Syrian Revolution News & Discussions

[Lieutenant]

The Army of Islam: Militant group battling ISIS and the Syrian regime show their might in 'graduation ceremony' featuring 1,700 soldiers and a fleet of armoured tanks

• Jaysh Al-Islam fights against government soldiers in Syrian city of Damascus
• Made up of around '60 rebel factions', it also opposes Islamist groups like ISIS
• Held the 'largest military parade witnessed' since start of the Syrian revolution
• Saudi Arabia is 'funding the group with millions of dollars in arms and training'

By Robert Verkaik and Jay Akbar For Mailonline

Published: 10:44 GMT, 30 April 2015 | Updated: 12:47 GMT, 30 April 2015

A militant group which opposes both ISIS and the Syrian regime has released a striking video showing off 1,700 troops, fleet of armoured tanks and special forces soldiers in an impressive military parade.

These men form a small part of Jaysh Al-Islam - or Army of Islam - who reportedly command as many as 25,000 loyal fighters following the merger of up to 60 rebel factions inside Syria.

Dozens of masked special units show off a range of skills including close-range combat in what the group claims is the 'largest military parade witnessed' since the dawn of the Syrian revolution in 2011.

Strength: Four armoured tanks and thousands of soldiers formed part of a graduation ceremony (pictured) held by Jaysh Al-Islam, a militant group that opposes ISIS and the Syrian regime

Powerful: The group, who are allegedly being funded by Saudi Arabia, show of a fleet of armoured tanks (pictured) during the graduation ceremony for its recruits

Elite: Its special forces units (pictured) showed off an array of acrobatic kicks and close-combat skills in front of their leaders

Discipline: As many as 1,700 soldiers stood to attention as their commander referred to them as the 'leaders of the Mujahidin', which roughly translates as 'those who fight in a Jihad'

The group operates in the embattled Syrian city of Damascus and their ongoing battle against President Bashar Al-Assad is reportedly funded by the wealthy nation of Saudi Arabia.

The Arab kingdom has sent millions of dollars to arm and train their fighters so they can defeat the Syrian regime and 'increasingly powerful Jihadi organisations', according to the Guardian.

Known as the Army of Islam, the insurgent group was created in 2011 when Saudi Arabia allegedly engineered the merger of over 50 rebel factions after growing alarmed at the rise if Al-Qaeda and ISIS in Syria.

It is a fierce enemy of both those Islamist groups as well as Jabhat Al-Nusra, but embraces independent rebel forces and 'non-Jihadi' units.

Their graduation ceremony for trainee soldiers in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus was attended by the militants' leadership who watch proudly as their troops march in perfect unison across the expanse.

Jaysh Al-Islam is led by Sheikh Zahran Aloush who addresses the thousands of armed soldiers and tanks once they have assembled on the vast concrete ground below.

Joining forces: Jaysh Al-Islam was formed when up to 60 rebel factions in Syria merged to fight the Syrian regime

Armed: Soldiers rested on the Army of Islam's many tanks (pictured) as their leaders commanded them to 'continue to wage Jihad'

Commander: The group is led by Sheikh Zahran Aloush (pictured), who is considered one of the most powerful leaders in rebel-held Syria

Fierce: His fighters, who marched in perfect unison in Damascus, are waging a battle against ISIS in Syria and have reportedly attacked their headquarters in the Lebanese city of Arsal

The Salafist leader is considered one of the most power military chiefs in rebel-held Syria and called for the 'cleansing' of all Alawite and Shiites in Damascus.


He says to his soldiers: 'Today, legions of Mujahadin, stand in readiness to raise the banner of Allah, uphold his words, move forward to fight and defend his religion.

'Know paradise is waiting for us since we either achieve victory or die in honour... So take your strength from Allah and wage Jihad in the cause of your Lord.

'We will leave these fields in which we finished our course and preparation and we will continue waging Jihad.'

He refers to their enemies, which include Islamic State and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's troops, as the 'dirtiest and most despicable enemies of Allah'.

In February, Aloush tweeted that his insurgents had ambushed Islamic State's fighters at their headquarters in the Lebanese city of Arsal, according to reports by AL Monitor.

Might: Their incredible show of strength in their Damascus stronghold of Ghouta included a fleet of armoured tanks

Deadly: That was followed by a series of choreographed drills from its masked special forces units who - unlike their comrades - dressed entirely in black

Force: The graduation ceremony was held for Jaysh Al-Islam's trainee soldiers who stood to attention as fleets of armoured vehicles drove past

They allegedly 'killed and wounded three and took out the eye of a fourth person' in what was reportedly their first act of aggression outside of Syrian territory.

His tweets also indicated the group - which is widely known for its links to Saudi Arabia - was prepared to carry out military attacks outside Syria.

AL Monitor claimed his tweets referenced ISIS's expansion in the Ghouta and Qalamoun suburbs of Damascus which it controls.

He said the attack in Arsal was retaliation for the bombing Islamic State carried out on its headquarters in the Ghouta suburb.
Militant group battling ISIS and the Syrian regime show their might | Daily Mail Online

Combat skills shown in the above photos are that of a regular army! The demonstration of the skills is implication that those forces have gotten an external help.

The armour seen in this photo seems to me that some tanks may have crossed into Syria from somewhere else. If I recall correctly, Assad army doesn't operate heavily protected tanks.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Combat skills shown in the above photos are that of a regular army! The demonstration of the skills is implication that those forces have gotten an external help.

The armour seen in this photo seems to me that some tanks may have crossed into Syria from somewhere else. If I recall correctly, Assad army doesn't operate heavily protected tanks.

They were captured from the SAA, they are T-72 with ERA.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

U.S. soldiers arrive in Turkey to train Syrian rebels

U.S. airforce F-16 warplanes lining to take off from the Incirlik Airbase.(File photo: AFP)

Staff writer, Al Arabiya News
Friday, 1 May 2015

About 123 U.S. soldiers arrived in Turkey to train moderate Syrian rebels, bringing with them weapons which are being transferred to İncirlik Airbase in the southern province of Adana, Hurriyet Daily News reported Friday.

The daily said 83 of the U.S. soldiers were deployed at İncirlik Airbase and 40 others were transferred to the Hirfanlı base in the Central Anatolian province of Kırşehir.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said that Syrians who will be trained at Hirfanlı are expected to be transferred to the southern province of Hatay where they will briefed on the use of arms, including anti-tank weapons, infantry rifles and machine guns, before travelling to Syria to join the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

At İncirlik, a special group of U.S. personnel has also been tasked with equipping Syrians.

The U.S. was able to use Incirlik after intense negotiations between Ankara and Washington.

Turkey was long criticized for being reluctant to allow combat operations against ISIS to be staged from Turkish territory.

Last Update: Friday, 1 May 2015 KSA 08:32 - GMT 05:32
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/01/U-S-soldiers-arrive-in-Turkey-to-train-Syrian-rebels.html

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Shilka-24-4, TOW

 

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MRLS, TOW:

 

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[Ahmed JO]

 

[Falcon29]

Rumor has it that NFZ will be declared in Syria this Tuesday.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Quote :

An Eroding Syrian Army Points to Strain

By ANNE BARNARD, HWAIDA SAAD and ERIC SCHMITT
APRIL 28, 2015

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian Army has suffered a string of defeats from re-energized insurgents and is struggling to replenish its ranks as even pro-government families increasingly refuse to send sons to poorly defended units on the front lines. These developments raise newly urgent questions about the durability of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

“The trend lines for Assad are bad and getting worse,” said a senior United States official in Washington, who, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential intelligence assessments, nevertheless cautioned that things had not yet reached “a boiling point.”

The erosion of the army is forcing the government to rely ever more heavily on Syrian and foreign militias, especially Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group allied with Iran. Hezbollah now leads or even directs the fight in many places, angering some Syrian officers, said several Syrian soldiers, as well as the senior United States official and a Syrian with close ties to the security establishment. Most Syrians interviewed asked that their names be fully or partially withheld to avoid reprisals.

This month, government forces have crumbled or fled in areas long cited by officials as markers of enduring state control. Insurgents seized Idlib, a northern provincial capital, and the lone working border crossing with Jordan in the south. Counteroffensives failed, and advances this week have brought a newly cohesive insurgent coalition closer than ever to Mr. Assad’s coastal strongholds. The coalition consists mainly of Islamist groups that include Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, but oppose the Islamic State.

Throughout the country, there are signs of strain that contrast with Mr. Assad’s public confidence. The government recently dismissed the heads of two of its four main intelligence agencies after they quarreled; one later died, reportedly after being beaten by the other’s guards.

Officials in provincial capitals like Aleppo and Dara’a are making contingency plans to preserve cash and antiquities and evacuate civilians. Foreign exchange reserves, $30 billion at the start of the war, have dwindled to $1 billion.

The already-crowded coastal provinces are straining with new arrivals from Idlib, with some saying officials have turned them away. In central Damascus, checkpoints are fewer and more sparsely staffed, as militiamen are sent to fight on the outskirts, and young men increasingly evade army service.

Even in areas populated by minority sects that fear hard-line Islamist groups like Nusra and the Islamic State — such as Druse in the south, Assyrian Christians in the north, and Ismailis in Hama — numerous residents say they are sending their sons abroad to avoid the draft, or keeping them home to protect villages.

That has accelerated the transformation of Syria’s once-centralized armed forces into something beginning to resemble that of the insurgents: a patchwork of local and foreign fighters whose interests and priorities do not always align.

Four years ago, Syria’s army had 250,000 soldiers; now, because of casualties and desertions, it has 125,000 regulars, alongside 125,000 pro-government militia members, including Iranian-trained Iraqis, Pakistanis and Afghan Hazaras, according to the senior American official in Washington.

And Syrians are not always in charge, especially where Hezbollah, the best trained and equipped of the foreign militias, is involved.

“Every area where there is Hezbollah, the command is in their hands,” said the Syrian with security connections. “You do something, you have to ask their permission.”

That, he said, rankled senior security officials who recalled the rule of Mr. Assad’s father, Hafez, in the 1980s, when Hezbollah’s patron Iran was the junior partner in the alliance with Syria.

American officials are exploring how to exploit resulting tensions between Syrian and Hezbollah commanders, said the senior American official.

An official in the region sympathetic to Hezbollah said that enemies were trying to exploit natural tensions that “happen between allies, and between brothers and sisters in the same house,” but would not succeed.

“Even if Hezbollah does battle alone, it is with Syrian approval,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. “Hezbollah is only a stone that helps the builder.”

But others see a loss of Syrian sovereignty to Iran, which needs Syria as a conduit to arm Hezbollah. Charles Lister, a Syria expert at the Brookings Doha Center in Doha, Qatar, said Iran with the help of Hezbollah and other militias is building “a state within a state in Syria — an insurance policy to protect itself against any future Assad demise.”

Ali, 23, a soldier on leave in Damascus from the southern front, said one of his officers, a major, had complained that any Hezbollah fighter was “more important than a Syrian general.”

Then there is simple jealousy. Hezbollah fighters are paid in dollars, while Syrian soldiers get depreciating Syrian pounds. Hezbollah fighters get new black cars and meat with rice, Ali said, while Syrian soldiers make do with dented Russian trucks and stale bread.

A student who recently fled Damascus after being constantly stopped at checkpoints to prove he is not a deserter said that Hezbollah now runs his neighborhood in the old city and once helped him solve a problem between his brother and security forces. (Syrian police, he said, are so little seen that people now smoke hashish openly.)

“If you have Hezbollah wasta,” or connections, he said, “your problems will be solved.” The student identified himself only as Hamed Al Adem, a name he uses as a performance artist, to protect family members still in Damascus.

Even so, Hezbollah is not in a position to bail out Mr. Assad the way it did in 2013, when it sent hundreds of fighters to crush the insurgent hub of Qusayr, near the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah now has more fighters and advisers in Syria than ever, about 5,000, American intelligence officials said. But, said the Syrian with security connections, they “only interfere in areas that are in their own interests.”

The official sympathetic to Hezbollah said it has “maybe thousands” of fighters along the Lebanese border, hundreds in the south, bordering Israel, and only dozens around divided Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

It had none in Idlib city, which he said may have fallen because some Syrian officers failed to correctly assess threats.

The Syrian with security ties said the leadership had not made a priority of defending Idlib. Many government troops, he said, fled after insurgents knocked out their communications network and called “God is Great” from the mosques.

“Damascus and the Syrian coast, other than this nothing is important. Nothing,” he said, adding of Mr. Assad: “He doesn’t give a damn if Syria is destroyed.”

One long-serving soldier said his cousin called from a hastily dug foxhole near Idlib to send shaky goodbyes to his mother. The soldier, who serves on another front and has lost an uncle and a cousin in battle, was enraged to hear that the 10 men pinned down there lacked even a vehicle to flee.

“If I have a kid, I won’t send him to the army,” he declared, complaining that his monthly pay covers just 10 days’ worth of expenses. “Why be killed or slaughtered?”

In Sweida, the mostly pro-government, mostly Druse southern province, “In every single house there is one man at least wanted for the army service,” said Abu Tayem, a Druse activist there.

Last week, he said, after a friend of his was arrested for evading the army, residents attacked security officers, captured one and traded him for the prisoner. Recently, the government tried to recruit Druse forces to be trained by Hezbollah, but few signed up after hearing they would be asked to fight Sunnis in neighboring Dara’a.

To enlist at this point would be foolish, not to speak of dangerous, said Majed, 19, a Druse whose father helped him evade the draft. “When the regime is gone, then our neighbors will be our enemies,” he said.

Fayez Korko, 48, said he helped organize an Assyrian militia in northeastern Syria after villagers concluded that the government’s promises of protection were “empty words.” He called the government “the best of the worst” — better than extremist Islamists — but said that Assyrians would rather die defending their villages than on faraway fronts.

Events like the fall of Idlib, said the Syrian with security ties, are frustrating even a core government constituency — minority Alawites, who belong to Mr. Assad’s sect and disproportionately serve in the military. They are beginning to doubt that the president can protect them, as they gambled in sticking with him for an existential fight, said the Syrian, who is Alawite.

“Syria is not you,” he said, addressing Mr. Assad, “and you are not Syria.”


Correction: May 2, 2015

Because of an editing error, an article on Wednesday about the erosion of the Syrian Army as it suffers a string of defeats and struggles to replenish its ranks misstated the reason that a Syrian with close ties to the security establishment spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Syrian, who said the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah was leading the fight in many places, angering Syrian officers, asked that his name not be used out of concern for his safety, not so he could discuss confidential intelligence assessments.

Anne Barnard and Hwaida Saad reported from Beirut, and Eric Schmitt from Washington. Reporting was contributed by Maher Samaan and Ben Hubbard from Beirut; Somini Sengupta from Amman, Jordan; and an employee of The New York Times from Damascus, Syria.

The New York Times


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[BLACKEAGLE]

72 dead as Syria army battles to free loyalists: monitor

More than 220,000 people have been killed in Syria since anti-government protests broke out in March 2011. (File photo: AFP)

By AFP | Beirut
Monday, 11 May 2015

At least 72 fighters were killed in a single day as the Syrian army battled to relieve some 250 besieged regime loyalists under rebel assault, a monitoring group said Monday.

President Bashar al-Assad had personally pledged to rescue the trapped troops and civilians, who are said to include senior figures and have been holed up in a hospital complex since rebels captured the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughur two weeks ago.

As the relief column fought its way to within two kilometres (just over a mile) of the complex on Sunday morning, the rebels launched an all-out assault, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

At least 40 rebels and 32 government troops were killed in the heavy fighting that erupted inside the complex and with the advancing column, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

The clashes continued into the early hours of Monday with the rebels retaking some ground from the advancing troops before being pushed back.

Among the 250 people holed up inside the complex are around 150 government troops, including "high-ranking officers," as well as their family members and some civil servants, Abdel Rahman said.

It is unclear how much food and ammunition they have left.

The rebels assaulting the complex include fighters of Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

They seized the rest of Jisr al-Shughur on April 25, extending their gains in Idlib province, where they have also captured the provincial capital and a military base in recent weeks.

More than 220,000 people have been killed in Syria since anti-government protests broke out in March 2011 spiralling into civil war in the face of a bloody crackdown by security forces.

Last Update: Monday, 11 May 2015 KSA 11:03 - GMT 08:03
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/11/72-dead-as-Syria-army-battles-to-free-loyalists-monitor-.html

 

[Gasoline]

I see professionalism here.

 

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[UAE]

How many tanks Assad still have. The FSA have been destroying tanks since the beginning of the revolution but have not finish them off! Is he getting Russian supply?