Click to see the full-size image
Syria’s new government, which is led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, made new gains in the east of the country, but lost more ground in the southern region.
Late on December 10, the government’s Military Operations Department (MOD) announced that it had taken control of the city of Deir Ezzor after expelling the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Before dissolving with the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) handed over all of its territories in Deir Ezzor to the SDF, which is backed by the United States. The SDF however failed to secure support from Washington to maintain control over these areas and a defection within its Deir Ezzor Military Council helped create enough pressure on the group to withdrew as the MOD advanced.
Along with Deir Ezzor city, the SDF lost several towns in the northern countryside and all the areas formally held by the SAA in the southern countryside down to the al-Qa’im crossing on the border with Iraq. The MOD is now in control of most of the western bank of the Euphrates River.
The push in Deir Ezzor was a major win for the MOD, especially that it came with minimum cost. However, tensions with the SDF and the U.S.-led coalition, will likely grow.
Meanwhile in southern Syria, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continues to advanced beyond the buffer zone with the occupied Golan Heights.
As of early December 11, Israeli troops were reported spotted near the town of Dimas, just a few kilometers to the west from the capital Damascus. The IDF will note likely enter Damascus. And despite some threats to the country’s new rulers, Israel appears to be optimistic about the recent developments in Syria.
Aside from its ongoing ground operations, the IDF continue to target the bases and equipment of the SAA all over Syria.
The IDF announced that the Israeli Air Force and Israeli Navy carried out over 350 strikes during the operation, dubbed internally “Bashan Arrow.”
The military said that it had struck “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria.” It estimated that it destroyed 70-80% of the former Assad regime’s strategic weapons.
The waves of airstrikes carried out by Israeli fighter jets and drones hit Syrian air defense systems, airbases, weapon depots, and weapon production sites in Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra, according to the military.
The IDF said that the airstrikes destroyed many long-range projectiles, Scud missiles, cruise missiles, coast-to-sea missiles, air defense missiles, fighter jets, helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars, and more.
In addition, the Israeli Navy’s strikes at the Minet el-Beida bay and Latakia port on the Syrian coast destroyed 15 Syrian naval vessels, according to the military.
Israel will not likely pull out from Syria anytime soon. Furthermore, the destruction of SAA assets will likely grant Israel more freedom of operation in the future. This will undermine the sovereignty of the new government. Many are already criticizing the MOD for not responding.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
