Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses. Share this article with your facebook friends

 

Russian Air Raids Kill 300 Syrians, Israel Officially Announced Part of NATO-Russian-Iranian Alliance Against Sunni Muslim Syrians

October 22, 2015 

 

 

More than 300 people killed in hundreds of Russian airstrikes over 20 days

SOHR, October 20, 2015

http://www.syriahr.com/en/

More than 300 people killed in hundreds of Russian airstrikes over 20 days 1,567 Views

SOHR documented 39891 airstrikes carried out by the regime air force since 10/20/2014 until this morning 10/20/2015, where the airstrikes targeted several villages, towns and cities in 13 provinces.
 
The regime helicopters dropped 21285 barrel bombs on different areas in the provinces of Rif Dimashq, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, al- Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, al- Quneitera, al- Suwaydaa, Daraa, Idlib and Lattakia.
 
Meanwhile, the regime warplanes carried out at least 18606 raids on areas in the provinces of Damascus, Rif Dimashq, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, al- Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, al- Raqqa, al- Quneitera, Daraa, al- Suwaydaa, Idlib and Lattakia.
 
In addition, hundreds of airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force left 370 victims; 127 civilians, including 36 children and 34 women, and 243 fighters from Jabhat al- Nusra, IS, the rebel and Islamist factions.
 
SOHR also documented the death of 6317 civilians, including 899 women, and 1334 children, due to aerial bombardment carried out by the regime warplanes and helicopters, while about 33000 civilians were wounded and dozens of thousands displaced. The aerial bombardment also resulted in destroying public and private people’s properties as well as it left huge material damages in several areas.
 
On the other hand, the air raids and barrel bombs dropped on hundreds areas in the Syrian provinces resulted in the death of 3378 fighters from IS, Jabhat al- Nusra, the rebel and Islamist factions, thousands of others wounded too.

The military commander of the Caucasus Emirate killed in the clashes at the southern countryside of Aleppo and shelling on the city and the countryside

 SOHR, October 22, 2015

Aleppo Province:

The military commander of the Caucasus Emirate was killed in the continuous clashes in the southern countryside of Aleppo between the rebel and Islamic Factions against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them from Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities supported by air cover from Russian warplanes, which bombed the area heavily.

Also yesterday fell several shells launched by rebel battalions on areas controlled by the regime forces in the Nile Street in the city of Aleppo, which killed four people, including a child and a woman and wounded others.

The rebel battalions also bombed yesterday areas controlled by the regime forces in the neighborhood of Masaken al-Sabil and Teshreen street, no information about casualties, while clashes took place after midnight yesterday between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against the rebel and Islamic Factions in the vicinity of al-Muhallab barracks.

Information about casualties among both parties, while clashes also took place after midnight yesterday between the rebel and Islamic factions against the regime forces supported by Iranian and Asian fighters in the vicinity of Jabal Azzan and the village of Sheikh Ahmed in the southern countryside of Aleppo.

Other clashes took place after midnight yesterday between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against members of the “Islamic State” in the vicinity of the village of Tal Sab’ein in the eastern countryside of Aleppo in an attempt by the regime forces to advance and lift the siege on their members in Kweris airbase, which is besieged by the organization.

The clashes resulted in the death of a member of the regime forces and information about advancement for the regime forces in the area towards the airbase, also the Russian warplanes bombed yesterday after midnight areas in the towns of Hayyan and Byanun in the northern countryside of Aleppo, and no information about casualties.

Continued clashes in Daraa and Reef Dimashq

October 22, 2015

Dar’a province: Clashes taking place between regime forces and Islamic battalions around Othman town, reports of losses in both sides.
Reef Dimashq province: Clashes continue between regime force and Islamic battalions around Dahya al-Assad near Harasta, reports of losses in both sides, amid aerial bombardment on Duma mountains.
 
Clashes around Aleppo and its countryside

October 22, 2015

Aleppo province: Clashes taking place between Islamic battalions and regime forces around Bala village, amid targeting regime tanks with missiles what devastated a tank. Clashes also took place between the two sides around al-Khaldia, Shehan, and al-Malhab barracks, and around Bashkwi, Hendarat, and al-Brej areas. 

17 explosive barrels hit Homs countryside

October 22, 2015

Homs province: Rose to 17, the number of explosive barrels which were dropped on the northern countryside of Homs, no reports of losses. amid aerial bombardment on the area and clashes between regime forces and rebels in Talbisa and around the villages of Senesel and Jolak in the northern countryside what devastated a tank for regime forces around al-Dar al-Kebera in the northern countryside. 

Idlib province: A child was killed by Russian airstrike targeted al-Bara town in the Zawiya mount about a month ago.

12 barrel bombs on Darayya and deaths from the regime forces in clashes at the outskirts of the capital Damascus

October 22, 2015

it rose to 12 at least the number of barrel bombs dropped by the helicopters on areas in the city of Darayya in the Western Ghouta since morning, the helicopters also dropped barrel bombs on areas in the outskirts of Muadamiyat al-Sham city in the Western Ghouta, while the regime forces targeted using artillery shells and heavy machineguns areas in the vicinity of Harasta city in the Eastern Ghouta.
 
Damascus Province:

the regime forces shelled places in al-Yarmouk camp south of the capital, no information about casualties, while 3 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them were killed in the clashes which took place in Jobar neighborhood at the outskirts of the capital between the regime forces backed by Hezbollah and NDF against the Islamic Factions and Al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda in the Levant).

The regime forces and warplanes shell Ma’aarrat al-No’aman and the countryside of Dara'a

October 22, 2015

Dara'a Province:

The regime forces opened fire of heavy machineguns yesterday on areas in the town of Otman, also the regime forces bombed yesterday areas in the town of the Western al-Gharya, no information about casualties so far.
 
Idlib Province:

The warplanes carried out yesterday two raids on areas in the city of Ma’aarrat al-No’aman, no information about casualties so far.

Clashes in the countryside of Al-Quneitra, casualties in the countryside of Daraa and shelling on Latakia Mountains
October 22, 2015 Comments Off on Clashes in the countryside of Al-Quneitra, casualties in the countryside of Daraa and shelling on Latakia Mountains 330 Views
Al-Quneitra Province:

Clashes took place between the rebel and Islamic Factions against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them in the vicinity of Hodr town in the northern sector countryside of Al-Quneitra, no information about casualties.
 
Daraa Province:

The rebel battalions targeted using local-made artillery positions for the regime forces in the vicinity of Atman town in the countryside of Daraa, and information about casualties for the regime forces, while a fighter from Al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda in the Levant) was killed when the helicopters dropped barrel bombs on areas in the town of Western al-Gharya, while two fighters from the rebel battalions were killed -one of them is a commander- in clashes against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them in the vicinity of the Brigade 82 near the town of Sheikh Meskin.
 
Latakia Province:

The regime forces bombed places in al-Mrouniyat area in the northern countryside of Latakia, the regime forces also bombed again areas in Jabal al-Turkman at the northern countryside of Latakia, no information about casualties.

http://www.syriahr.com/en/

***

Israel quiet over a "hotline" and joint air exercises with Russia over Syria

 Reuters, Thursday, October 22, 2015, 8:14am EDT

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM

It speaks volumes that Russia, rather than Israel, has been going public with details of a "hotline" and joint air exercises they have launched to avoid an accidental clash in the skies over Syria.

Israel is unusually tight-lipped about the military coordination, a reticence that officials and experts say stems in part from reluctance to signal any significant strategic shift away from the United States, its key ally but one that has reduced Middle East engagements as Russia steps up its own.

In a three-week-old campaign, Russian aircraft have backed up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops as they try to regain ground lost to rebels during a civil war raging since 2011.

Russia has also sent in advanced air defense systems, fuelling concern that its forces could accidentally clash with jets sent by Israel or the U.S.-led coalition.

"We don't interfere with them and they don't interfere with us," Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said in a radio interview, tersely summing up Israel's accommodation with Russia.

Another reason Israel is holding back is because it does not know the full extent of Russia's plans for Syria or what effect they could have on Assad's allies - Iran and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah.

A de-facto axis between Moscow and Israel's two most powerful regional enemies could seem an unsettling scenario for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government but it might also be seen as providing a moderating influence.

"The new order in the Middle East is loose coalitions for specific purposes, so a Russian partnership with Iran and Hezbollah to save Assad is not necessarily bad for us," a Netanyahu confidant told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not looking to mess with Israel, and it's unlikely he would look kindly on Iran or Hezbollah messing with Israel now, either," the confidant said.

The assurance has been echoed by Russia, which hosted Netanyahu for Syria "deconfliction" talks on Sept. 21.

It took until this week for the United States, whose forces have long been in sync with Israel on Syria, to agree on similar coordination with Russia.

Alexander Shein, Russia's ambassador to Israel, said his country's operations were limited to air and missile strikes on "terrorist groups."

"In this context there is no reason to talk about any alliance between the Russian side, Hezbollah and the Iranian side in Syrian affairs," he said in an emailed response to questions from Reuters.

CIRCUMSPECT ON ASSAD

Shein said Russia was familiar with the reasoning behind past Israeli air strikes in Syria, including against alleged arms transfers by Iran or Assad's army to Hezbollah, and "fully aware of Israel's strategic importance in the Middle East."

But he said Syria's neighbors and overall regional stability were threatened by the conflict, suggesting Israeli security might be best served by an Assad victory.

Israel called for Assad to be ousted after the civil war began but the Netanyahu government has recently preferred neutral rhetoric even though Western powers continue to demand an eventual change of leadership in Syria.

Exhausted by feuds with Washington over Iran's nuclear drive and now-frozen peace talks with the Palestinians, Israeli officials privately acknowledge being circumspect on Syria although they believe Assad's staying in power has improved because of Russia's aerial campaign.

Moscow, meanwhile, has made no secret of seeing vindication for its Syria strategy in the Netanyahu government's posture.

"Israel’s prudence from the outbreak of the conflict in Syria has become apparent in the fact that Israel did not consider the overthrow of President Assad as an indispensable condition to avoid foreign intervention and impediment for the beginning of a national reconciliation," Shein said.

He linked this to what he described as Israel's "wisdom" in not taking sides when Russia seized the Crimea region from Ukraine last year following the removal of a Ukrainian president who was sympathetic to Moscow.

"I hope it reflects concern for the development of Russian-Israeli relations in a true, friendly and cooperative manner," Shein said.

Israeli officials have spoken respectfully, but not lavishly, about their evolving relationship with Russia.

A diplomatic dividend such as Russian recognition of Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in a 1967 war, is nowhere on the horizon, and Moscow's growing relationship with Iran worries the Netanyahu government.

Yaalon suggested Iran could, following the deal with world powers over its nuclear program that offers sanctions relief, buy up to $21 billion of arms from Russia. Citing this prospect, he said he would try to secure increased U.S. defense aid for Israel when he visits Washington next week.

"Despite all the arguments we have with the United States, it is, ultimately, as an ally, the cornerstone of our strategy," Yaalon told Israel's Army Radio.

(Editing by Timothy Heritage)

 

***

Share this article with your facebook friends