the Euphrates advances north and south.

In Astana, an agreement between Turkey, Russia and Iran over the joint monitoring of the de-escalation zones is prepared.

13 Sep. The sixth round of talks about "cessation of hostilities" in Astana begins.

Preparations for a Deir ez-Zor Civil Council are ongoing in the SDF-controlled areas and a constituent conference is planned for September 20.

11 Sep. Bashar al-Assad turns 52 years old. As a present from Idlib, more than ten missiles hit his home town Al-Qurdaha in north-eastern Latakia province.

Syria and Iran finalize a number of deals to repair the Syrian power infrastructure.

In what remains of the former Uqayribat pocket in the central desert, around 500 ISIS militants are trapped but unwilling to surrender. The Russian airforce will visit the next day.

10 Sep. At a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart in Jeddah, Lavrov expresses confidence that the negotiations about the Idlib de-escalation zone could be finalized at the upcoming Astana meeting.

9 Sep. The SDF announces the start of operation "Jazira Storm", in which they will move towards the Euphrates and Deir ez-Zor from the north and east. According to the statement, the forces tasked with this are mainly local tribesmen who seek to liberate their homeland from ISIS.

The SAA in Deir ez-Zor is positioning itself to lift the siege of the second pocket around the airport. In the evening, success is announced after the SAA breaks through from the cemetery and later secures the main road to the airport.

Following a week of rumours about US helicopters evacuating ISIS higher-ups from Deir ez-Zor (and official US denials), Ziad Fadel of Syrian Perspective with his mixed record of scoops and disinformation claims to reveal the whole story, which involves the Russians dropping a "Father of all bombs".

8 Sep. ANNA News releases a 30 minutes long documentary about the final days of the breaking of the siege entitled "3 days to Deir ez-Zor".

7 Sep. In the early morning hours, Israeli planes strike a military target in Hama countryside from Lebanese airspace. According to the Israelis, it was a "chemical weapons facility". This comes a day after the UN CoI releases a questionable report on alleged chemical weapons attacks, going a step further in blaming the Syrian government than previous reports based on the same hearsay.

Al Masdar reports about an agreement between Russia, the US and Jordan that lets US-backed mercenaries in the south surrender all positions but the strategic base at al-Tanf to the SAA.

6 Sep. The first aid convoy after breaking the siege, with 1,000 tons of food in 40 trucks is sent to Deir ez-Zor.

5 Sep. The SAA's Tiger Forces break through the ISIS defenses and reach the 137 Brigade Base, breaking the years long siege of Deir ez-Zor.

In the evening in Tehran Syria will play against Iran in the 2018 Football World Cup qualification. Being #3 in the group, if they win against #1 Iran while #4 Uzbekistan wins against #2 South Korea, they will directly qualify for the competition. Staying at #3 would give them a chance at qualifying in the playoff rounds. - In the end, both games end with draws and Syria stays third in the group. It will have to beat Australia in October to reach the play offs and qualify for the cup, like Iran and South Korea have done now.

4 Sep. The advancing SAA forces are now within visual range of their besieged comrades in Deir ez-Zor.

The SOHR reports that following the murder with knives of a pro-Government school principle and her brother by "rebels", "resentment piles up among the people of Khan Sheikhoun".

3 Sep. Following further advances along the desert highways, the SAA now stands 30 km west of Deir ez-Zor. In the afternoon, the distance is reported as 18 km and shrinking.

According to the Russian military, the Uqayribat pocket has been eliminated.

2 Sep. The bus convoy carrying ISIS fighters and their families from the Qalamoun mountains to ISIS territory east are stuck in the desert since days, according to a Hezbollah spokesperson "besieged" by US-led "coalition" airplanes who threaten to attack if it continues its road. The passengers including children and elderly are facing "imminent death" if the situation continues, the statement warns.

1 Sep. According to an SDF spokeswoman, they have taken over the old city of Raqqa and now control 65% of the city's territory.

According to the SAA's "ISIS Hunters" units, they have started to storm the outskirts of Uqayribat, the pivotal town in the remaining central Syrian desert ISIS pocket.

31 Aug. The SAA, advancing along the Sukhnah-Deir ez-Zor highway, takes the strategic Bishiri mountains and the town of Haribshah and stands 50 km south-west of Deir ez-Zor city.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova issues a specific warning about a planned false flag chemical attack in Deraa.

29 Aug. Turkey's proxy forces exchange fire with the US' proxy forces near Manbij.

As agreed to in the Egypt-brokered deescalation zone agreement of early August, the Homs-Hama highway crossing the Rastan pocket has been opened. A first humanitarian convoy has already delivered aid to Rastan. Meanwhile, 24 additional towns and villages join the agreement.

The Uqayribat ISIS pocket keeps shrinking.

28. Aug. Two top commanders of SDF troops near Manbij defect with their men to the SAA.

27. Aug. After ten days of offensive in the western Qalamoun, the Lebanese and Syrian armies together control the whole border after ISIS surrenders and, like their Nusra siblings before, accept a bus ride out.

It is said (in quick broken Russian) that SAA commando unit liquidated IS field commander and his guards, captured a letter sent from certain 'IS mujaheddin leader Abu Baraa Hijaz in Deir-ez-Zor' to certain 'Abu Hamzi Tunisie (HTS/al-Nusra)' -Rusvesna, + some other documents and cell phone messages.

ISIS attacks a US-built base near the town of Ash-Shaddadi in southern Hasakah province. The attack is foiled by the SDF and 12 ISIS fighters die.

26 Aug. The eastern of the two pockets in central Syria completely collapses with the SAA finding nothing left but mines to clean.

ANNA News: "Tigers" are fighting for al-Teiba and are advancing towards Deir ez-Zor (fighting/weapons close-ups, maps).

25 Aug. According to Igor Korobov, Main Directorate of Russia's General Staff, there are 9,000 active ISIS fighters left in Syria. Al Nusra is estimated at 15,000 fighters, 9,000 of them in Idlib province alone.

23 Aug. The SAA forms a second ISIS pocket in central Syria, east of the first one, by connecting Al Kawn oasis in the north with Al Sukanah in the south.

'What Netanyahu Hoped to Gain from Meeting with Putin ?' (+same message to USA) - JPost ('dangerous investment'), Kremlin (no details), Rusvesna (no press communique), Putinistas: Putin toughhh !!! (but not in the right news column), Yakov Kedmi (hopes that Astana stopped civil war, and Russia itself is against Iranian and other foreign presence).

22 Aug. It is said that UN published a secret report on North Korea shipments to Syria, but Reuters knows what's in it anyway.

20 Aug. Five reportedly killed in mortar shelling of the international trade fair in Damascus (see Aug. 17) UPI

The Russian MOD says its airforce has destroyed a large ISIS convoy heading to "their last base in Syria" Deir ez-Zor, killing 200 militants in 20 Ratmobiles and several military vehicles including tanks.

19 Aug. About five days after taking the important village of Kadir, near Kawm oasis (see Aug. 14), SAA Tiger Forces there were reportedly attacked by US-coalition warplanes, which were reportedly followed by an ISIS counter-attack in the area. South Front

Brigadier General Suheil "The Tiger" al-Hassan, Commander of the SAA Tiger Forces, receives an award weapon from the head of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at the Hmeimim air base (video). Award weapons were quite common in Czarist Russia and in the Red Army. In modern Russia, it occurs but traditions are less established (wikipedia)(list II here). Massive goldish cross-guard looks different than Czarist sabre or palash swords (while Cossack shashka has none; here is the one awarded to Zhukov). Massive wooden case appears to be without a prehistory too.

The Education Committee of al-Tabqa Civil Council is struggling to open as many schools as possible at the beginning of the new semester in September. At least five of the town's 33 schools are completely destroyed.

In what Al Masdar calls the bloodiest day in the battle for Raqqa, with reports from several sides combined dozens of SDF fighters, 53 ISIS fighters and 46 civilians die in the city.

18 Aug. More reports that a huge ISIS pocket in central Syria has been formed. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, ISIS forces are fleeing the area and its largest city Uqayribat towards Deir ez-Zor.

In the eastern Ghouta pocket, the second-largest local militant group Faylaq al-Rahman joins the deescalation zone agreement that had already existed between the SAA and the largest local militant group Army of Islam. Excepted are areas with presence of the-al-Qaeda-group-formerly-known-as-al-Nusra. Shortly after the agreement, the two smaller groups start an offensive against the largest one in the pocket.

A report from the group "Raqqa is being slaugtered silently" claims that 946 civilians have so far been killed by US airstrikes on Raqqa city. 30,000 civilians are said to be still in the ISIS-controlled part of the city.

17 Aug. reports of Syria's first international trade fair since the crisis began in 2011 (ABC). In a sign of increased confidence, Damascus held the event near existing rebel stronghold in East Ghouta, hosting representatives from 43 countries. ABC reports "organizers say companies from Britain, France and Germany are participating, apparently in a private capacity," while Egypt, South Africa, and Belarus are participating at the government level, along with Russia, Iran, China, and others.

The SAA continues to make large advances in the central desert region. Some sources say a pocket has already been formed.

Turkey and its proxies continue to attack targets in Afrin canton (YPG summary).

16 Aug. Syria accuses US and UK of supply chemical agents for weapons to terrorists (tear gases CS and CN are shown on a slide during presentation; a point is advanced that use of those in warfare is against chemical weapons convention(s). Wikipedia agrees, quoting Geneva 1925 convention, prohibiting the use of "asphyxiating gas, or any other kind of gas, liquids, substances or similar materials"'. It appears that US State Department agrees too - this odity has been noted, like in the Washington Post: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/14/tear-gas-is-a-chemical-weapon-banned-in-war-but-ferguson-police-shoot-it-at-protesters/?utm_term=.98f3d8cc238f Tear gas is a chemical weapon banned in war. But Ferguson police shoot it at protesters.]).

15 Aug. "Rebel" shelling from the Idlib pocket kills four and injures 17 civilians in the Aleppo city neighborhood of Akramiya.

According to the local government, 400 of originally 2000 factories in formerly "rebel" held eastern Aleppo city's industrial zones have returned to production.

ISIS continues to fiercely resist the SDF in Raqqa city.

14 Aug. In a bold airdrop behind ISIS lines, Syrian forces take villages, including Kadir, on the Resafa-Sukhna road north of the Kawm oasis in eastern Homs province, moving closer to closing the gap at Suknah and creating a cauldron of ISIS forces. 1 2 3

The bus transfer of hundreds of al Qaeda fighters and their families from Arsal in Lebanon to Idlib in Syria is completed.

13 Aug. According to a Turkish analyst, the country has stopped support for the exile opposition group "Syrian National Council" which has been described for years as "the legitimate representative of the Syrian people" by some of the more hawkish "Friends of Syria" in "the West".

12 Aug. The White Helmets announced (here) that 7 of its members were killed by unknowns in the rebel-controlled Sarmin, Idlib. Two vans, communication equipment, and white helmets are said to be stolen. The claim (and selectively graphic images) was picked up by MSM and alternative media.

10 Aug. The SAA liberates 1300km² in Sweida province including over thirty kilometers of the border to Jordan.

9 Aug. Haaretz: 'Israel Held Secret Talks With Russia, U.S. Over Cease-fire in Southern Syria' (free Rus. version here). Meetings took place in Amman and 'a European capital' in early July (before Russia and USA announced deescalation zones, 6 July). According to the report Israel objected against Iranian presence in Syria, and had a similar position on this with Jordan. (Israel publicly complained after the agreements were announced so it appears that negotiations were not very successful ).

8 Aug. "Astana talks agenda to be discussed at Tehran meeting"

PYD co-chair Salih Muslim repeats the known stance that his party does not seek an independent Kurdish state, but to be part of a federal Syria with equal rights for all citizens. The statement came after the Syrian deputy foreign minister called the planned Rojava elections "a joke".

7 Aug. Iraq: Following an ISIS attack on PMU forces on the Iraqi side of the Al-Tanf border crossing, 40 to 70 PMU fighters are killed by what the PMU claims was unprofessional usage of artillery by the US forces stationed at Tanf. A statement by the targeted subgroup released a day later claims that they were targeted intentionally and demands an investigation by the Iraqi government. The US denies to have targeted them at all.

6 Aug. Al-Sukhnah is under SAA control, small number of IS fighters remain, de-mining in progress (ANNA news)(Cassad).

5 Aug. According to a deputy director of the Syrian Red Crescent residing in Raqqa city, the US-led "coalition" has shelled the National Hospital with phosphorus bombs. According to the report the hospital provides service for 100,000 civilians remaining in the city. According to US "Special Envoy" Brett McGurk, there are 2,000 ISIS fighters left in the city, using civilians (his number is 25,000, quoting UN) as human shields. SARC issued a milder-worded official statement.
 * Coalition representative told TASS that coalition did not strike Raqqa hospital on 3 Aug (presumably this is about the same incident). Further, he claimed that munitions used are not to be discussed, yet phosphorous was not used to strike targets; and in general, it's limited use is allowed by rules of war, for smokescreens, target marking and such.

The YPG releases a statement summarizing the attacks on Rojava by Turkey and its proxies over the last five days.

From Daniele Ganser (wikipedia) lecture, expanding on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. oil-and-gas-reasons-of-war argument: there are two competing pipelines projects (neither built) carrying gas from South Pars/North Dome geologically connected and by far the world's largest Persian Gulf fields, via Syria - one led by Qatar (red), another by Iran (green) -here (Rus. voice-over)(German original).

3 Aug. Russia announces a ceasefire agreement with the "rebels" in the so-called Rastan pocket. Checkpoints and monitoring stations are about to be set up. The agreement was brokered by Egypt (details).

The US denies Turkish media reports that they have delivered a number of tanks to the YPG/SDF.

2 Aug. Recently appeared satellite photos of Khmeimim airbase show a fleet of 33 Russian fighter jets.

At least 66 buses are used in the operation to transfer thousands of surrendered Al-Qaeda fighters and their families from Arsal in Lebanon to Idlib in Syria.

Syria Direct -thousands-of-arabs-excluded-from-elections-in-syria’s-kurdish-majority-north/ interviews a high-ranking official of the self-administration about the Rojava elections scheduled to have their first round in late September.

1 Aug. Assad gives a speech on the 72nd anniversary of the foundation of the Syrian Arab Army.