"BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:10 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is on the verge of lifting the siege on the Deir Ezzor Governorate, a military source told Al-Masdar News tonight.
According to the military source, the Syrian Arab Army’s Tiger Forces are approximately 5km away from the 137th Artillery Brigade Base and pushing eastward at a rapid pace.
Civilians have already begun celebrating in the streets of Deir Ezzor, as news about the lifting of the siege was prematurely spread on social media." (Al Masdar News)
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The rumors have been flying all afternoon and evening. A few hours ago Fares Shehabi, member of the Syrian parliament for Aleppo and chairman of the Syrian Federation of Industry tweeted “In few hours, these two Syrian generals will meet. Once they meet, ISIS siege of Deir Ezzor is over along with thousands of terrorists.” The follow photos accompanied the tweet.
So far my favorite meme is a nineteen second clip from the Battle of Helms Deep showing Suheil al Hassan as Gandalf leading the horsemen of Rohirrim. Issam Zahreddine’s likeness was overlayed on Aragorn defending the Hornburg from the hordes of Uruk-hai. A rousing Syrian tune (God, Syria and Bashar) is heard as the siege is lifted. In a few days actual pictures of these two generals meeting will be broadcasted throughout the world. All of Syria and many others will be celebrating wildly in the streets.
As I said rumors are legion. Here’s a sample from the twittersphere. Enjoy. All will become clear within the next 24 to 48 hours.
“Genius move by Syrian Army and allies lured ISIS to defend wrong area of Maadan to AlSubkha, SAA now when reach Deir Ezzor can besiege them.”
“Celebrations are still ongoing despite heavy ISIS mortar/missiles attacks”
“Sleeper cells and civilians reportedly attacking ISIS HQs in villages of Nabila, Hureyki and Makhac Deir ez Zor”
“Clashes are ongoing outskirts of the 137th Base while sleeper cells trying to make a riot/uprising inside the city (ISIS-held areas)”
“Small SAA unit from outside the pocket helped knock out major ISIS defenses in Brigade 137 which allowed army inside to retake all positions”
“SAA soldier in Deir Ezzor says that same special unit who attacked Brigade 137 from rear entered Brigade 137 but the siege is not broken yet”
“Unconfirmed reports about aerial landings by helicopters on points around Deir Ezzor: Clear info not available as battle still ongoing.”
“Reports: Clashes started all around Deir Ezzor city in what seems to be an ISIS full attack while news about Panorama Roundabout took by SAA”
“ISIS supply lines (towards city) have been cut by SAA”
TTG
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-siege-deir-ezzor-nearly-lifted-syrian-army-troops/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syria-saa-makes-advances-deir-ezzor-video/
TTG, Sir
Winning creates it’s own momentum. R+6 are on a roll. The morale of the SAA, Hezbollah forces and the Iranian embeds must be very high as they keep rolling the jihadis. In looking back, the Russian intervention was crucial. It changed the dynamics of the Syrian conflict. It bolstered the SAA when they were just about to fall apart. Putin should be a hero to all those that support rolling back the jihadi menace.
Unfortunately our government is no longer capable of learning. They are so imbued with hubris they can’t fathom how the world is responding to their foolishness. I hope that Russia can play a more positive role in bringing some semblance of stability to a region that has known only violence. We have proven to be a force of instability in world affairs in recent decades.
Apparently Russian airstrikes are up 300% since the Central Syria campaign picked up steam.
The Governor of Deir Ez Zor announced he expected the army to arrive within 48 hours. Estimates of distance range from 5 – 20 kms.
Another interesting factoid. T-72 tanks kitted out for urban combat have been spotted on their way to Deir Ez Zor the last couple of days, so the government must have known for quite a few days they were just about ready to kick in the door on ISIS and start the battle for all of Deir Ez Zor city.
Thank you God for steering us away from the madness of our self-destruction and I pray that the peace we reach is a just and a merciful one.
I would hope that when this siege is lifted that the US State Dept and the US Defence Dept spokesman acknowledge both the doggedness of the defenders of Deir Ezzor and the martial skills of the SAA units that come to their rescue.
That doesn’t require the USA to “side” with Assad.
It just requires some professional curtesy in acknowledging the work of some very brave men.
Probably too much to ask, but we’ll see.
I am very happy though I have no one to share my happiness with because no one I know knows anything about this war. I just pray and think about peace in Syria
https://twitter.com/DocPakistan/status/904436760968605698 Gen Z carrying his M16 while doing a victory lap.
Some funnies: https://twitter.com/HosamDakhakhni/status/904460445657972736
https://twitter.com/zahriabbas3/status/904449288410976256
At last these braves men are soon to be reunited with their brother in arms. That’s a great lesson of fortitude and hope for each and everyone of us. September 4 (or 5, whatever) will be remembered for decades to come, for sure.
It’s at times like these that one learns valuable lessons about the MSM.
AFAICS the (London) Daily Mail is carrying an AFP report and that’s it. Zilch by the rest of the Anglosphere MSM.
The Ziocon logic: http://theduran.com/bombshell-fbi-searched-russian-diplomatic-properties-looking-explosives/
“…US authorities, including the FBI, searched Russian diplomatic and consular compounds in contravention of the Vienna Conventions… the FBI agents were searching the compounds for explosive devices, something more common in the hideout of terrorist groups than in the embassies and consular properties of large states. … that the US authorities seriously thought that Russian diplomats were housing explosive devices in their properties is simply a ludicrous accusation with no bearing on reality.”
So far today, outside of Deir ez-Zor, seven suicide truck/car bombs destroyed by Russian airstrikes and the SAA approaching the city. Twelve since yesterday. This SVBIED tactic of theirs worked for them in 2014, but not any more. Iraqi and Syrian armies learned how to counter them, but the Daeshis have not evolved. Their tactical doctrine seems to be dictated by religious psychopaths.
They also are reportedly sending reinforcements to Deir ez-Zor from al-Mayadin which is 40km southeast.
Daeshis are getting desperate.
A question for the committee: are diplomatic offices not sovereign territory? Is there a legal basis for the US searches of Russian diplomatic offices and staff homes? If sovereign territory, are the searches not an act of war? This is very worrying stuff – who is in charge here and what the hell are they thinking?
Perhaps the SAA is delaying its arrival in Deir Ez-zor for a few hours to persuade ISIS to do a few more Banzai Charges onto SAA machine guns (aka the Deir Ez-zor meat grinder). It’s worked very well for a long time so there is no reason to suppose the IJA, sorry I meant ISIS, has learnt any lessons.
BTW, the British have now demonstrated some commonsense at long last.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/02/british-troops-halt-training-syrian-rebels-world-powers-distance/
Ambassies and Consulates are protected by the Vienna Convention but it was just writing something that was more older called ” Le droit des Gens ” ( Juris gentis ).
So no, there is no legal basis for such searches.
And yes it can be called an act of war.
More worrying, it’s an open door to violate extraterritoriality, everywhere.
In the context of the Robert E Lee iconoclasm several passionate discussions have taken place regarding Sherman’s March to the Sea. My position was that it was immoral insofar as it deliberately targeted civilians & civilian infrastructure, and as such it set an unfortunate precedent for later wars US engaged.
Others — most others — roundly denounced my view. They argued that ‘victory’ was essential to preserve ‘western civilization;’ war is a nasty business with inevitable civilian death and destruction; and whatever it takes to achieve ‘victory’ is legitimate.
I am aware that there has been terrible loss of (civilian) life and tremendous destruction of property: the Syrian war was not a war like Civil War, between two distinctly defined fighting forces; Syria was a lot messier than that.
But was there a Shermanesque event that was responsible for this ‘victory’, or was what is celebrated here, what we take to be the ‘victorious’ liberation of Deir Ezzor achieved by more dogged, disciplined military strategy that did NOT devolve (my judgmental term) to deliberately “scorching the earth” — and lives — of civilians?
Further, should we remain cautious and perhaps fearful that the forces that have not achieved ‘victory’ in Syria will believe that they are so entitled to ‘victory’ — so convinced that- even addicted to- the Sherman approach as right and proper — that they will yet undertake a scorched earth action in Syria?
Has the fat lady sung?
ISIS has been withdrawing their vehicles from the ~1 km separating the Tigers and the 137th brigade towards the Thardeh-Panorama area and engineers are dismantling the minefield to clear a path for the Tigers into Deir Ezzor. It’s for real this time.
https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1
I like IvanSiderenko1 as a source because of his conscientiousness in evaluating hot news to clear some of the fog of war. He doesn’t do armchair prognosticating.
Look at Spanish Civil War, they were routinely murdering anyone they felt like killing, on all sides. This Republican fellow, nefore evacuating town, murdered 2000 people whom he had earlier ordered arrested on suspicion of being Franco sympathizers.
I think he died peacefully in exile in France. Whete is Gary Cooper?