The current map of the SYRIA showing who controls what.
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In the spring, I'm assuming that the following will be the SAA's primary objectives:
1) SAA can take Al Barah and fill in the southern flank, get close to the M4
2) The rest of the areas along the M5 MUST hold onto current holdings and repel all rebel offensives. This will be vital. especially along Saraqib. Note: Russian military police are now stationed in Saraqib.
3) The SAA can then threaten the M4 which is the life line of the Idlib rebel enclave. They would then continually soften up targets like Jisr Al Shugr, Arihah, Muhanbal, which all lie along the M4.
4) Take back a vital target like Arihah or Muhanbal, That will effectively split the Idlib enclave in half and deal a death blow to the rebel cause there. Idlib proper will then be threatened from the south, east and north east. On the other hand those areas will be hotly contested since they are so vital to the future of the Idlib pocket.
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Other vital targets include the M45 and 420 highways up north. Targets like Al Atara, Sarmada, Ad Dana would be great for the SAA since they would effectively sever Turkey's main artery into the Idlib enclave.
The 56/60 highway, which connects Jisr Al Shugr to Idlib, almost connects, but does not connect into Turkey and is much more mountainous, therefore more difficult to traverse. Note the towns of Saqin, Khafr Takarim, and Armanaz that are in between Jisr Al Shugr and Idlib proper.
So basically by cutting off vital supply routes and taking little chunks of territory one step at a time, the SAA can effectively cripple the rebels in Idlib.
Of course Turkey will be hard pressed to let the M45 / 420 highways go. They will most likely deploy their drones in response. This is where Syrian air defenses, missile tech, Russian aviation assistance, newly acquired Iranian drones, but most importantly in my opinion, Syrian discipline will be put to the test.
An Iranian drone like the Karrar, armed with a rocket would be an excellent, cost effective method for intercepting enemy UAVs.
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