Peshmerga: Iraqi Military Advancing in Two Areas Disputed With Kurds

October 18, 2017 By administrator

Kurdish Peshmerga Ministry reports Iraqi military’s offensive in Diyala province and nearby the Mosul Dam.

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) – Iraqi forces are continuing their advance in two areas disputed between Baghdad and Kurdistan, the secretary general of the Kurdish Peshmerga Ministry told Sputnik on Wednesday.

“Military action is underway, especially in two regions. There is an offensive in an area of the Diyala province … there is also another direction of advance in the area of the Mosul Dam. [Iraqi forces] are heading to the Syrian border, to the Rabia border crossing. From there, they will go in the direction of the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing at the Turkish border,” Jabbar Yawar said.

There are Peshmerga troops in these regions, however, they are not engaging in clashes with the Iraqi military in an effort to avoid confrontation, Yawar pointed out.

The tensions between Baghdad and Erbil escalated after recent independence referendum held in the Kurdistan region as well as disputed areas. At the vote, over 90 percent of the Kurds supported secession from Iraq. However, the referendum has been harshly opposed by Baghdad.

Earlier in the week, Iraqi forces, supported by Shiite militias, conducted an offensive on the disputed oil-rich region of Kirkuk. Media reported on Monday, that the Baghdad forces had gained control of the city. On Tuesday, Barzani said that the situation follows Peshmerga’s withdrawal from Kirkuk due to a unilateral decision of some Kurdish politicians.

Peshmerga secretary general suggested that Iraqi forces will not continue to advance beyond Kurdistan’s borders.

“I cannot imagine [the continuation of the Iraqi offensive into Kurdistan]. The troops will reach the border of 2003, they will establish control over these regions, and from there, they will head to the border crossings,” Jabar Yawar said, suggesting that Baghdad strives to capture and shut down the crossings at Kurdistan’s border with neighboring countries.

Such actions by Baghdad would mean a complete economic and military blockade of Kurdistan, Yawar pointed out.

Syria: Army moving towards the Turkish border (OSDH)

February 7, 2016 By administrator

arton121852-480x301 The Syrian army, backed by Russian aviation, advanced Sunday towards a rebellious city about twenty kilometers from the Turkish border, as part of its lightning offensive in Aleppo province, the Observatory Syrian Human rights (OSDH).

“The regime’s troops are now located 7 km from the town of Tall Rifaat, one of the last bastions three rebels in the northern part of the province of Aleppo” with Azaz and Marea, told AFP Rami Abdel Rahman, Director OSDH. Tall Rifaat is in the hands of insurgents since 2012. “The regime is moving towards the north of the province to take Tall Rifaat then Azaz with the ultimate goal of reaching the Turkish border to prevent the rebels from crossing and weapons from the Turkey “, says Abdel Rahman. The near daily Al-Watan regime also reported Sunday that “the army has made progress Tall Rifaat (…) If this city falls, the army will move to take control of the entire northern Aleppo province. “

These new developments come after a series of advanced army of Bashar al-Assad since Monday with the crucial support of the Russian air strikes, Lebanese Hezbollah and militia in the northern province of Aleppo. This is highly fragmented: the insurgents are present in western and northern part of the regime in the north, east and south of the city of Aleppo, the organization Islamic state in the east and part of the north the province and the Kurds in the northwest and northeast.

In its offensive, the regime has managed to cut the main supply route between rebels in the east of the city of Aleppo and Turkey, which are now virtually besieged alongside 350,000 civilians. The battle of Aleppo could represent a turning point in the Syrian war as a total loss of the country’s second city, divided in two since 2012, strongly weaken the rebels struggling on other fronts. Furthermore, in the province of Damascus, the army surrounded the city since Saturday night Daraya, the last rebel stronghold in the south of the capital and the insurgents since 2012.

Sunday, February 7, 2016,
Stéphane © armenews.com

With Russian Support, Syrian Army Advancing Toward Turkish Border

November 22, 2015 By administrator

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army and popular forces purged the terrorists and advanced to areas near the Turkish borders.

The Syrian sources in the battlefield said that the Syrian army took control of Zahia heights in the Northern countryside of Lattakia, 2km from the joint borders with Turkey.

The Syrian army, supported by Russia, has launched massive airstrikes against the terrorists’ hideouts in the countryside of Lattakia.

The Syrian troops made major advances in different parts of Lattakia in the past few days after pushing back terrorists from their positions across the coastal province and killed several groups of militants, including their senior commanders.

The Syrian Army and National Defense Forces (NDF) pushed back the terrorist groups form more lands in the Northern territories of Lattakia after fierce clashes with the terrorists on Saturday.

The Takfiri terrorists withdrew from al-Zahi mountains and Burj al-Zahi after their positions came under massive attack of the pro-government forces.

Meantime, nearly 25 militants of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) and al-Nusra Front were killed in a joint operation carried out by the Syrian Army troops and the Russian air force in Lattakia province.

Command and control centers of the above-mentioned militant groups in Lattakia province sustained heavy damage in the pro-government forces’ (Syrian army, Russian fighter jets and choppers) operation.

The militant groups’ military hardware also was destroyed in the joint operation.

Also, the Syrian fighter jets intensified airstrikes on the Takfiri terrorists’ strongholds in the Lattakia, leaving a large group of the militants dead.

The Syrian air raids hit the Takfiris’ concentration centers in Dweir al-Akrad, al-Sheikh Yousef, Jabal al-Katf and Jabal Abu Hiddo in Lattakia.

Tens of militants were killed in the air attacks.

In the meantime, the Syrian army killed a senior commander of al-Nusra Front in Lattakia province.

The sources said the Syrian troops have killed Zakaria Abdullah, a prominent leader of al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front, in Lattakia province.

The terrorist groups admitted that some 11 terrorists, including their senior commander, have been killed in the Northern countryside of Lattakia.

The Terrorist groups said on their social media pages that 11 of their members were killed in the Northern countryside of Lattakia.

The Takfiri militant groups also published the names and photos of a number of their casualties, including Zakria Abdullah, the so-called leader of the Osman Ghazi Battalion which is affiliated to “Liwa al-Sultan Abdul Hamid” or “Al-Sultan Abdul Hamid Brigade”.