Army continues targeting terrorists and their positions across the country – Syrian Arab News Agency
Syrian civil war update as of yesterday (jan.4 2016) via the syrian arab news agency.
Provinces, SANA- The Syrian army and armed forces continued fighting terrorism by destroying terrorist organizations’ positions, weapons, equipment and vehicles across the country , killing and injuring scores of their members.
Idleb
More than 28 terrorists killed
Army units destroyed terrorists’ gatherings and vehicles of “Jabhat al-Nusra” and the so-called “Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement” and “Fursan al-Haq”in the countryside of Idleb province.
A military source told SANA Monday that the army units killed more than 28 of terrorist organizations’ members in Bseida, Maarat al-Numan, al-Hamidyeh, Hersh Hass and Kafer Rouma in the countryside of the province.
Earlier Sunday, the army air force killed 18 terrorists and destroyed 3 vehicles loaded with weapons and ammunition in strikes against terrorists’ hideouts and concentrations in Maarat al-Numan, al-Hamidyeh, Hass and Bseida in Idleb countryside.
Aleppo
Army destroys 5 vehicles rigged with over 10 tons of explosives
Army units destroyed 5 vehicles rigged with over 10 tons of explosives and killed 7 suicidal terrorists who tried to target army posts in Aleppo eastern countryside.
The army achieved new progress in Najara village, 55 km east of Aleppo city, and established control over all fortifications and ditches surrounding the area after eliminating a large number of the ISIS terrorists.
Army units destroyed, in special operations, dens for “Jabhat al-Nusra” and other Takfiri organizations’ mortar launchers and vehicles in the neighborhood of al-Sheikh Lutfi, Bani Zaid, Karm al-Tarrab, al- Sakhour, al-Sheikh Kheder, al-Ashrafiya and al-Zebdiya in Aleppo city.
Other army units destroyed dens for ISIS terrorists in the two villages of Nejarah and Tal al-Hattabat in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, inflicting heavy losses in their ranks as well as destroying terrorist organizations’ vehicles and one of their supply routes in the village of Tal Musaybeen in the northern countryside of the province.
An army unit directed concentrated strikes against positions of terrorist organizations, destroying their vehicles and weaponry in al-Mansora village to the west of Aleppo city.
Lattakia
Army units established control over Ruwaiset Qabib in Lattakia’s northern countryside after eliminating the last remaining gatherings of terrorists in it, according to a military source.
The source said that army units, in cooperation with popular defense groups, established full control over the strategic village which serves as a vantage point overlooking an intersection of roads in Khan al-Joz area near the Lattakia-Aleppo Highway.
The army’s engineering units combed the village and found large amounts of weapons and ammunition and dismantled tens of explosive devices which terrorists had planted earlier in the houses and farmlands of the village.
Homs
The army destroyed dens and vehicles of terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS in al-Qaryateen town to the south-eastern sides of Homs.
Units from the army also eliminated ISIS terrorists at the entrance of al-Zakara valley, destroying a vehicle and a 23-mm machinegun in Palmyra countryside to the east of Homs.
Damascus Countryside
The army seized new areas in Marj al-Sultan in the eastern al-Ghouta in Damascus Countryside, establishing control over Harasta-al-Qantara, the outskirts of al-Bilalyeh and a number of residential blocks and farms and killing 12 terrorists.
A mortar base and a vehicle were also destroyed in the process.
Army units also targeted terrorists in Douma and Harasta and killed 4 terrorists.
Daraa
Army units inflicted heavy losses in personnel and equipment upon terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra organization in Daraa.
The army units eliminated gatherings of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization to the west of the cork factory on Dael road in the northern countryside of Daraa.
Another unit of army destroyed a mortar launch-pad and dens for Takfiri terrorists on the Camp road in Daraa al-Mahatta.
The Syrian army establishes control on the towns of Rmaileh and Um Rqeiba in the southern countryside of Hama – Syrian Arab News Agency
The Syrian army establishes control on the towns of Rmaileh and Um Rqeiba in the southern countryside of Hama
video footage arabic with english subtitles
SAAF Bombing run with an MiG-23 flogger
Syria reportedly receives MiG-31 interceptors from Russia | IHS Jane's 360
The Syrian government has received six MiG-31 'Foxhound' interceptor aircraft from Russia under a deal that was said to have been signed in 2007, a regional media source has reported.
The aircraft recently arrived at Mezze Airbase on the outskirts of Damascus, the Turkish BGN News agency reported on 16 August.
Syria was reported to have ordered eight MiG-31 combat aircraft as part of a wider defence deal with Russia in 2007. Although this deal was confirmed at the time by the head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Alexei Fyodorov, it was later denied by Anatoly Isaykin, director of state arms export bureau Rosoboronexport, who in 2010 described the sale as "a journalistic hoax". Neither the Russian nor the Syrian authorities have so far commented publicly on the reported deliveries.
The MiG-31 first entered Soviet service in the early 1980s as a long-range, high-altitude, and high-speed interceptor. Although relatively old, it is still a highly capable platform that features some of the latest sensor and weapons fits.
In particular, the MiG-31's NIIP N007 S-800 SBI-16 (RP-31) Zaslon or Zaslon-A electronically scanned phased-array fire-control radar (NATO codename 'Flash Dance') affords it an impressive beyond-visual range capability, enabling it to see airborne targets out to a range of 108 n miles (200 km; 124 miles) in a clutter-free forward sector, or 48 n miles (90 km; 56 miles) to the rear. It is capable of tracking 10 targets and attacking four simultaneously. Coupled with this radar, the MiG-31's R-33 (NATO codename AA-9 'Amos') or R-37 (AA-X-13/AA-13 'Arrow') long-range air-to-air missiles afford it a highly potent beyond-visual range (BVR) air-to-air capability.
According to
IHS Jane's World Air Forces , Russia has approximately 200 MiG-31s in service that it is currently in the process of upgrading to keep them operational through to the 2030s. With the exception of Russia and now possibly Syria, only Kazakhstan flies the type.
COMMENT
Until the arrival of the MiG-31s in Damascus is confirmed, it should be treated with an element of scepticism. With the regime of Bashar al-Assad finding itself increasingly hard-pressed on the ground, it has to be noted that a state-of-the-art high-altitude interceptor is probably of limited use right now.
The delivery has been linked to Western proposals for a no-fly buffer zone to be established over Syria, but while the MiG-31s would certainly give NATO planners pause for thought, their small number and single basing location would mean that they would likely be destroyed in the early hours of any alliance effort to establish air dominance over the country ahead of implementing such a no-fly zone. (older news russian confirmed as of jan. 4 2016)
(russian air force miG-31 foxhound pictured)
