ISIS update 12/12/2016..‘It’s clear Assad has won this war’ says former US ambassador
‘It’s clear Assad has won this war’ – former US ambassador
Old City of Aleppo after army liberate Citadel area
Reports from Aleppo | December 11th 2016
Russia says no deal with US on safe passage for Aleppo militants
Syria army advances in militant-held Aleppo
Hundreds of civilians return to east Aleppo district
Syrian military: 98% of Aleppo’s east liberated
100,000 Civilians Leave Aleppo City, Over 2,200 Terrorists Surrender
The Russian Peace Coordination Center in Syria announced on Monday that over 100,000 civilians have so far been evacuated from the Eastern districts of Aleppo city, while more than 2,200 militant have thus far turned themselves in to government forces in the city.
“Since the beginning of the Syrian army’s operation to liberate Aleppo city, the Russian reconciliation center has evacuated more than 100,000 civilians, including 40,484 children,” the Russian center reported in a statement.
According to the center, some 2,215 militants have laid down their arms since the operation began in Aleppo city, while as many as 2,137 were granted amnesty by relevant officials.
The Russian Center announced earlier today that over 700 militants laid down arms and surrendered to the Syrian Army troops in the Eastern districts of Aleppo city in last 24 hours,
“728 militants used the amnesty decree of the Syrian president and turned themselves in to the Syrian army in the Eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo city in the last 24 hours. They were transferred to the government-controlled districts in the Western part of the city,” the center announced.
The center added that tightening of the army’s siege on terrorists-held neighborhoods has forced more militants to join the peace agreement with Damascus.
The Russian center went on to say that over 13,347 civilians, including 5,831 children have also been evacuated from the Eastern districts of Aleppo in the last 24 hours.
The Russian servicemen have also demined 7 hectares of the territory of Eastern Aleppo, including a mosque, a school, a primary school and roads.
Euphrates shield forces get ready for operations to take al-Bab from ISIS
ISIL retakes ancient city of Palmyra from Syrian forces
Battle continues in ancient Palmyra as Syrian govt forces fight ISIS troops
Palmyra Falls To ISIS
December 12, 2016: Mistakes That Led To Fall Of Palmyra
Palmyra between ISIS and Syrian Forces
4,000 ISIS fighters regroup, make new attempt to capture Palmyra, Syria – Reconciliation Center
https://www.rt.com/news/369931-isis-regroups-attacks-palmyra/
Over 4,000 Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists, reinforced by tanks, have started an offensive to retake the key Syrian city of Palmyra after regrouping themselves, the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria says. According to the Russian military, the terrorists have received considerable reinforcement, including heavy military hardware from the regions of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.
“IS has dispatched a considerable force to Palmyra from the area of Raqqa, where militants, backed by the US and the international coalition ceased combat action against the terrorists this week,” the statement by the Russian military says. The Reconciliation Center notes that the Syrian Army is engaged in fighting the jihadists. “Despite heavy losses in manpower and [military] hardware, the terrorists seek to come as close as possible and gain a foothold in the city, as the Russian Air Force is not conducting airstrikes against residential areas in the city of Palmyra,” the statement reads
Palmyra was seized by IS in 2015, however in March this year Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air support, managed to liberate the city. Overnight Saturday, the Syrian Army, backed by Russian air strikes, managed to repel several attacks on Palmyra, killing up to 300 jihadists, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Also on Saturday, terrorists reportedly entered some of Palmyra’s districts forcing the Syrian troops to withdraw from some of their positions. According to AP, citing the activist-run Palmyra Coordination network, jihadists gained footholds in the northern and northwestern districts of Palmyra.
According to the Russian Center for Reconciliation, the terrorists are receiving support from jihadists coming from Iraq. “Earlier [Russian] intelligence spotted a transfer of up to 5,000 IS-militants to the areas of Raqqa and Deyr ez Zor from Mosul, Iraq,” the statement says. In October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that terrorists “could flee from Mosul and go to Syria.”
Meanwhile, IS has claimed through its news agency Amaq, that the jihadists seized the city. In particular they claimed IS has control of the ancient castle in Palmyra, which overlooks the city. In an interview with RT, award-winning British journalist Martin Jay alleged that some of the fighters now attacking Palmyra might indeed have come from Iraq.
“Mosul in the early months of [the] campaign was quite open and there were many so-called ratlines, those were corridors for ISIS fighters to leave the city. I think in the first few weeks of the campaign when it was first announced by Prime Minister Abadi in Iraq, many fighters fled and moved to different areas across the border in Syria,” Jay said. He noted that the fresh battle for Palmyra could take “quite some time” and in fact become a “prolonged” one. To prevent Russian aircraft from helping Syrian government forces, terrorists might also go deep into residential areas and take people there hostage. using them as shields.
Russian special forces in Syria. [CC]
Russia Releases First Ever Video Footage Of Its Special Forces Operating In Syria
In a first of its kind event, Russian television today showed what it says is the first footage of Russian special forces fighting on the ground in Syria. Elite Russian units in Syria take part in search and rescue operations, assassinations of key rebel figures and coordination of air strikes, according to footage broadcast on state-owned channel Rossiya 24 on Sunday. Groups of heavily armed soldiers were shown coordinating sniper attacks, using robotic tanks and inspecting rebel corpses. The presenter of the weekly news program said the footage was filmed in Syria but did not give details.
Russia first acknowledged the presence of its special forces in Syria during the re-capture of the city of Palmyra from Islamic State fighters in March, but it has provided no information on the number of deployed soldiers or their exact location. The video shows more than 8 minutes of fascinating footage which reveals that traditionally the most impactful developments “on the battlefield” take place just behind the scenes.
And now we wait for similar footage from US special forces in Syria – after all, it is now effectively a contest … US troops to escalate militancy in Syria
Iraqi army makes fresh gains in eastern Mosul
Iraqi forces take back the important Noor neighbourhood from ISIS
Iraq War, Mosul VBIED Hunting by PMU
ISIS have destroyed 67 mosques and damaged 37 others in Mosul
Battle for Mosul Day 56: Nine Villages Liberated from ISIL West of Mosul
The comprehensive military campaign to liberate the Northern Iraqi city of Mosul continued on Monday with the Iraqi forces liberating several villages near Mosul from the grip of the ISIL terrorist group as part of larger operations to fully recapture the Northern city.
Iraqi Forces Take Nine Villages from ISIL West of Mosul
Iraqi forces managed to liberate several villages near Mosul from the grip of the ISIL terrorist group as part of larger operations to fully recapture the Northern city.
The commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, said Popular Mobilization Units, known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, purged six villages, West of the city, of ISIL terrorists, Shafaq News reported.
The Iraqi general added that ISIL terrorists lost the villages of Hazimiyah al-Janubiyah, Moshayrfat al-Jisr, Zaid al-Mos’ab, Yassin al-Halbous, Tal Maidan Qoly and al-Bota al-Gharbiyah.
Some 450 families were also evacuated from Yassin al-Halbous village, west of Tal Abta district.
ISIL Executes More People in Iraq
ISIL executed 17 people, mostly youths, in al-Hawija region in Kirkuk province on Monday morning over accusations of cooperating with security forces and mutiny against the terrorist group.
The ISIL group took 17 people out of their residences in the early hours of Monday before executing them by a fire squad inside al-Bokareh airbase near Hawija around 55 kilometers Southwestward in Kirkuk province.
Meantime, a security source disclosed that a large number of civilians, including women and children, have escaped from the ISIL and approached Peshmerga forces.
The people had fled the ISIL-controlled al-Makhous, al-Madina and al-Akouleh regions to reach Maktab Khaled that is under the rule of the Peshmerga forces.
The ISIL had captured the the town of Hawija in June 2014.
Iraqi Commander: Liberation of Tal Abta’s Suburbs Prelude to Areas Bordering Syria
A senior commander of the Iraqi volunteer forces underlined that regaining control over the strategic Tal Abta region and its surrounding areas will pave the way for retaking control of the areas located along the Iraq-Syria border.
“Recapturing Tal Abta will be followed by seizing back al-Ba’aj and al-Qirvan regions and later taking full control of the border areas in Iraq along the Syrian border,” Senior Hashd al-Shaabi Commander Mohammad Al-Basri said on Monday.
Al-Basri reiterated that the Iraqi volunteer forces are fully prepared to take control of the suburban areas of Tal Abta in the Western flank of the city of Mosul, and said, “The most important goal pursued through liberating the regions bordering Syria is to fully cut off the supply and rescue routes to the Southern and Western flanks of Mosul.”
The Hashd al-Shaabi commander, meantime, pointed to the military operations to recapture Tal Afar West of Mosul, and said, “The Iraqi volunteer forces have prepared themselves for carrying out these operations; we have thorough information about the moves made by the ISIL to prevent our forces from making advances towards the center of Tal Afar.”
Palmyra-Bound ISIL Convoy Destroyed in Russian-Syrian Air Raid in Hama
Hundreds of Fresh Army Soldiers Arrive in Palmyra’s Outskirts to Join Battle against ISIL
Jeish Al-Fatah Terrorists Losing Last Positions to Syrian Army East of Aleppo City
Hundreds of Militants End Fight with Syrian Army in Aleppo City
Turkish Source: Unknown Warplanes Attack Syrian Army Positions in Lattakia
Syrian Gov’t Forces on Verge of Complete Liberation of Aleppo City
Top Commander of Terrorists in Aleppo City Killed in Syrian Army Attack
Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2016/12/isis-update-12122016its-clear-assad-has.html
