SYRIAN AIR FORCE THROTTLES ISIS AT AL-QAA`EM, ALBUKAMAAL; MANBIJ MOSTLY LIBERATED

Al-Manbij:  This important town northeast of Aleppo has been occupied, terrorized and exploited by the FSA for over 2 years since it was attacked and the SAA withdrew from it.  With forces in Aleppo now freed to conduct other operations in the north, including A’zaaz, that situation has changed.  It appears from reports garnered from Wael that the appearance of the army around Al-Manbij compelled the terrorists inside to begin negotiations.  This, plus the promise of Amnesty, is now producing important results.  The only problem has been the entrenched criminal racketeers who are not interested in giving up their wealth and territory.  That narrative is being addressed today, as I write.

    

 Look carefully at the map – scroll to a wider view and you can see the army now positioned to strike at Al-Raqqa on the southeast highway.  Already, reports are coming in, from our readers also, that the SAAF is conducting sorties against ISIS strong points around the city in a process that appears to be part of a softening-up strategy.  The belief is now that the SAA wants the ISIS terrorists to move eastward toward the Iraqi border as part of a coordinated strategy with the IA.

Bustaan Al-Qassr:  A confirmed 13 Nusra terrorists were killed here yesterday along with the destruction of 5 vans containing ammunition and one cannon.

The rest were foreigners who have not been identified yet.

Fighting intense in these areas: Karm Al-Jabal, Al-Saakhoor, Al-Marja, Al-Hilwaaniyya, Baab Al-Nassr, Al-Muyassar, Al-Zurba, Al-Indhaaraat, A’zaaz, Rasm Al-‘Abbood, Al-Shuwaykhna, Maayer.

IRAQ: SAAF HAS KILLED THE “COMMANDER” OF ISIS AT AL-QAA`EM.  THIS IS CONFIRMED ALTHOUGH HIS NAME HAS NOT BEEN REVEALED YET.  He was killed in a strafing by SAA Sukhoi bombers now active all over this area.

(Photo: The Aviationist)

  

Al-Ramaadi:  Near Tharthar Lake, the SAAF conducting several sorties east of west of Al-Ramaadi and west of Tal ‘Afar killing 7 cannibals among whom was:

CAVEAT TO READERS:  SANA and the Syrian Ministry of Information has been playing down Syria’s role in the air over Iraq because there was a belief that the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki did not want to publicize its need for assistance in the areas we just mentioned.  The disavowal by the Syrian MoI and blame cast on “biased media sources” for the reports puzzled us because it seemed that supporting the Iraqi government was a badge of honor.  We suspect that Minister ‘Umraan Al-Zu’bi will relent on this issue since the cat’s out of the bag.  SyrPer was the first to report the air assault on Tal ‘Afar, by the way.

MOQTADAA AL-SADR IS BACK!  HE HAS VOWED TO SHAKE THE EARTH FROM UNDER ISIS.  We will try to obtain unique reports about his return to the political scene and the revitalization of his Al-Mahdi warriors.