All things general military

[Baron von Kriterium]

SDF artillery is now in play in several areas. For example, attacking Turkish military positions in Nusaybin.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nu...39!4d41.213997

The SDF doesn't have much big gun artillery. They mostly have mortars.

If I were the SDF, I'd send units across the border and take the fight to the Turks. Apparently this is in fact happening in the Syrian city of Afrin (which the Kurds abandoned to the Turks last year).

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

What is Turkey's stated goal with the invasion? ISIS? I mean, we all know they are going after the Kurds, but what is their international justification?

I don't think international justification really matters. After all, both Turkey and the USA are currently illegally occupying Syria and the international community doesn't seem too concerned about that.

From Sultan Erdogan's keyboard:

"The Turkish Armed Forces with the Syrian National Army, just launched #OPERATION PEACESPRING against PKK/YPG and Daesh terrorists in Northern Syria. Our mission is to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area."

[Baron von Kriterium]

Recap for the first two days of “Fountain/Spring/Source of Peace:

At this time, the Turks and their Jihadist proxies have taken about 15-20 villages, clearly intending to envelop the larger towns and force the defenders (and civilians) to flee.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are performing strikes along the entire border east of the Euphrates. They are targeting warehouses, barracks, training camps, and administrative buildings to a depth of 10-15 km inside Syrian territory mainly using long-range artillery. The Turks are using drones up to 50 km inside Syria. They are targeting warehouses, training grounds, and infrastructure.

By the end of the first day (Wednesday), and after more than 180 targets hit, TAF began their ground assault. It hasn’t been haphazard and has been very meticulous (for the Turks).

First, reconnaissance in force in the direction of Tel-Abyad (TA) and Ras-al-Ayn (RAA). The attacking formations encountered resistance, organized at the outskirts of the populated places, reconnoitered the defense system and points and retreated during the night (this is a favourite Syrian Tiger tactic - the Turks finally learned something).

This morning (Syrian local time) - after analysing the actual disposition of the Kurdish defenses - TAF took the decision to perform two main strikes - in the direction of TA and Ayn-Issa - by doing this, they cut off the Kurdish formations operating in the Manbidj area from the other parts of the enclave.

The Kurds have a couple of options here:

a. retreat to the east; or

b. reconcile and appeal to the SAA for help and protection. Unfortunately for the Kurds, Damascus has given them the FU finger. For several years, the Kurds could have reconciled with Damascus, but they didn’t. The Kurds do not have any leverage now with Damascus.

Judging from recent history (Afrin), the Kurds will choose a third option which is to do nothing, and that is typical of SDF leadership.

[CaptainCrunch]

What about a 4th option Baron, which is Kudish attacks on civilian targets in Turkey?


I was starting to see some reports of civilian casualties caused during the arty and air strikes.

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

What about a 4th option Baron, which is Kudish attacks on civilian targets in Turkey?


I was starting to see some reports of civilian casualties caused during the arty and air strikes.

I proposed such an action yesterday in one of my above comments. Up until some recent events today, I thought the time had passed for that, though. I would have attempted raids while the Turks were in their arty preparations. Actually, if you want to roll the dice, and you are convinced the Turks are going to attack you, seize the initiative and cross the border with some raids.

Like I said, some things have allegedly changed in at least the TA area.

The Kurds apparently counterattacked to the NE and have apparently recaptured the two towns on that axis. If that's true, perhaps the Kurds can use that as a stepping point into Turkey. It's hard to say, though because...

...We don't really know the strength and composition of any of the belligerents and there is a lot of noise on Twitter. All of the foes exaggerate what is happening in order to confuse their enemy.

Yes, there have been civilian deaths. A few I know of were Christians in the city of Qamishli, Syria. This is interesting because I wouldn't expect the Turks to attack this city. There is a significant Christian population there and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) occupies the southern parts of the city by the airport. The SAA actually controls the airport. Now, the Christian eyewitness accounts state the Kurds fired their mortars from a Christian neighborhood. This resulted in the Turks firing back into the neighborhood.

Kurd soldiers and militiamen are also allegedly wearing civ clothing so that if they die, they can be used for propaganda purposes. "See! The Turks are targeting civilians!"

[Cliche]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/10/politics/syria-turkey-offensive-displaced-intl-hnk/index.html

Erdogan told the European Union to "come to your senses" during a speech in the capital Ankara on Thursday. "I will say this once again. If you try to label our current operation as an occupation, our job becomes easier, we will open the doors and send the 3.6 million refugees to you."
Concern is mounting over the humanitarian impact of Turkey's operation to push Kurdish-led forces, which Turkey regards as terrorists, in northern Syria back from its border. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who operate in the region were key US allies in the fight against ISIS, but Turkey regards them as enemies. Turkey wants to ensure that the US-allied Kurdish forces withdraw from these areas, and to resettle around 2 million Syrian refugees there.

Just something to factor into troop deployment strategies and ROE.

[Baron von Kriterium]

Ooops.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1182731110981230595

https://twitter.com/user/status/1182744542946168833

[CaptainCrunch]

NSFW!

Turkish General - "And now we're ####ed"

[Baron von Kriterium]

YPG/SDF commander Mazloum spoke with US spox Roebuck on Thursday and USA doesn't want SDF to make a deal yet. The Kurds are fools if they keep taking the advice from USA.


But...perhaps SDF has made a deal with Damascus? I just read YPG/SDF commander Mazloum was in Damascus today and it now looks like SAA is making a move.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1183103229225291776

https://twitter.com/user/status/1183137456859897856

[afc wimbledon]

It would be a nice irony if the outcome of this is Russia and Assad kicked Turkey's ass senseless, no love between the Russians and the Turks in 500 years, I'm sure Putin would get some satisfaction from smacking them around a bit

[Baron von Kriterium]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1183408161992138754

https://twitter.com/user/status/1183410030936317952

https://twitter.com/user/status/1183411420337262593

US forces pulled out of Manbij this morning. The first priority of SAA will be to block any moves by the Sultan's mercenaries against Manbij.

[Muta]

I still can't believe US forces are abandoning the Kurds. This will have dire consequences. Those people fought valiantly alongside the US to contain ISIS and have been loyal and trustworthy through the worst of that crisis. This is absolutely deplorable. Trump is a ####stain on this earth.

[CaptainCrunch]

800 ISIS Prisoners were supposedly either let loose or escaped in the chaos.


All the American's have done is show that they're not trustworthy, and if you want to create a rising issue in that reason, abandon the Kurds who were looking for a place of safety and got it pulled out from under them. Turkey is probably going to see an upswing in terrorist attacks now.

[sharkov]

Judging by how the US treats the Kurds, I'm sure those Hong Kongers will think twice about waving the US flag

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

800 ISIS Prisoners were supposedly either let loose or escaped in the chaos.


All the American's have done is show that they're not trustworthy, and if you want to create a rising issue in that reason, abandon the Kurds who were looking for a place of safety and got it pulled out from under them. Turkey is probably going to see an upswing in terrorist attacks now.

Eight hundred Daesh on the loose leaves 14,000 still in custody. Hopefully, the SDF turns them over to the Syrians and that will be the last we hear of them.

The Kurds could have easily retained their allegiance to the Syrian state four years ago and fought with the SAA and we wouldn't be discussing the events of the past several days. Instead they sided with the USA who, let's not forget, have been illegally occupying Syria since Obama sent them there in 2014. So, fine, people want to believe the USA betrayed their ally, The Kurds, but the reality is the Kurds betrayed Syria and they betrayed themselves.

[CaptainCrunch]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/k...urkey-n1065636

TURKISH-SYRIAN BORDER — Syrian government troops were headed north toward the Turkish border Monday after the Kurds called on Damascus and Moscow for military assistance to repel the advancing Turkish forces, according to Syrian state media and a human rights monitoring group.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Baron von Kriterium

Eight hundred Daesh on the loose leaves 14,000 still in custody. Hopefully, the SDF turns them over to the Syrians and that will be the last we hear of them.

The Kurds could have easily retained their allegiance to the Syrian state four years ago and fought with the SAA and we wouldn't be discussing the events of the past several days. Instead they sided with the USA who, let's not forget, have been illegally occupying Syria since Obama sent them there in 2014. So, fine, people want to believe the USA betrayed their ally, The Kurds, but the reality is the Kurds betrayed Syria and they betrayed themselves.

4 years ago Assad was a month or two away from utter defeat and we were discussing what an Isis run Syria/Iraq would look like (which I think we all agreed was not good for the Kurds) they grabbed the only liferaft they could at the time, a fairly well led US. Hard fault them for assuming Assad was defeated and that the US would never be led by a venal moron who only cares about his hotels in Istanboool as he pronounces it

[CaptainCrunch]

Stories are floating around that Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, killed in a raid by US Special Forces.



Al-Baghdadi founded ISIS and at his height had occupied huge swaths of the Middle East.


Hopefully he is dead, he was a monster who caused unimaginable suffering.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Stories are floating around that Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, killed in a raid by US Special Forces.



Al-Baghdadi founded ISIS and at his height had occupied huge swaths of the Middle East.


Hopefully he is dead, he was a monster who caused unimaginable suffering.

Pending DNA confirmation, white house announcement in the morning.

Hopefully it's confirmed. The depths of hell are too good for this monster.

[Johnny199r]

Glad they got him, if true. However I don't see how this will affect ISIS at all.