Solar Energy News  
TERROR WARS
Twin assaults in Syria, Iraq pile pressure on IS
By Rana Moussaoui with Ahmad al-Rubaye near Fallujah
Beirut (AFP) May 24, 2016


Syrian base used by Russia damaged in IS attack: report
London (AFP) May 24, 2016 - Satellite imagery appears to show extensive damage to an air base in Syria used by Russian forces following an attack by fighters from the Islamic State group, US intelligence company Stratfor said Tuesday.

The claim was immediately denied by Russia's defence ministry which said that the damage had been there for months and was due to fighting between Syrian government forces and "militants from terror groups".

Stratfor released satellite images dated from May 14 and May 17, implying that the damage to the T-4 base, also known as Tiyas, was caused in that time.

The images suggest four helicopters and 20 lorries were destroyed by fire inside the base, which strategically located in central Syria between war-ravaged Palmyra and Homs.

"The T4 air base was severely damaged by an Islamic State artillery attack. In particular, four Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters appear to have been destroyed," Stratfor said on their website.

The cause of the apparent damage could not be determined from the images obtained by Stratfor.

But the BBC quoted Stratfor analyst Sim Tack as saying that "this was not an accidental explosion".

It "would really be a marginal, almost non-existent chance for this to be accidental," he added.

Tack said there was evidence of "several different sources of explosions across the airport, and it shows that the Russians took a quite a bad hit".

The Stratfor report said that "ordnance impact points are visible" in the images and that a Syrian MiG-25 fighter jet also appeared to have been damaged.

But Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: "The burnt air and auto equipment along with many craters from shell detonations have been there for several months.

"This is a result of heavy combat for this aerodrome between Syrian government forces and militants of terrorist groups."

- Russian role key -

Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed Syrian source confirming a "fire" at the base, though he did not specify when it had occurred.

"The reasons of the fire are unknown. It started near the space where four helicopters were located. Fire engines could not access the fire due to shelling by terrorists. The fire spread to the helicopters," the source said, adding that there were no casualties or injuries sustained in the shelling.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported shelling of the T-4 base on May 11 after IS jihadists briefly took control of part of a route between Palmyra and Homs.

"Though the Islamic State failed to cut off the road for any extended amount of time, it did move artillery within range of the base, which it subsequently shelled," Stratfor said in its analysis.

The British-based Observatory also said two days later that continued shelling had caused an explosion at a fuel depot and a fire that destroyed three helicopters.

On May 15, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said that four Russian combat helicopters and 20 trucks carrying rockets had been destroyed at the T-4 base by a fire but did not provide further details.

IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq in mid-2014, and the group has claimed deadly attacks in the West and throughout the Middle East.

Russia's intervention has significantly strengthened the Syrian government in a five-year civil war that has killed more than 270,000 people and driven millions from their homes.

Kurdish-Arab forces launched a major assault against the Islamic State group in Syria's Raqa province Tuesday and Iraqi forces advanced on it in Fallujah, piling pressure on the jihadists in two strongholds.

The twin offensives marked some of the most serious ground efforts against IS since the group declared its self-styled "caliphate" straddling the Syrian-Iraqi border in 2014.

Territory under IS control has been steadily shrinking for months but it has carried out a wave of attacks including bombings in the Syrian regime's coastal heartland Monday that killed 177 people.

It was the "deadliest bomb attack" on any regime-held area in Syria's five-year war, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

The Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday announced its largest offensive to date against IS territory north of the IS stronghold of Raqa city.

The offensive was aimed at pushing IS from the province's north and securing other areas, the alliance said in statement on Twitter.

Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren confirmed the assault, saying it was "putting pressure on Raqa".

US air strikes would support thousands of SDF fighters, some of whom had been trained and equipped by American forces, he said.

If Raqa falls, "it's the beginning of the end of their caliphate," Warren said.

SDF spokesman Talal Sello said an assault on Raqa city "is not in our plan now".

A source within the Kurdish People's Protection Units said US ground forces would take part in the attack, but Sello denied this.

Just before the SDF announcement, Russia said it would be ready to coordinate with both Washington and the SDF in an offensive for Raqa.

- End to 'IS myth'? -

The US rejected a Russian proposal last week for joint air operations against jihadist groups in Syria.

The anti-IS coalition headed by Washington has set its sights on Raqa in Syria, as well as Fallujah -- and eventually IS's main bastion of Mosul -- in Iraq.

"It's clear that if the US wants to eliminate IS, it has to attack it on multiple fronts at the same time," said Washington-based Syria analyst Fabrice Balanche.

"Cutting the route between Raqa and Mosul isn't difficult today. It will put an end to the myth of a transnational IS," he said.

On Tuesday, Iraqi forces closed in on Fallujah after capturing the nearby town of Garma and cutting IS off from one of its last support areas.

"Federal forces advanced towards the east of Fallujah early today from three directions," said police Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat.

The Hashed al-Shaabi umbrella paramilitary organisation, dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias heavily involved in the operation, said ground was also gained south of Fallujah.

With forces converging, concerns grew that the estimated 50,000 civilians believed to still be inside had nowhere to go.

"Families who have been suffering food and medical shortages over the last months now risk being caught in the crossfire," said the Norwegian Refugee Council's country director Nasr Muflahi.

It was "absolutely vital that they are granted safe routes out of there," he added.

Officials from Anbar, the vast western province in which Fallujah is located, said small numbers of civilians had managed to sneak out.

- Scramble to save ceasefire -

A Fallujah resident reached by telephone said there was heavy shelling on the northern edge of the city.

"Daesh (IS) is still imposing a curfew, preventing people from coming out on the street," said the man, who gave his name as Abu Mohammed al-Dulaimi.

It was unclear what kind of defence IS was prepared to put up in Fallujah, a city that looms large in modern jihadist mythology since 2004 battles that saw US forces suffer some of their worst losses since the Vietnam War.

Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft have been pounding Fallujah and its surroundings to support the operation.

The offensives came as Washington and Moscow scrambled to salvage a shaky ceasefire between the regime and non-jihadist rebels intended to pave the way for peace talks.

The US envoy for Syria has urged rebels to respect the February 27 ceasefire after they gave its brokers -- Washington and Moscow -- until Tuesday afternoon to stop an advance on rebel strongholds outside Damascus.

"We recognise that the CoH (Cessation of Hostilities) is under severe stress, but believe that to abandon it now would be strategic error," Michael Ratney tweeted.

Staunch regime ally Russia also called for a 72-hour truce in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya near Damascus from Tuesday.

And the two areas were relatively calm, with clashes subsiding since dawn, said the Observatory.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
The Long War - Doctrine and Application






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
TERROR WARS
Key stages in the war against IS
Baghdad (AFP) May 23, 2016
Here are key developments in the war against the Islamic State group as Iraqi forces launch an assault on Fallujah, a key IS stronghold west of Baghdad. The top US general for the Middle East has also paid a surprise visit to American soldiers advising Syrian rebel groups as they prepare to attack IS in Raqa, the jihadist group's other main stronghold. The first air strikes On August ... read more


TERROR WARS
Modified microalgae converts sunlight into valuable medicine

Alkol Biotech sells large batch of sugarcane bagasse for 2G ethanol testing

Industry Weighs in on Green Aviation Tech

Berkeley Lab scientists brew jet fuel in 1-pot recipe

TERROR WARS
Robots get creative to cut through clutter

Artificial intelligence replaces physicists

Robot's in-hand eye maps surroundings, determines hand's location

Macau shows off robot croupiers as hopes of recovery rise

TERROR WARS
Argonne coating shows surprising potential to improve reliability in wind power

SeaPlanner is Awarded Contract for Rampion Offshore Wind Farm

British share of renewables setting records

DNV GL-led project gives green light for wind-powered oil recovery

TERROR WARS
Fiat Chrysler suspected of emissions cheating

Google patent glues pedestrians to self-driving cars

Ex-Googlers rev up plan for self-driving trucks

Tesla raising cash to fund accelerated production

TERROR WARS
Power up when the temperature is down

Technique improves the efficacy of fuel cells

Enhancing lab-on-a-chip peristalsis with electro-osmosis

Researchers integrate diamond/boron layers for high-power devices

TERROR WARS
Obama says no apology for A-bomb on Hiroshima visit

US eyes European reactors market

Pakistan seeks nuclear group membership to curb proliferation

Rosatom Ready to Start on Iran's New Nuclear Reactors

TERROR WARS
Changing the world, 1 fridge at a time

Could off-grid electricity systems accelerate energy access

EU court overturns carbon market free quotas

Global leaders agree to set price on carbon pollution

TERROR WARS
How do trees go to sleep

Natural regeneration of tropical forests reaps benefits

US must step-up forest pest prevention

Californian sudden oak death epidemic 'unstoppable'









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.