[QUOTE]News outlets close to the Syrian regime and the Lebanese Shia militia Hizbollah, which has come to its support, said that "Operation Northern Storm" to retake Aleppo, the biggest city in the country, and the surrounding countryside had begun. Other sources told the AFP news agency that the battle would start in "the coming days or hours".
There was no evidence of a major attack last night, but there was renewed fighting near a government-held base on the north-western outskirts. Hizbollah reinforcements were said to have arrived in the area, while a video leaked to an opposition website showed a regime general recruiting men from two Shia towns to join in a fresh attack.
The regime is in high spirits after the Syrian army and Hizbollah retook Qusayr, close to the Lebanese border. They continued their advance over the weekend, sweeping through the last opposition-held villages north of the town.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10109013/Syria-Assad-forces-massing-for-major-assault-on-Aleppo.html[/url]
This battle is going to be big.
But honestly I think its GG for the "Rebels"
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;40968753]This battle is going to be big.
But honestly I think its GG for the "Rebels"[/QUOTE]
It has to be big, you don't just give any old battle a badass name like "Operation Northern Storm".
This is going to be interesting, the SAA doesn't have nearly as much control of the highways leading in and out of Aleppo as Al-Qusayr so logistics are going to be much harder. My prediction is a few concessions here and there by the rebels but overall Aleppo will still stalemate
Siege of Sarajevo 2: This time, it's Syrious.
Battle for Aleppo 2: Hezbollah boogaloo
Took the regime weeks to take al-Qusayr, that was with Hezbollah doing a lot of heavy lifting. Yet again Hezbollah is here massing in the thousands in Aleppo to probably again conduct the assault. Assad also moved his elite Republican Guard units north from Damascus to participate.
There are tens of thousands of rebels in and around Aleppo, rebels of all stripes too.
Picture shows you the size difference between Qusayr and Aleppo. This won't end quickly.
[IMG]http://puu.sh/3cpca.jpg[/IMG]
Also worthy to note is that despite the regime thumping the shit out of its chest about the victory at Qusayr, it wasn't the be all end all in the slightest.
Rebels recently have been making continuous gains in the Daraa province and just took a town equal to the size of Qusayr and half of another.
[img]http://puu.sh/3cphL.jpg[/img]
Also for those who may be interested here is the endgame of Qusayr.
[img]http://puu.sh/3cpiC.jpg[/img]
Are there any maps of all of Syria and the divisions between Rebel and Government?
[QUOTE=person11;40969084]Are there any maps of all of Syria and the divisions between Rebel and Government?[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_and_towns_during_the_Syrian_civil_war[/URL]
[editline]10th June 2013[/editline]
Really a portion of this is just a big morale power play. Trying to break the morale of the rebels who some are in dire need of supplies and bolster his nationalistic shia and alawite followers. He's trying to get as much done as he can before anyone tries to force him to a negotiations table or tries providing the rebels arms.
Assad is riding high or at least likes to put out the illusion that he is after Qusayr so he has to smash as much shit as he can thoroughly and quickly.
The conflict continues to become more hot and sectarian. Both sides feed the flames directly and indirectly. The bad apples in the Sunni and Shia crowds are really stiring up shit and even if some of them are a minority overall it really poisons everything when you go and massacre a Sunni village or cut off a mans head cause he's Shia.
Iran basically set up and created an entire militia (National Defense Force, aka Shabiha 2.0) for him and now he has more men in his manpower pool, loyal but not the best trained. Iran sends munitions and aid constantly, gave multiple huge lines of credit to Assad, and sent in their lapdog Hezbollah to help Iran pull up Assad's socks for him and act as even more manpower.
Basically if it wasn't for Iran wiping the dirt off of Assad's face and carrying him he'd be a hugely worse position currently.
Aleppo's the big one basically
[QUOTE=Aman;40969090][URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_and_towns_during_the_Syrian_civil_war[/URL]
[editline]10th June 2013[/editline]
Really a portion of this is just a big morale power play. Trying to break the morale of the rebels who some are in dire need of supplies and bolster his nationalistic shia and alawite followers. He's trying to get as much done as he can before anyone tries to force him to a negotiations table or tries providing the rebels arms.
Assad is riding high or at least likes to put out the illusion that he is after Qusayr so he has to smash as much shit as he can thoroughly and quickly.
The conflict continues to become more hot and sectarian. Both sides feed the flames directly and indirectly. The bad apples in the Sunni and Shia crowds are really stiring up shit and even if some of them are a minority overall it really poisons everything when you go and massacre a Sunni village or cut off a mans head cause he's Shia.
Iran basically set up and created an entire militia (National Defense Force, aka Shabiha 2.0) for him and now he has more men in his manpower pool, loyal but not the best trained. Iran sends munitions and aid constantly, gave multiple huge lines of credit to Assad, and sent in their lapdog Hezbollah to help Iran pull up Assad's socks for him and act as even more manpower.
Basically if it wasn't for Iran wiping the dirt off of Assad's face and carrying him he'd be a hugely worse position currently.[/QUOTE]
Thanks a lot for your post and the images. Really makes me wonder why we're not more pissed at Iran.
This is going to Syria's Stalingrad. Just complete carnage with pretty much the entire city it ruins. This can't have any ending but a bad one.
[QUOTE=galenmarek;40969527]This is going to Syria's Stalingrad. Just complete carnage with pretty much the entire city it ruins. This can't have any ending but a bad one.[/QUOTE]
Playing Stalingrad in Medal of Honor made me question military tactics as a whole;
"Hey guys lets all charge into the middle of this kill-zone"
It is sad that you know this will end in a massacre by either side.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;40969536]Playing Stalingrad in Medal of Honor made me question military tactics as a whole;
"Hey guys lets all charge into the middle of this kill-zone"[/QUOTE]
I remember a story from a machine-gunner in Stalingrad (can't remember which side), he set up his gun in a hallway and by the time it was over there were like 20 bodies in the hall.
I have a feeling they will crush the rebels there. Then there will be a weaker FSA and finally negotiations will take place, keeping Assad in power.
Everyone will be happy, the west too, coz the islamists are gone.
Qusair fell to Assad+hezbollah and all the arab sunni clerics q.q'd for help (arms and manpower - suddenly it was a religious obligation when hezbollah joined), but nothing changed, arab states arent ready to give in support like iran because of the terrorist status given to some factions of the rebels. USA still deciding whether to arm or not.
[QUOTE=C47;40970766]I have a feeling like they will crush the rebels there. Then there will be a weaker FSA and finally negotiations will take place, keeping Assad in power.
Everyone will be happy, the west too, coz the islamists are gone.[/QUOTE]
Syria will be weaker, and Assad's rule (In the case the army weakens the rebels greatly) will probably get worse as they might persecute opposition
There is no good ending and no one is going to be happy
I think FSA is also worried about the islamists and they want this to end as much as Assad and the rest of the world. They just want to get back to the tables and end the struggle.
The thing is, without the islamists, Assad has no reason to stop crushing the rest of the rebels... maybe if the west intervenes afterwards, but Russia would probably want to come into play for that.
[QUOTE=Niklas;40969545]It is sad that you know this will end in a massacre by either side.[/QUOTE]
Except the rebel army doesn't begin it's assaults by dropping BM-21 barrages on civilians.
[QUOTE=hypno-toad;40971117]Except the rebel army doesn't begin it's assaults by dropping BM-21 barrages on civilians.[/QUOTE]
The army isn't stupid, they aren't going to intentionaly waste heavy ammunition on neutral targets at this phase. And I'd argue that the rebels are just as bad or a little worse because they don't have any proper equipment to use with their organized mortar, artillery and home-made artillery attacks. I even saw video where they tried to use air-to-air missiles against (Assad?) they just launched it like a Qassam.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.