Syrian Army Pours Into Key Town of Khan Shaykhoun, Encircles Large Rebel Salient
After failed bailout attempt Sultan Papa Jihadi left with egg on his face
After the newly restarted Syrian army offensive made its way into the first buildings in the town of Khan Shaykhoun, but also enveloped it from the north and cut the key M5 highway above it, there was a flurry of reports from normally anti-government sources that rebels had evacuated all the settlements to the south of the M5 breach.
The reports were then denied by HTS (al-Qaeda) introducing yet more uncertainty as to what exactly had happened. (Possibly most of the other rebels withdrew but some al-Qaeda stayed behind).
It seems the reports were at the very least partly true though, as the Syrian army has since been able to secure Khan Shaykhoun quickly, with only light fighting in the town itself, possibly against what was merely a left-behind rear guard.
Oleg Blohin, the Russian reporter for Anna News in the town:
❗️Олег Блохин ★ Опубликовал видео поездки по улицам ОСВОБОЖДЁННОГО Хан-Шейхуна (ВИДЕО) ⇢ pic.twitter.com/rK7OvaZ11F
— PoliteMaps (@PoliteMaps) August 22, 2019
Furthermore, while Khan Shaykhoun was first reached and taken from the west, Syrian army units from the east of the North Hama salient have also since advanced to the town, meaning the salient has been turned into a pocket and cut off from the main rebel territory in the north.
NEW MAP: #SAA took control of #KhanSheikoun and isolated the towns of #Morek, #KafarZita and #Latamina. Losing these heavily fortified towns (and now besieged forces) is a heavy blow to the militants operating in #Idlib. #Syria.
HD-map: https://t.co/c4hjoyX0w8 pic.twitter.com/4hOaah8pfP
— Peto Lucem (@PetoLucem) August 21, 2019
Khan Shaykhoun had the pre-war population of 35,000 and was one of the five largest remining towns in rebel hands. The pocket that has now been formed includes the towns of Morek, Latamina and Kafr Zayta each home to around 15,000 people before the war.
It remains to be seen how many rebels, if any, have stayed behind, to defend the rebel control of these towns but either way there is now no doubt they will be defeated. Combined with the gain of Khan Shaykhoun the collapse of the North Hama salient/cauldron will mean that the Syrian army in a swiftly fashion restored control of territory home to over 100,000 people.
Still left in the cauldron is also Turkey’s southermost military post in Syria, near the town of Morek, part of Erdogan’s effort to try and protect the Islamist rebels from the government.
Indeed the position of the Turkish military base on the M5 highway mean the Syrians had to find another way to Khan Shaykhoun, but that turned out to Syrian army’s advantage.
Turkey is left looking particularly embarrassed here with its Monday pouring in of reinforcements into Idlib to try and shore up the rebels, only to have them abandon the battlefield at Khan Shaykhoun just the same.
Turkish troops in Morek will now need Russian and Syrian government help to safely evacuate the pocket and how this is handled will set a precedent for how all such evacuations after Syrian government gains are handled.
Gains since the very start of the offensive:
https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.beeley/posts/10159385236633868
Smoke is haram 😜😜😜😜 pic.twitter.com/5BnQqJ1wiW
— maytham (@maytham956) August 20, 2019
Let’s hope the Turks and Americans don’t attack the Syrian Army in order to help the terrorists and keep the status quo.
Every time the Syrian people make progress against the terrorists, the Americans and Turks start arming the terrorists and supply them with more weapons and more cover.
This is great news.
I have been watching/reading ANNA News for the last month, as I find it to be the best with the most recent news in regards to this latest offensive. The Russian reporters w/ ANNA on the front lines along side the SAA is impressive, and one can see, the Russians (and Syrians) have had enough of USUKEU and Turkish demon crazy bloodlust.
For several weeks the Russian and Syrian ‘eyes in the sky’ have been locating and tracking the psychos; confirming locations of ammo dumps, infrastructure, hospitals, weapons manufacturing, water/food storage, marshaling points, launch sites, ambush sites, storage facilities, etc, and in the last 2 weeks have launched an unprecedented (in Syria) aerial attack on these targets, causing a massive hemorrhage for the UN psychos.
No doubt causing Putin’s and Lavrov’s phone to ring off the hook. The Turks are freaking…all the while using bluster to say… “we are not moving”. I found that braindead bravado to be too funny. Considering as of 19 Aug its convoy had been stopped dead in its tracks… Now what.
As of last night, 20 August, the Khan Shaykhan pocket had not been closed. There was much talk of it being competed, but there were still so many variables. But, with the RuAF’s and SAF’s huge up-tick in Air to Ground attacks as of late, it would seem to have been enough. What great news to wake to.
With a smile I write… the Turks are fuked, and have posted this on several other places…”payback is a bitch”… Turkey should never have shot down a Russian fighter and then killed it pilot…Russian’s have a LONG mind. The Sultan will get his… and here it is… not only is Turkey’s convoy royally screwed, so is its outpost. One thing NO ONE is talking about is, how many Foreign Spooks/SF/mercs (no one cares about zombie, idiot “terrorists”) have been turn into “pink mist” (actual mil term) in this latest bombing campaign. I am looking at Turkey, who you know has a ton of psychos running around Syria. I also have no doubt some USUKEU and is-ra-hell ‘psychos’ (Spooks/SFs) have met their maker (Satan) in Syria recently.
Now the Cauldron has been closed entrapping a vast amount of “enemies” and supplies/weapons (chemical?) and there will be NO escaping under the cover of darkness. The Russian and Syrians have brought a new meaning to the phrase “Death from Above” and its quite brutally impressive.
Interesting times are ahead in Idlib, as last reported 50,000 terrorists, with weapons and stores, and their paymasters/handlers/trainers are all trying to figure out, how the hell to get out of Dodge while they still have their skin.
The shelling of civilians in 14 different areas is a last ditch effort by the psychos, and no doubt is due to fail, as always.
Thank to all Russian reporters, ANNA news and Russia Insight.
This encirclement is a Game Changer and God willing the demonic blood shed will soon stop.
The site of Aleppo and Raqua is just f n heart breaking.
The 21st century so far has been the Demonic Century… on par with the blood soaked miserable 20th century.
Great report, Thanks!
Hi Dale F.
I see that the comment is a reply to me… if so… “Thank You”
if its for CPA… I agree.
Take care
Let’s hope the Americans don’t bomb the Syrian army in order to impede their progress or the Turks sending supplies and cover to the terrorists or the Saudi money flowing to the American mercenaries aiding DAESH and Al-Nusra!
well done
screw Baba Jihadi Erdogan