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RUSSIA HAS LAUNCHED airstrikes on Syrian rebels it accused of carrying out a chlorine attack.
“Airstrikes were carried out by Russian air force planes,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in comments reported by TASS state news agency.
“As a result of the strikes, all of the rebel fighter targets were destroyed,” he added.
The airstrikes hit the edges of Syria’s last major rebel stronghold west of Aleppo today, a day after an alleged toxic attack on the regime-held city.
They were the first to hit the area since Moscow and rebel-backer Turkey agreed to set up a demilitarised area around Idlib in September to prevent a massive regime attack to retake the area.
The attack came after Russia accused Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alliance led by Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, of carrying out yesterday’s chemical attack on Aleppo city.
Konashenkov said “terrorist groups” in an area of the buffer zone held by HTS fired shells filled with chlorine on a residential area of the city.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack left around 100 people struggling to breathe, though more than half had been discharged from hospital by this morning.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reported “107 cases of breathing difficulties”. A rebel alliance denied any involvement, but HTS did not immediately issue a statement.
Islamic State
Counter-attacks by the Islamic State group killed at least 47 US-backed fighters over two days as the jihadists struck from their embattled holdout in eastern Syria, the Observatory said yesterday.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Kurdish-led alliance supported by a US-led coalition is battling to expel the jihadists from a pocket in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor on the Iraqi border.
The Observatory said the jihadists launched “three separate assaults” yesterday.
September deal
The 17 September deal was intended to protect three million inhabitants in the Idlib region, more than half of which is held by HTS.
But its implementation has stalled after jihadists including HTS failed to withdraw from the planned buffer zone by a mid-October deadline.
Syria’s regime has insisted that the buffer zone deal is temporary and that Idlib will eventually revert to government control.
Syria’s war has killed more than 360,000 people since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
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Interesting language used in the article. Terrorists are called rebels. The Syrian government is called the Syrian regime. It’s always good to hear what the ‘independent’ British backed Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have to say. It would be interesting to see the reaction of the ‘West’ if the Russians/Chinese started labelling the protesters in Paris as ‘freedom fighters’, started supporting them directly/indirectly in order to disrupt/displace the Macron government, met with them on the streets shaking hands and spurring them on, protested aggressive government actions on ‘peaceful protests’, etc a la Maidan in Kiev.
@Conor Treacy: Nail on head,
But sure it is no wonder the language used in these articles when they are all copied and pasted from AFP which is a French Government controlled news association.
@Pixie McMullen: Oh look, someone else who thinks ‘state-owned’ and ‘state-controlled’ are the same thing. Just because the two are mutually inclusive where you’re concerted, it doesn’t mean the same applies everywhere else.
@Harry Whitehead: Leave Harry’s terrorists alone. Did u not read yesterday that the english don’t consider ISIS a major threat anymore. Russia is the big bad wolf now. Saudi Arabia having killed 48,000 children in Yemen year to date are considered Harry and englands ally.
@Cal Mooney: “The English”? There hasn’t been an English state since the 1700s. Try and keep up Wally. And I’m still waiting for your examples of my having defended the Saudo regime.
Who to believe??….the Russians or Al-Qaeda.
@Derek Durkin: Neither!
@Derek Durkin: Maybe if you and Charliegrl80 took your head out of the western media and read some other news sources you would both have a better understanding of what`s going on, but i won`t hold my breath on either of you bothering, keep drinking the Koolaid.
@Pixie McMullen: Bore off comrade. RT’s that way, you’re on the wrong site.
@Harry Whitehead: Ah, There you are Harry, throwing in your pearls of wisdom as always..
For a bloke with a bio saying he is interested in history, politics, linguistics and current affairs, It is pretty laughable when all your actions on this site are always just little wisecracks, insults or comments with no substance.
@Derek Durkin: President Assad used chlorine, bombing civilians. The Russians, Assad’s ally, then use this to justify attacking a rebel group.
@Pixie McMullen: “For a bloke with…” blah blah blah. Didn’t you say more or less exactly the same thing a while back, comrade?
@Ryan Dub: So you are telling me that the Syrian army moved into the terrorists positions, fired a load of chlorine filled missiles on their own civilians into an area they hold, then moved back out giving the positions back to the Jihadis who waited patiently for the Russian air force to show up?
Where do you buy your weed? It seems to be a lot better than anything i can get.
@Pixie McMullen: “read some other news sources”
Translation: read something which refuses to criticise our Glorious Leader or his Aliies under ANY circumstance.
@Harry Whitehead: You really should be put in between 2 fingers and squeezed………like any other whitehead
@Pixie McMullen: For a bloke who whines about “wisecracks, insults or comments with no substance” you sure have a funny knack for farting them out yourself. Making whitehead jokes though? That’s lame even by your pisspoor standards.
@Harry Whitehead: You triggered hon?
Not very nice when you slag someone off who turns out to be better at slagging than yourself, is it?
Go have a wee lie down and a good cry
@Pixie McMullen: “turns out to be better at slagging” no comrade, that’s kinda the whole point. Never mind though, you keep telling yourself you’re Oscar Wilde reborn. Attaboy.
@Harry Whitehead: Harry grow up and drop the comrade crap, you come across clueless
@Michael Eric Devine: “Sorry, this content isn’t available right now” Mighty fine coincidence there, wouldn’t you say?
@Harry Whitehead: He has the Idiot blocker activated on his Facebook profile, That`s why you can`t see it `arry
@Harry Whitehead: you are such a damn cliche. You have to be an especially arrogant and delusional person to believe Russian agents are being paid to argue against you (the hint is you don’t have an actual argument you’re just slinging shit)
The absolute neck on you telling someone who raised a valid point the ‘other side’ is that way. You may have picked your side and chosen to unquestionably swallow all it presents, that’s entirely on you.
You’re everything that’s wrong with debate in 2018
@Michael Eric Devine: “Cliche!” squawked someone from with a fake profile and a kneekerk defensive reaction to anyone dissing Uncle Vlad and his pet regimes. LOLz
@Harry Whitehead: Harry give up responding you really are just making a fool of yourself
@Ryan Dub: if chlorine was used why have loads of people moved back into east ghouta
when chlorine bombs are used it makes houses uninhabitable for years
Russia’s RT broadcast claims that French special forces were involved in the attact…
“French special forces on the ground from where the missiles were fired”
Now Russia, conviently, has Casus belli to begin it’s Idlib campaign.
@Ryan Dub: army of islam and hayat tahrir al sham
the media for some reason never mentions these terrorists groups names.
they also infight alot and regularly change their names
The last real legitimate rebel groups you could say, not the islamic jihad groups in idlib, surrendered under reconciliation agreements in june the only requirement was to hand over heavy weapons and ieds they were let keep their ak47s and mgs and most took the offer to integrate themselves in to a syrian army division as they weren’t active in fighting for 2 years.
@David Jordan: Conveniently???
They have held off for the last 2 months after a ceasefire was brokered, The headhackers haven`t lived up to their part of the ceasefire, firing indiscriminately and refusing to relinquish the heave weaponry and move out of the buffer zone Turkey helped set up.
Russia and the SAA have every right to go on the offensive, as they are the only 2 legitimate forces in this war, but of course, you know all this already
I can`t wait to see the French and US Tomahawk missiles to start raining down on these headhacking western backed terrorists over the use of chemical weapons…..
@Pixie McMullen: Russia’s RT broadcast claims that French special forces were involved in the attact. This is grade A conspiracy rubbish.
“French special forces on the ground from where the missiles were fired”
Now Russia the Syrian government, conviently, have Casus belli to begin it’s Idlib / West Aleppo campaign. Russia and Syrian government forces have started bombing West Aleppo, breaking a months long ceasefire.
https://youtu.be/ApIhgFVa6-A?t=78
https://twitter.com/dannymakkisyria/status/1066647370115571713?s=21
@David Jordan: And you know this to be rubbish because……
Russia warned of chemical weapon in the hands of jihadis time and again over the last few months, there are reports that one terrorist group attacked another and took 2 cannisters of Chlorine from them a few weeks back, there are reports of chemical weapons being smuggled in over the turkish border to be used…
It wouldn`t surprise me in the slightest if this report is true, UK, US and French ALL have special forces on the ground in Syria, and have done for quite a few years now
@Pixie McMullen: for what it’s worth, the syriancivilwar sub on reddit which is pro-Syrian government and pro-Russia, is very skeptical that an attack actually took place. West Aleppo has been bombed by Syrian government and Russia for the first time in 75 days in response.
@David Jordan: Odd then that “The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights”, which has been relentlessly on the side of the “rebels” are confirming the chlorine attack.
@brendan fitzsimons: They didn’t confirm a chlorine attack, they reported on claims of a chlorine attack. Anyway, here we are a few days later, and still no proof that a chlorine attack happened. No dead, no chlorine cannisters, no results of an independent investigation. 1the OPCW and UN have not been asked to investigate – Russia has gone quiet on the story, it’s now all forgotten about as if it didn’t happen. News later on suggests people panicked.
BBC and the Guardian still hold onto myth that these rebels are moderate and not Al Queada or IS….Within a few years of start of civil war the rebels became radical Sunni Jahadi backed by Saudi… Qatar and the US….
The Russian Federation is not the same as the Communist led USSR. Under Putin, Russia has reinvigorated her Christian soul. The Western democracies can’t handle that. Where we in the West are witnessing constant attacks on Christianity, the same cannot be said about Russia.
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