ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

ISIL Militant Admits to Buying Arms in Ukraine, Sending to Syria via Turkey



TEHRAN (FNA)- Kuwaiti security forces have uncovered an international cell that supplied the ISIL terrorist group with Ukrainian-made weapons, funds and new recruits, US media disclosed on Friday.
Six members of the group were arrested but four others are still at large, AP reported, citing Interior Ministry officials in Kuwait City.

The leader of the group, 45-year-old Lebanese national Osama Khayat, was detained first and disclosed information about the rest of the members during interrogation, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the information provided by Khayat, the cell was involved in making arms deals on behalf of the ISIL leaders in Syria, including buying Chinese-made FN-6 portable air defense systems and other weaponry, which were shipped to ISIL in Syria through Turkey.

During questioning, Khayat also admitted to transferring money to Turkish bank accounts as well as spreading ISIL propaganda online to get new recruits.

Besides the Lebanese mastermind, Kuwaiti authorities arrested three Syrians, an Egyptian and a Kuwaiti and said four others — two Syrians and two Australians of Lebanese origin — were outside the country.

Ok they have do a very loud air attack tuesday seems vs IS only ? but according French Defense Minister before only 25 % of attack are vs IS the remains for rebels in fact opponents ... and i hope this ratio changes...

SampanViking said:

The two most recent maps from edmaps of Aleppo show SAA consolidation of territory taken in the Southern breakthrough and control now extending to a large stretch of the M5.
Around Kuweires they are consolidating large areas around the Airbase and expanding in pretty much all directions.
The maps are worth many words of narrative

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I'm very interested in details of why that pocket in the north, the area near Khan Tuman and Al-Qarassi, in particular, has been such a though nut to crack. Of course, the objective is to flow like water; so, maybe they just haven't invested resources there when they can make gains elsewhere.

SampanViking, I think the one word you used in an earlier post is the only narrative needed; rout!

Cited from Al Monitor:

Regarding his work organizing the militias, Hamedani said most of them are Sunnis. Iran had organized 42 brigades and 138 battalions, and 30,000 Sunni soldiers were trained in Iran, he said.

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Hamedani is the highest ranking Iranian officer killed in Syria. This is from a speech by him in March this year.

So Iran is not organizing mostly Shiite militias but helping to maintain Syria as a religiously mixed country, contrary to Western allegations.

Those cruise missiles strike from the Caspian again !!

Wow Russia is really "Putin" the pressure on ISIS

Putin is really now going full throttle

This is why you don't mess with Russians you can never write them off

UN backs resolution authorising armed force against Isil

Harriet Alexander reports that the UN has backed the use of force against Isil

The United Nations has approved a French proposal which authorises “combat by all means” against the Islamic State.

Immediately after the vote on Friday night, France announced that it was tripling the strikes against Isil in Syria, with air strikes launched from their aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

Resolution 2249 does not provide any legal basis for military action and does not invoke chapter seven of the UN charter that authorises the use of force.

French diplomats maintain, however, that it will provide important international political support to the anti-Isil campaign that has been ramped up since the attacks in Paris on Friday that left 129 dead.

"This text is a call for international mobilisation," said Francois Delattre, France's ambassador to the UN.

David Cameron called it "an important moment".

"We cannot expect others to shoulder burdens and risks of protecting this country,” he said.

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Nov., 20, 2015
Tu-160 bombing raid

nicky said:

Nov., 20, 2015
Tu-160 bombing raid

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Again, more message to NATO then actually useful . Real damage to ISIS and other jihadis comes from unglamorous but numerous Su-25 and Su-24 sorties . Tu-160 strikes are a show to deter other interested parties in conflict . Countries like Great Britain, France, Germany etc know now there are fully armed Russian bombers patrolling near their borders, that could theoretically strike at any moment. Therefore, they would be lot less inclined to make aggressive movements against Russian interests .

thunderchief said:

Again, more message to NATO then actually useful . Real damage to ISIS and other jihadis comes from unglamorous but numerous Su-25 and Su-24 sorties . Tu-160 strikes are a show to deter other interested parties in conflict . Countries like Great Britain, France, Germany etc know now there are fully armed Russian bombers patrolling near their borders, that could theoretically strike at any moment. Therefore, they would be lot less inclined to make aggressive movements against Russian interests .

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Don't forget our unglamorous A10 and AC130s when allowed to by the rules of engagement probably the most effective ground support aircraft types in use today and when it comes to them I'm a complete homer