On September 30, 2015, in response to an official request from the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, the Russian aerospace forces began to strike at the positions of the ISIS group (the Western media claim that at the same time positions were also subjected to air attacks some anti-Assad forces from the so-called "moderate Syrian opposition"). After undermining the combat power of the Islamists as a result of air strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces, the Syrian army launched an offensive on their positions in different parts of the country, which continues to this day
"Beginning of the end" Islamists in Syria
Since the beginning of October, for a whole week, the Russian Aerospace Forces have been bombing the infrastructure of ISIS militants. On October 7, 2015, ships of the Caspian Flotilla launched 26 sea-launched cruise missiles at ISIS targets in Syria. On the same day, the offensive of the Syrian army began. The month of October passed in stubborn battles. The first attacks on the militants were carried out north of the city of Hama, the center of the province of the same name.
To the north of Hama, the militants formed a bridgehead for an attack on it, resembling a "gut" elongated from north to south, inside which the cities of Kifr-Zita and Latamina are located (the so-called "Lataminsky ledge", on the map below it is a kind of green "appendix" stretching in the direction of Hama). In their direction, the first blow of government troops was de alt, which followed after the massive air strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The success of the Syrian army was not long in coming. And although a full-fledged boiler did not work out, the Islamists in a hurry left the long-prepared bridgehead. The offensive to the east of the Latamin ledge was also successful, but to the west of it it was stopped by the Islamists. But in general, this operation of the Syrian troops was successful, as the immediate threat to Hama was eliminated, and the militants were driven back north to the province of Idlib, which at the beginning of October was almost completely controlled by the anti-government armed opposition.
Continued offensive on Idlib
The offensive of the Syrian army continued in a northerly direction from the city of Murika along a strategic highway connecting the city centers of two neighboring provinces - Hama and Idlib. The city of El-Taiba was the first in this direction to be liberated. Thus, the Syrian army established control over the aforementioned highway.
After three years under militant control, El-Taiba is returning to civilian life. Among its inhabitants there were many who fought on the side of the militants, so their adaptation toThe new environment will not be easy. To solve this problem, the city has established national reconciliation committees.
The situation in the Aleppo area in early October 2015
After the first successes in October, the offensive of the Syrian army continued in the area of the city of Aleppo. Here, in the previous periods of confrontation, the situation was especially difficult, and the front line curved into a bizarre spiral (see the map below).
Southeast of Aleppo around the city of Safira is territory controlled by the Syrian army. To the northeast of it are areas captured by ISIS militants. East of Safira is the Qweiris government air base, where Syrian units have been under siege since April 2013.
Actions of the Syrian army near Aleppo in October
This period of time has been extremely stressful. On October 15, the Syrian army launched an offensive with the participation of Iranian and Iraqi allies, as well as Shiite fighters from the Hezbollah group, in the direction of the Damascus-Aleppo highway with the prospect of exiting through the province of Idlib to the Western Latakia region. During the period from October 16 to 23, the advancing Syrian units managed to liberate several settlements south of Aleppo, in particular the villages of Tal Sabin and Al-Jaberiya, as well as the city of Al-Mofles. The military managed to occupy the strategic heights of Senobarat northwest of the village of Al-Wazikhi, which made it possible to control the maneuvers of the militants in the city of Karasi.
At the same time, the offensive developed from the area of the city of Zafira in a northeast direction in order to release the Kveiris airbase. Here, the Syrian troops and Hezbollah detachments were attacking from two directions, trying to close the ring of circling militants just in the area of Kveiris. During this offensive, the cities of Tell Sebain and El Jdeida were liberated.
ISIS counterstrike in the Hama area
In an effort to disrupt the offensive of the Syrian army south of Aleppo, the enemy, represented by ISIS militants and the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, called Jabhat al-Nusra, on October 22 attacked army positions east of the city of Hama. As a result, they cut the Hama-Khanasir-Aleppo highway, cutting off the supply lines of the advancing Syrian troops south of Aleppo. At the same time, reinforcements of militants moved from the Raqqa region, which is the capital of ISIS, in the direction of Hama. Western media were quick to report that the offensive of government forces in the Aleppo region "bogged down".
However, they wishful thinking. Responding quickly to the changing situation, the Syrian army command deployed additional troops to the area east of Hama, where fierce fighting broke out near the village of Nasaraya.
Meanwhile, the offensive of the Syrian army south of Aleppo continued. On October 23, the villages of Tell Mahdia, El-Kurasi, El-Khuweiz and El-Imara were liberated. The offensive in the direction of Kweiris did not stop either, here the town of Al-Jubal near the town of Es-Safira was liberated.
Counterattack by militants in the Safira area
In an effort to prevent the release of the Kveiris air base, the militants regrouped their forces and on November 1 launched a counterattack on the city of Safira. Their goal was to cut off the supply lines of the advancing units of the Syrian army and Hezbollah with their subsequent destruction. The attack on Kveiris had to be postponed, and some of the troops were transferred to the Safira region to repel enemy attacks. On November 1-2, the militants made 15 attacks on Safira, but they were all repulsed by Syrian soldiers, and this was a real victory, as the bloodless militants stopped their offensive and retreated. The Syrian army, having regrouped, continued the operation to release Kweiris.
Continued offensive in the Aleppo region in November and December 2015
On November 2, the Syrian army completely surrounded the city of Al-Khader, south of Aleppo, which was the base for militants from Jabhat al-Nusra. This city is located near the strategic highway Hama-Khanasir-Aleppo, which government forces took control of the next day.
The offensive of the Syrian army continued in the direction of the Kveiris air base. The month of November finally brought success in the operation to release it.
El-Khader was liberated and previously surrounded on November 12.
In mid-November, fighting began north of Aleppo, as well as in the city itself, where the army holds part of the quarters, and militants settled in another part of the city.
By the end of November, the army units liberated all the villages around the Kveiris airfield and cut the lines of communication between Aleppo andRaqqa, which is the capital of ISIS.
In retaliation for failures, militants fired rockets at Aleppo twice in the first half of December. Dozens of civilians were killed. The Syrian army, developing an offensive near Aleppo, liberated the city of Maatra on December 22.
Syrian army operations in 2016
On January 12, 2016, the Syrian government announced that its army and allied forces had taken "full control" over the strategically located city of Salma, whose pre-war population was predominantly Sunni. The city is located in the northwestern province of Latakia. After that, government troops continue to move north, pushing ISIS fighters to the Turkish-Syrian border.
On January 24, 2016, the Syrian government announced that its troops had captured the predominantly Sunni town of Rabiya. This is the last major city held by militants in the province of Western Latakia. Russian airstrikes reportedly played a major role in the success of the operation. The capture of Rabiya seriously threatens the supply routes of militants from Turkey.
