Terrorists in Idlib Drop American Supplies While Fleeing the SA
We've already said that Americans are leading a double game in Syria. Russia's Ministry of Defense provides another evidence. It's about the battle of Raqqa. Americans have recently bombed Raqqa like Dresden was bombed at the end of World War II. And the ISIS militants with weapons were carefully transported to Deir-ez-Zor in the vehicles specially rented for them.
There the Syrian army is fighting with the fanatics. The map shows dozens of trucks and buses moving to the southeast, completely unhindered, as if they didn't exist for the US Air Force.
When they arrived at Deir-ez-Zor last week, they immediately attacked the government forces from the North. The thugs there were destroyed. But they still caused troubles to our units. Thank the Americans.
As for Raqqa, Damascus says the city will be liberated only when it's controlled by the government forces. It hasn't happened so far. Our war correspondent Anton Stepanenko has reached the Idlib de-escalation zone. He's the only Russian journalist to get there.
The artillery of the Syrian army is hitting Jabhat Al-Nusra extremists. Almost 10 shells are fired within 15 minutes The gun-layer is aiming at Idlib province, where the fighters who gave up in Aleppo, Homs and other opposition strongholds moved.
The borders of Idlib province are now a continuous front line, as well as a planned de-escalation zone. But there is practically no one on the other side of the trenches to agree on a ceasefire. Jabhat Al-Nusra regularly tests the defense of the Syrian army on different sites. Top priority is the Hama city direction. It's an important transport hub to the north of Damascus.
The southeastern border of Idlib is the frontline of the Syrian army. Jabhat Al-Nusra positions are about 400 m far from it. The Christian town of Helfaya, recaptured from the militants, is a bit in the rear. A local commander shows his position and the enemy's one, he is dangerously close: "The war here is more positional, this town and the next one are like a burr in the militants' saddle. They are angry with the domes of churches, but it is not easy to repulse them to a safe distance".
Militiamen show why it isn't easy. During the occupation in these mountains, militants, like moles, dug caves, it's one of them.
"Have you seen a stone wall which covers the entrance? The entrance isn't visible at all. How can you throw a mine or a shell to stink them out?"
They managed to stink them out by surrounding them at the flanks, and the militants retreated to avoid entrapping.
"Mortars were outside, while the headquarters was here, inside. This cave is the ammunition depot, and the next one is barracks".
The floor is strewn with empty packs of American and Turkish medicines and food. Such shelters are not only in the mountains, but under every house of this Christian town, recaptured from the militants, the liberation operation of which killed the Russian captain Afanasov.
On the site of death, next to a burned car, Syrian military installed a commemorative plaque.
"We made this plaque in memory of this hero. As he died on our territory. Our officers died here together with Russian officers while completing their tasks to protect our homeland".
The abandoned track of the Aleppo-Hama railway branch is the border between the provinces of Idlib and Hama. Under Astana agreements, the Turkish military is supposed to be here providing a de-escalation zone. But they don't rush to leave northern boundary territories, preferring to use the armed groups, loyal to them, to force Jabhat Al-Nusra to the center, south and east of the province of Idlib.
Abdulhamid Ahmad, Syrian general: "This is the most dangerous direction. We fear that Al-Nusra militants will try to expand their control zone by seizing a part of Hama province".
To avoid it the pistachio plantations are strewn with the Syrian army strong points, and minefields are everywhere. Only the attendant knows the way from one outpost to the other.
Tamana, the biggest city in the south of Idlib, can be seen from the Syrian army positions. It's been controlled by Jabhat Al-Nusra for 5 years. They're believed to be about 16,000 in the whole province. Unofficial data says there might be up to 25,000 militants. But, actually, who counts them?
They count only the number of bodies after attacks on outposts. This is how an attack looks like for the extremists. This footage is a trophy. The IFV with a group of militants manages to approach the outpost.
Landing troops dismount, and the assault begins. Judging from the conversation, these are Uighurs. And this is only one group of the attackers. The post is recaptured with the support of mortars. The militants are destroyed one after another. The footage lasts for about 7 minutes, ending with the death of the man with the camera on his helmet.
The IFV is blown up nearby. You can see its burnt body. Another has been blown up by mines. Trophies include walkie-talkies, maps and grenade launchers, Chinese and Iraqi analogs of rocket anti-tank launchers.
"Suicide bombers are always the first to attack, then they reach the breastwork, followed by the rest of their group".
In the Idlib direction, the Syrian army is still recapturing several small towns on the outskirts of Tamana, including Abu Dali, where militants tried to block a platoon of the Russian military police. And by these actions, Damascus only restores the configuration of the planned de-escalation zone of Idlib.
However, according to operational information, Al-Nusra is concentrating armored vehicles in Abu Al-Duhur in the eastern direction, near the borders of Hama province. Anton Stepanenko, Artyom Grigoryan for Vesti — News of the Week, from Idlib province, Syria.