Aleppo offensive (October 2015)

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Aleppo offensive (October 2015)
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Aleppo Offensives 2015.svg
     Syrian Army control

     Opposition control      Kurdish control      Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

     Ongoing confrontation or unclear situation
Date 16 October 2015 – present
(6 days)
Location Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Status

Ongoing

  • Tens of thousands of civilians displaced[2]
Territorial
changes
  • The Army captures seven villages, six hills[3][4][5] and a tank base south of Aleppo[6]
Belligerents

Syria

 Iran

Hezbollah
 Russia (air strikes)

Al-Nusra Front
SRCC

Supported by:

 Turkey
 Saudi Arabia
 Qatar
Commanders and leaders
Gen. Qassem Soleimani (chief strategist of offensive) [7]
Russia Viktor Bondarev (chief of staff of Russian air-force)
Gen. Saleh Abdullah (commander of Syrian army) [8]
Ismail Sanif  
(Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki commander)
Bashar Mqaddam  
(al-Sham Rebels Battalions commander)[9]
Casualties and losses
21 killed[10]
11 armored vehicles damaged[10]
41 killed[11]

On 16 October, the Syrian Army launched the large-scale offensive south of Aleppo. The main objective of the operation was to secure the Azzan Mountains, while also creating a larger buffer-zone around the Syrian Government’s only highway leading to the provincial capital.[12]

Preparations[edit]

The origins of the planning of the offensive in Aleppo could be traced back to Gen. Qasem Soleimani's visit to Moscow in July 2015. Gen. Soleimani was reportedly sent to Syria by the supreme leader of Iran himself, Ali Khamenei, in order to discuss military matters with his Russian couterparts and coordinate a joint escalation of forces in Syria.[13]

One month before the offensive south of Aleppo, the military launched another operation east of the city in an attempt to break the two-year siege of the Kuweyres military air base.

Major General Qasem Soleimani reportedly traveled from the Latakia Governorate’s northeastern countryside to the Al-Safeera District of southern Aleppo in order to personally oversee the first phase of the large-scale offensive in the Azzan Mountains. Soleimani did not travel alone to Aleppo – he was escorted by a large convoy of armored vehicles that were largely made up of Iraqi Shi’i militiamen; these aforementioned fighters were tasked with carrying out the planned operations around the Aleppo Governorate’s countryside. Major General Suleimani traveled to Syria on the night of 12 October, to meet with the Iranian and Russian military advisors overseeing the large-scale operations around the Aleppo Governorate’s rural terrain. He was joined by six other senior military officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.[7]

The offensive[edit]

At 10 A.M. (Damascus Time) on the morning of 16 October, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) – in coordination with Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and Kata’ebat Al-Ba’ath (Al-Ba’ath Battalions) – launched their large-scale southern Aleppo offensive after almost one year of inactivity along this rural area in the Azzan Mountains. According to field reports from the provincial capital, the Syrian Armed Forces and Lebanese Resistance captured 4 sites from the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Shamiyah (Levantine Front), Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), killing a number of enemy combatants in the process of their advance in the Aleppo Governorate’s southern countryside.

The Syrian Armed Forces and Lebanese Resistance captured the villages of ‘Abtayn, Al-Wadayhi, and Qala’at Al-Najam, along with the Defense Battalion Base and the farms surrounding it; this rapid progress by the pro-government forces caught the Islamist rebels off-guard, as they frantically retreated to the southwest in order to evade the swarming enemy fighters. In addition to the ground assault on the Islamist rebels, the Russian Air Force has initiated support missions for the Syrian Armed Forces and Lebanese Resistance, carrying out at least 6 air raids on the enemy’s positions in order to propel the pro-government forces across this rugged area of the Aleppo Governorate.[12]

The Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division – in coordination with Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and Kataebat Al-Ba’ath (Al-Ba’ath Battalions) – advanced to the town of Al-Shughaydilah in southern Aleppo after intense firefights with the Islamist rebels of the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra”, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham, and the Free Syrian Army (FSA). The Syrian Armed Forces and Lebanese Resistance advanced to Al-Shughaydilah after securing the southern axis of ‘Abtayn from the Islamist rebels; this aforementioned town is located to the southwest of Al-Shughaydilah and to the southeast of the Khan Touman Dam. In addition to their success at the Al-Shughaydilah front, the Syrian Armed Forces and Lebanese Resistance have completely secured the imperative of Tal Shaghib near the Syrian Governorate’s only supply route to the Aleppo Governorate at the Khanasser Highway; this roadway has come under attack by the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham over the last four months.[14]

On 18 October, government forces captured the village of al-Wadihi.[15] With this, the military was in control of: al-Wadihi, al-Sabqiyya, Ebtin, Tal al-Shahid and Kdar, while it was unclear who controlled al-Shgaydalah after a rebel-counter attack to retake it from the Army.[10] The counter attack was carried out by Sham Revolutionary Brigades and Division 13, the latter a CIA-funded secular group, with videos showing a TOW missile attack destroying a bulldozer and later capturing a BMP-1.[16][17]

On 19 October, government troops captured three hills: al-Snobrat, al-Mahruqat and al-Syriatel.[4] The commander of the Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki rebel group was killed in the fighting during the day.[18] Since the beginning of the offensive, the Army lost at least 11 armored vehicles to TOW AT missiles, according to the SOHR.[16] More weapons and ammunition were also supplied to the FSA through the weekend including mortars and TOWs according to Issa Al-Turkmani a Sultan Murad brigade spokesman.[16] It is also reported that Saudi Arabia alone has delivered 500 AT missiles this weekend, but another rebel spokesman said that the quantity of TOWs was inadequate for the scale of the assault, pointing out that once the missiles were distributed among the groups each ended up with just a couple of tubes, stating that they needed dozens more per group.[16][19]

On 20 October, a rebel official stated the "losses are heavy on both sides and the regime’s advance is very slow”. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people have reportedly fled the southern Aleppo countryside.[2] On 21 October, government forces took control of Al-Sufayrah, Al-Huwayz and reportedly Al-Qarassi.[5][20] The following Morning, 22 October, the Army’s 4th Mechanized Division, in coordination with Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF), Kataebat Al-Ba’ath (Al-Ba’ath Battalions), and Harakat Al-Nujaba (Iraqi Paramilitary) continued their advance and managed to wrest control of two town, Balas and Kafr ‘Abid, from Islamist rebels. Subsequently the rebels were also driven from Ghayghan (also known as Tal Maflass) and Al-Ayoubi (including its surrounding farms) as they were pushed further south towards al-Hadhir.[21]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Leith Fadel. "Two Brigades of Kata'eb Hezbollah Arrive in Aleppo Amid the Presence of General Suleimani". Al-Masdar News. 
  2. ^ a b Russia Makes an Impact in Syrian Battle for Control of Aleppo
  3. ^ Syria army, allies advance near Aleppo with Russian cover
  4. ^ a b Edward. "The regime forces advance again in the southern countryside of Aleppo and take control of 3 hills". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 
  5. ^ a b The regime forces advance again and take control of villages in the southern and eastern countryside of Aleppo
  6. ^ Turkey downs drone as Syria launches Aleppo offensive
  7. ^ a b Leith Fadel. "General Suleimani Oversees the Large-Scale Offensive in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 16 October 2015. 
  8. ^ Leith Abou Fadel on Twitter
  9. ^ Master. "2 commanders killed in the ongoing clashes in the southern countryside of Alappo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 
  10. ^ a b c "About 60 victims killed during the regime forces’ advancement in the southern countryside of Aleppo". SOHR. 
  11. ^ "Syrian rebels say they receive more weapons for Aleppo battle". Mail Online. 
  12. ^ a b Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Launch Their Southern Aleppo Offensive - 4 Sites Captured". Al-Masdar News. 
  13. ^ "How Iranian general plotted out Syrian assault in Moscow". Reuters. Retrieved 16 October 2015. 
  14. ^ Leith Fadel. "News Alert: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Advance to Al-Shughaydilah in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. 
  15. ^ Master. "The violent clashes continue in the southern countryside of Aleppo, and the regime forces advance in the area again". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 
  16. ^ a b c d "Syrian rebels say they receive more weapons for Aleppo battle". Reuters. 
  17. ^ Syria - FSA Division 13 aftermath of SAA bulldozer hit with BGM-71 TOW near Atbin, Hama 17/10. YouTube. 18 October 2015. 
  18. ^ "Syrian troops advance toward air base besieged by IS - US News". US News & World Report. 
  19. ^ "CIA-supplied anti-tank missiles turned Syria into a 'proxy war by happenstance' - Business Insider". Business Insider. 13 October 2015. 
  20. ^ Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Three Villages in Southern Aleppo
  21. ^ http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-and-hezbollah-make-massive-gains-in-southern-aleppo-rebel-defenses-collapse/