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[Sergarr]

Just saw the current maps of rebel-held territory in Aleppo, and it doesn't look like they're going to hold for much longer at this rate:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: if you compare with the one from July 28, you can see that they've lost more than half of their territory (click to show/hide)

So much for "Assad taking East Aleppo is impossible" and "heavy brutal bombing does not work, it only creates more fighters for opposition". I guess that was just another one of those Brexitisms/Trumpisms - "obvious truths" that aren't actually true.

Also I see that Independent has successfully completed it's pro-Putinist shift. I've already noticed it before, when it started posting articles which broke light on the fact that the Syrian opposition used hospitals as the "invulnerable" military bases (well, invulnerable to not-Russians, heh), but I mistakenly thought that it was just a one-off "equal time for different opinions" media stunt.

[Baffler]

The rebels in the Old City areas of Aleppo surrendered today. They got a bus ticket to Idlib and vacated their positions. This is what it looks like now:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There's a very good chance the whole city will be under government control by the end of the week. Almost certainly by the end of next week.

[Sergarr]

The rebels in the Old City areas of Aleppo surrendered today. They got a bus ticket to Idlib and vacated their positions. This is what it looks like now:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There's a very good chance the whole city will be under government control by the end of the week. Almost certainly by the end of next week.

BBC has confirmed it. Also, I'm hearing that the rebel forces are out of ammunition, with one faction (JFS, I don't know what it stands for) raiding other ones for ammo. Some last-ditch efforts for resupply ceasefire from the rebels are also ongoing, though they're most definitely futile, at this point.

Apparently, contrary to assertions from Western people that I've heard before, massive civilian-casuality-insensitive bombing campaigns don't really cause any significant surge in civilians joining the resistance that would negate the bombing efficiency increase stemming from relaxed ROE, at least not at that scale of warfare.

Overall it seems like a pretty solid victory for the "ophthalmologist", at this point. Though, there have been several moments before like that in the past, so I guess it's too early to call it.

[Guardian G.I.]

Just saw the current maps of rebel-held territory in Aleppo, and it doesn't look like they're going to hold for much longer at this rate:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: if you compare with the one from July 28, you can see that they've lost more than half of their territory (click to show/hide)

The progress of the Syrian army in Aleppo is even more mind-blowing if you compare it with the situation in 2013:

[Digital Hellhound]

Whoever chose the colors for those maps, my red-green colorblind eyes thank you. Though maybe the fact I see it as a barely distinguishable mess is just... accurate for the situation on the ground.

[Loud Whispers]

Whoever chose the colors for those maps, my red-green colorblind eyes thank you. Though maybe the fact I see it as a barely distinguishable mess is just... accurate for the situation on the ground.

Basically the map has shown how the Syrian government went from controlling a few airports, barracks and police stations surrounded by islamists, to the islamists being surrounded by the SYrian government controlling most things

[Sheb]

Apparently, contrary to assertions from Western people that I've heard before, massive civilian-casuality-insensitive bombing campaigns don't really cause any significant surge in civilians joining the resistance that would negate the bombing efficiency increase stemming from relaxed ROE, at least not at that scale of warfare.

Overall it seems like a pretty solid victory for the "ophthalmologist", at this point. Though, there have been several moments before like that in the past, so I guess it's too early to call it.

Don't mistake the battle for the war Sergarr. If Assad's strategy was effective we wouldn't be nearing the sixth year of war. It is probably true that at this point anyone that would be driven to the rebels by civilian massacre probably already joined them though.

[martinuzz]

Whoever chose the colors for those maps, my red-green colorblind eyes thank you. Though maybe the fact I see it as a barely distinguishable mess is just... accurate for the situation on the ground.

Basically the map has shown how the Syrian government went from controlling a few airports, barracks and police stations surrounded by islamists, to the islamists being surrounded by the SYrian government controlling most things

It also shows IS having no prescence in 2013, and now they have an area in the E-N-E about the culumative size of the airports, barracks and police stations held by Assad forces in 2013. At least, if I get the map legend right. Non-coloured area means IS I think. Unless it's black, but that would make no sense, to add a map legend colour for something that's not present at all.
It kinda looks like Assad traded in conquering Aleppo from non IS rebels for letting IS advance on Aleppo.

[Sheb]

Trigger warning: Rape, more rape, force abortian, yet more rape, if I give any more details my trigger warning will need trigger warnings.

ISIS forces girls to take birth control or have abortions so they can keep rapind them. Sometime it's good to remember exactly how fucked up those fucktards are. Fuck them. I felt physically sick reading this shit, I had to take breaks because it was too much at once.

[Baffler]

Trigger warning: Rape, more rape, force abortian, yet more rape, if I give any more details my trigger warning will need trigger warnings.

ISIS forces girls to take birth control or have abortions so they can keep rapind them. Sometime it's good to remember exactly how fucked up those fucktards are. Fuck them. I felt physically sick reading this shit, I had to take breaks because it was too much at once.

It's been almost as good a week for that garbage as it has been a bad week for the rebels. They've mounted a fanatical defense of Mosul and the Iraqi army is suffering major losses, most painfully among their armored units, for very little gain. The city isn't encircled, so ISIS has been moving heavy weapons and extra reinforcements into the area to try to hold the city instead of abandoning it like they did in the beginning. The Iraqi army seems to have realized that they underestimated them and are taking a more methodical stance now, but it's going to be an extremely costly battle even if the USA and friends ramp up air support.

They also made a major surprise attack on Palmyra in Syria, and managed to displace the SAA from a lot of key points surrounding the city. It's harder to find legitimate seeming sources on that one, but it seems their main advance along the road was repelled but they captured some gas fields north of the city and some kind of fortified hill to the south.

[Guardian G.I.]

They also made a major surprise attack on Palmyra in Syria, and managed to displace the SAA from a lot of key points surrounding the city. It's harder to find legitimate seeming sources on that one, but it seems their main advance along the road was repelled but they captured some gas fields north of the city and some kind of fortified hill to the south.

Apparently IS managed to take over most of the city over the past days, taking advantage of Russian withdrawal from the area and Syrian Army being busy in Aleppo. Pro-Assad sources on Twitter were in full panic mode yesterday.
However, the Russian airforce threw everything they had at the IS, killing lots of militants and forcing them to retreat to the outskirts. Reportedly, helicopters, cruise missiles and even strategic bombers (?) were used, if some claims on Twitter are to be believed.

[DJ]

Honestly I'm surprised Russia hasn't decided to turn Mosul into Dresden 2.0 yet.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Honestly I'm surprised Russia hasn't decided to turn Mosul into Dresden 2.0 yet.

Why would Russia bomb its own ally?

BTW, ISIS "recapturing" Palmyra is a very cunning way to supply them with "trophies"

[Sergarr]

Honestly I'm surprised Russia hasn't decided to turn Mosul into Dresden 2.0 yet.

Mosul is under Coalition's air umbrella. I think there's a certain unspoken agreement about division of responsibilities.

Of course, there's always some people who think conspiracy theory:

Honestly I'm surprised Russia hasn't decided to turn Mosul into Dresden 2.0 yet.

Why would Russia bomb its own ally?

BTW, ISIS "recapturing" Palmyra is a very cunning way to supply them with "trophies"

I guess I should point it out again that Russia has killed, as of September this year, almost as many ISIS members than it did rebel fighters, according to an absolutely not pro-Russian source, Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.

Such ally, much helping. Wow.

[Sheb]

Mosul is under Coalition's air umbrella. I think there's a certain unspoken agreement about division of responsibilities.

Well, Russia isn't active in Iraq.