Long-range aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out strikes with air-based cruise missiles on the ISIS terrorist objects within the air operation
In accordance to the task assigned by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces concerning enhancing combat air operations in the Syrian Arab Republic, crews of Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 long-range aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out strikes with air-based cruise missiles at the ISIS terrorist objects within the air operation.
Today, from 5.00 through 5.30 a.m. (MSK), twelve Tu-22M3 long-range bombers carried out strikes at the ISIS terrorist facilities in Raqqah and Deir-ez-Zor provinces.
From 9.00 through 9.40, Tu-160 and Tu-95MS launched 34 air-based cruise missiles on terrorist objects located in Aleppo and Idlib.
All strikes are performed against the targets, which had been detected in advance.
In total, in the course of the first day of the air operation, 127 combat sorties aimed at 206 terrorist facilities have been planned. By now, the Russian aviation have performed 82 combat sorties and engaged 140 objects of illegal armed groups. The operation is being continued. Subsequent massive airstrikes will be carried out in accordance to the air operation plan.
The number of combat sorties carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces has been doubled. That allows performing crushing and pinpoint strikes against the ISIS militants all over the territory of Syria.
Chief of the General of the Russian Armed Forces General of the Army Valery Gerasimov reported about operations held by the Russian aviation in detail.
Missions carried out by the Russian aviation provided opportunity to the Syrian Armed Forces to take the all-front offensive in Aleppo, Latakia, Idlib, Homs and Damascus provinces, and to liberate vast territories from terrorists.
In the northern Aleppo, the Syrian Armed Forces have liberated approximately 40 inhabited areas. Governmental forces unblocked the Kwaires airbase. At present, the forces continue extending safety zone around the airbase.
Offensive operation at Idlib is being successfully developed; the Syrian Armed Forces are carrying out active offensive 20-30 kilometers far from the city.
Terrorists have been eliminated in 12 inhabited areas in the coastal province of Latakia. Attack units of governmental forces and people’s militia are fiercely fighting for the control over the town of Salma. They have been successful in liberating a number of tactically important heights and inhabited areas on Kobani and Gmam line. Despite the persistent resistance of illegal armed groupings, Syrian units are continuing their offensive.
As a result of the offensive by governmental forces and militia units the inhabited area of Hadat was taken from the terrorists.
The Syrian offensive in the direction of Palmyra is continued. Since the beginning of the active phase of the offensive assault troops advanced by up to 4 kilometers into terrorist occupied territory, blocked terrorists in the inhabited area of Maksam and are currently fighting for the control over the commanding eminence near the entrance to the city.
The liberation of terrorists’ areas of Jaubar and Eastern Guta is continued, with fierce city combat being conducted in the vicinity of DAMASCUS.
For the first time in 4 years of war the Syrian Army has liberated 80 inhabited areas, assuming control over a territory of over 500 square kilometers.
In order to carry out the orders to increase the number of airstrikes against the Islamic State and other extremist organizations the General Staff has devised an Air Operation Plan.
Besides the increase in the number of combat aviation sorties from the Hmeymim airbase, the Plan includes sending 25 long-range aircraft, 8 SU-34 bombers and 4 SU-27SM fighters from Russia to conduct airstrikes in Syria.
Space reconnaissance means of the Middle Eastern region are being reinforced to increase the efficiency of detecting enemy facilities and the accuracy of determining target coordinates.
Ten spacecraft have been assigned to conduct imagery and radar reconnaissance, including civilian-purpose spacecraft.
The orbits of a number of satellites have been corrected to allow them to monitor Syrian territory with required periodicity.
A future reinforcement of the orbital group with operational reserve spacecraft is planned.
Today as a result of the first massive airstrike 14 terrorist facilities of special importance were destroyed with 34 cruise missiles.
Those were control centres of the illegal armed groupings, which coordinated Islamic State troops in Idlib and Aleppo provinces; large depots of ammunition and other supplies located in protected shelters in the North West of Syria; terrorist training camps, where reinforcements for terrorist units and suicide bombers were trained; three large factories manufacturing explosives, suicide vests and unguided rockets.
The aviation group in Hmeymim has carried out 65 combat sorties today. As a result of the airstrikes 6 command centres, 8 ammunition depots, 12 training camps, 4 factories manufacturing rockets and mines, 6 fuel depots belonging to terrorist groups have been destroyed.
SU-34 aircraft destroyed two columns of fuel bowsers and about 50 vehicles. As a result, taking into consideration previous airstrikes aimed at oil supply transports (410 fuellers in total) and several infrastructure elements, the illegal fuel export capabilities of the terrorists have been significantly cut.
The control over the air operation is conducted from the National Centre on State Defence Control of the Russian Federation through Long Range Aviation and Syrian Aviation Group Command communication centres.
The Russian Defence Ministry had informed the US Air Force Command and other coalition countries’ Commands about the airstrikes in advance.
“The conduct of airstrikes on terrorist facilities is continued according to the approved plan. All the assigned missions will be carried out”, stated Chief of the Russian General Staff.
“As a result of missile and bomb strikes, 7 concentrations of military hardware, 4 command centres, 5 large ammunition and armament depots, as well as 5 terrorist infrastructural facilities were destroyed,” reported in his turn Commander of the Long-range aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces Lieutenant General Anatoly Zhikharev.
In the course of the airstrikes, Tu-22M3 bombers within one sortie, which lasted for 5 hours and 20 minutes, covered 4510 km, while strategic bombers Tu-160 and Tu-95MS were in the air for 8 h 20 min and 9 h 30 min correspondently. Their routes constituted 6566 kilometers each.
“In the course of a day, the reinforced wing of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have been carrying out 2 joint airstrikes on ISIS objects in the eastern part of Syria from Mozdok airfield. One of these strikes was carried out at night, the second is carried out at the moment,” explained Anatoly Zhikharev.
“All types of airstrike complexes of the Long-range aviation are involved in the task performance. The crews of strategic bombers perform the assigned tasks on engagement of objects in full accordance with the plan of first massive airstrike,” stated Lieutenant General Anatoly Zhikharev.
According to General Zhikharev, Tu-160’s and Tu-95MS’s have already landed at their airfields after the task performance. “They are undergoing preparations for future sorties; objective monitoring data is being analyzed,” he said.
Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
President Putin attends meeting for Defense Ministry, Russian Air Force destroys 140 targets in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Aleppo
17 November، 2015
Moscow, SANA
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that 4119 rocket and bomb strikes targeted positions and command centers for terrorist organizations in Syria since September 30th, destroying 54 workshops for making ammunition and explosives.
The operations’ center at Russia’s Defense Ministry held a meeting in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
” By conducting military missions in Syria, you are protecting Russia and its citizens,” Putin told his military chiefs.
In turn, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said “We are conducting a mass airstrike campaign against ISIS targets in Syria and we have now doubled the number of sorties”.
Shoigu said that Russia’s strikes targeted terrorists’ positions in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Aleppo and destroyed 140 positions for the terrorist organizations.
Russia’s aircrafts bombed ISIS positions in Aleppo, Shoigu said, adding that 127 sorties are due to be carried out tonight to destroy 206 targets.
Kremlin : Putin, Hollande agree to coordinate in their operations against terrorist organizations in Syria
In this regard, President Putin and his French counterpart Francois Hollande “agreed in particular to ensure closer contacts nand coordination of activity between the military agencies and security services of the two countries in operations against terrorist structures carried out by Russia and France in Syria,” the Kremlin press service reported.
“In a telephone conversation, the two leaders “put special attention to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation against international terrorism” following the crash of a Russian airliner in a bomb blast over Sinai and the Friday chain of terrorist attacks in France,” the Kremlin press service said.
The Kremlin announced that Putin and Hollande will meet in Moscow on November 26th to coordinate action in the fight against terrorism.
Peskov: Syrians alone determine their leadership
Dmitry Peskov, Spokesman for the Russian Presidency stressed that Russia’s stance concerning President Bashar al-Assad is firm as no side, except for the Syrians, can determine who to lead the country.
RT quoted Peskov as saying that some countries are approaching this issues via their private interests and schemes.
14 terrorists killed in explosives workshop blast, infighting continues between Jabhat al-Nusra and Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk
17 November، 2015
Daraa, SANA
More than 14 terrorists from the so-called “Islamic Muthanna Movement” were said to be killed in a blast at a workshop for making explosives in the western countryside of the southern Daraa province.
Local sources said the blast took place as the terrorists were rigging explosive devices at the facility, located in Tafas town.
The sources also said clashes renewed between members from Jabhat al-Nusra and the so-called “Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk” terrorist group in al-Allan area in Daraa western countryside after the former announced on its Twitter account on Sunday that it had killed the chief of Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk.
Dozens of terrorists from both sides were killed or injured, according to the sources.
Abu Ali al-Breidi, the leader of Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk, was said to be killed in a suicide attack by Jabhat al-Nusra that targeted one of the terrorist group’s centers.
Social media pages of the terrorist organizations have been reporting news of the infighting between the two terrorist groups, and said that members of Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk killed around 50 Jabhat al-Nusra leaders in less than one month, in addition to killing and abducting 300 other Jabhat al-Nusra members.
H. Said
The army establishes control over al-Hadath village in Homs
17 November، 2015
Homs, SANA
The army units in cooperation with the popular defense groups established full control over al-Hadath village, located 82 km southeast of Homs city in the central Homs province, a military source announced on Tuesday.
The source told SANA that the army units eliminated a number of gatherings of ISIS terrorists and destroyed many of their vehicles in al-Hadath and later combed the village, where they dismantled tens of explosive devices planted near the locals’ houses and in farms.
The army has continued advancing towards Hawarin and Mhein villages and al-Qaryatain city, the source said.
Sweida
An army unit carried out special operation on the terrorist organizations’ gatherings and hideouts in the southwestern countryside of Sweida province.
The operation led to destroying arms ammunition, gatherings and positions for the terrorist organizations and killing a number of terrorists in Kherbet Samar village, adjacent to the administrative borders of Daraa province.
Army, Popular Forces Advance against ISIL West of Syria’s Palmyra
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army and the National Defense Forces (NDF) won key battles against ISIL terrorists in two key areas in the Western countryside of Palmyra (Tadmour) in Homs province after killing at least 25 militants, sources in Central Syria announced Tuesday.
The sources said that the pro-government forces broke through the ISIL militants’ defense lines in Tal Syriatel and Jabal Ma’ar and retook full control over these two important areas.
The Syrian forces are fortifying their position around the newly-recaptured areas to fend off the ISIL possible infiltration attempts.
On Sunday, the Russian helicopters targeted the ISIL positions West of Palmyra, and killed tens of Takfiri terrorists.
Russian Fighter Jets at Lebanon’s Service Now to Target Terrorists
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Russian fighter jets launched airstrikes against the terrorists’ positions in Lebanon near the border with Syria for the first time on Tuesday.
An informed source told FNA that the attacks were carried out in Ras Baalbek in Lebanon’s Northern Beqaa Valley on Tuesday morning.
The source underlined that the operations were fulfilled successfully and the terrorists sustained fatalities and great damage.
It was the first time that the Russian fighters targeted the terrorists’ positions in Lebanon after they started missions in Syria late September.
On Monday, the Russian helicopters heavily bombed terrorists’ positions in the rugged areas of Qara in Syria and the area separating the Lebanese border town of Al-Qaa from Syrian territories where ISIL and al-Nusra Front terrorists are stationed.
Three Russian helicopters flew over Lebanon’s Northern border with Syria on Sunday.
The Russian airstrikes bombed terrorists’ positions in the rugged areas of Qara in Syria’s Qalamoun and the area separating the Lebanese border town of Al-Qaa from the Syrian territories.
Russia has been conducting precision airstrikes against terrorist positions in Syria at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad since September 30.
Army Inflicts Heavy Losses on Terrorists in Key Provinces
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army backed by Hezbollah fighters and the Russian air force destroyed terrorists’ positions in Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama, Sweida, Dara’a, Deir Ezzur and Lattakia provinces over the last 24 hours.
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were wounded in the Syrian army’s military operations across Syria on Monday.
Aleppo
The Syrian Commandoes engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorist groups in four main neighborhoods of the Northern city of Aleppo, and killed tens of them.
The Syrian soldiers left no safe place for the militant groups in the neighborhoods of al-Rashedeen1, al-Rashedeen4, Salah al-Deen and al-Ameriyeh and targeted their position massively.
The militants suffered heavy casualties and could not regroup due to the army soldiers’ heavy fire.
Meantime, the Saudi field commander of Jeish al-Fath terrorist group was captured alive by the Syrian army troops in Aleppo province.
The Syrian army units captured the Jeish al-Fath field commander Abdullah Mehesni during a special operation near the city of Aleppo.
An informed source revealed that Abdullah Mehesni, a Saudi citizen way up the chain of command of the Takfiri terrorist group, was captured alive after the Syrian forces fired a missile at his car and as he was driving.
Damascus
The Syrian army killed scores of terrorists in Marj al-Sultan village situated to the North of the recently captured Marj al-Sultan Airbase in Damascus countryside.
Syrian forces destroyed fortified positions of terrorist groups, and killed tens of militants in Marj al-Sultan village in Damascus countryside on Monday.
Meantime, the Syrian Army alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF) pushed back the militant groups from al-Rahba and its surrounding farms near Damascus.
The Syrian army troops and NDF fighters stormed the militant groups’ positions near al-Rahba, killed dozens of them and forced them to withdraw from the area.
Military sources said on Monday that the Syrian warplanes targeted the ISIL terrorists’ concentration centers in al-Qalamoun mountainous region in the Southern parts of Syria near the Lebanese border in massive airstrikes.
The ISIL militants’ military grid sustained serious damage from 50 up to 100 percent in the Syrian air fleet’s attack on their positions.
Homs
Scores of militants were killed or wounded when their long supplying tunnel in the Northern part of the Central Homs province came under attack by the Syrian army.
At least six terrorists were killed and many more were injured inside a tunnel near Talbiseh by the army troops.
The tunnel, which was used to supply the Takfiri militants with weapons, ammunition and medical equipment were completely destroyed.
Informed sources said on Monday that the Syrian warplanes launched precision airstrikes on movements and positions of the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the countryside of Homs.
Syrian jets destroyed ISIL targets in the village of Hawarin, Housh Abu Faraj, Meheen town and its vicinity and in al-Mustaoda’at area in the countryside of Homs province.
Tens of militants were killed and the terrorists’ depots, weapons, ammunition and machinegun-equipped vehicles were destroyed in the air raids.
Hama
The Syrian army, backed by popular defense groups, killed more than 50 terrorists during military operations in the Northern countryside of Hama on Monday.
Field sources said the army destroyed fortified positions of Jeish al-Fath terrorists in Attshan village to the North of Hama city, killing 10 terrorists.
Firas al-Saleh, a leader of al-Nusra Front terrorist group, was identified among the dead.
The army troops also conducted military operations against the positions of the al-Nusra Front, Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement terrorist groups, killing 32 terrorists, including Ahmad Khaled al-Bakri.
The troops also destroyed one of the militants’ positions, two armored vehicles and 5 vehicles transporting weapons and ammunition.
Meanwhile, the Syrian forces targeted positions of the “Ajnad al-Sham” terrorist group in Kafr Zita village, Northwest of Hama city, killing 9 terrorists and injuring 5 others.
Ahmad al-Zalf, Mohamed al-Nakar and Ahmad Abad al-Aziz al-Mahmoud were identified among the dead terrorists.
Sweida
The Syrian army annihilated key positions of the ISIL terrorists in the Southern Province of Sweida on Monday.
The army destroyed ISIL positions in Khirbet Sa’d village and al-Ghabeb valley in the Northeastern countryside of Sweida.
The ISIL terrorists reportedly suffered heavy losses in the attacks.
Dara’a
The Syrian army killed all members of a terrorist group in military operations against terrorists’ supply routes in Dara’a province on Monday.
The army killed all members of a terrorist group and destroyed their car to the South of Syriatel Building in Dara’a.
The Syrian troops also destroyed a Takfiris position to the East of the National Hospital in Dara’a al-Balad area.
Deir Ezzur
The Syrian army destroyed the military positions and equipment of the Takfiri terrorists near the Deir Ezzur military airport on Monday.
An army unit razed down the terrorists’ positions in al-Kuruma Hilltop located to the East of the Deir Ezzur military airport.
Tens of terrorists were killed and their 14.5-mm heavy machinegun was also destroyed during the attack.
Another Syrian army unit destroyed a tunnel used by the ISIL terrorists in al-Sina’a neighborhood in the Southeastern parts of the Deir Ezzur city.
All the terrorists hiding inside the tunnel were killed and their arms depot was also destroyed.
Lattakia
The Syrian Army and popular forces won another battle against al-Nusra Front, with Russian choppers’ back up, and retook full control over Kabani village in the Northern part of the coastal Lattakia province on Monday.
The sources said that the Syrian Armed Forces raided the defense lines of Nusra terrorists at Kabani to the North of Rweiset Eskandar, seizing this village after Nusra withdrew from their posts in order to evade the swarming Russian MI-24 Hind Helicopter Gunships.
Syrian, Hezbollah Forces Determined to Lift Militants’ Siege on Fou’aa, Kafraya in Idlib
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters are resolved to end the several-month-long siege on Fou’aa and Kafraya as they have deployed forces just 17 km away from the two besieged towns, military sources said Tuesday.
The sources said that an ultimate goal for the army and Hezbollah is to capture the territory leading to Kafraya and Al-Fou’aa; and by doing so, they will no longer be at the mercy of the terrorist groups that use these two towns to threaten the pro-government forces with an attack on the civilian populous.
As of now, Hezbollah and their allies are approximately 17km away from Al-Fou’aa and only 11km from the militant stronghold of Taftanaz; if the aforementioned town is captured, the terrorist groups will be in serious trouble.
On Monday, at least 37 terrorists were killed in Syrian army operations in Idlib province as the troops continue to tighten noose on the militants in several areas across the country.
At least 17 Takfiri militants of al-Nusra Front were killed during an army operation against terrorists’ positions in al-Tama’a town to the South of Idlib city, field sources said Sunday.
The army also killed at least 20 terrorists during military operations against the militants’ ammunition distribution center and positions in the Northern parts of Maaret al-Numan.
Russia Fires Missiles from Mediterranean on Targets in ISIL Stronghold Raqqa
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Russian military has launched airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) stronghold of Raqqa in Syria with cruise missiles from their ships in the Mediterranean Sea, France’s Le Monde newspaper said, citing a French official.
The information that Russia has struck ISIL positions in Raqqa has been also reported by a senior French government source, cited by Reuters, RT reported.
A US official told Reuters that Moscow has conducted a significant number of strikes in Syria using both sea-launched cruise missiles and long-range bombers. He added that Russia gave notice to Washington ahead of the airstrikes, in accordance with an agreement on air safety.
Russia gave notice to Washington ahead of the airstrikes, in accordance with an agreement on air safety, US official said, adding that some of Russian strikes had targeted Raqqa, the stronghold of ISIL militants.
This is the second time Russia has hit ISIL positions in Syria from the sea. The first attack was in October this year when Russian warships fired cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea to hit several ISIL positions in Syria.
On September 30, Russia launched its military operation against ISIL at the request of the Syrian government. Since the start of the operation the Russian military have destroyed hundreds of extremist targets in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Deir Ezzur, Hama, Homs, Idlib and Latakia.
SYRIA 360° INTERNATIONALIST 