I had a conversation where someone suggested you could not actually use a Venn diagram - you needed at the very least 3-dimensional space
Apart from Twitter, which has the most data on the Syrian Civil war by far (but tricky to access and research post Musk); data collected by researchers from twitter and later analysed in extensive articles, is good. I know a few researchers specialising on Syria.
Researchers that focus on Syria:
https://x.com/ajaltamimi
(actually a journalist, but too good not to list. Uses objective language and has deep access to some factions other researchers can only dream of)
Activist and journalist sources: Too many to post, many not very reliable. You have to read these more selectively and know a bit to understand what to filter and what to not.
There are many good journalists though, but I can’t be botherd to create a list right now (there are also of course many more researchers, obviously, as I just posted a list of some).
Other than this and activists and OSINT for ongoing military situation, you have to rely on what your government and local MMS tells you. Which to be fair, is essentially almost nothing in terms of details.
Problematically, everyone has an “agenda” and strong opinions, including all researchers. So to find objective “this is it”, is harder. Everyone is rooting for someone.
I for one root for nobody, apart for the poor families fleeing the combat zones, or hiding in order to not get their children killed. As if they hadn’t suffered enough already since 2011.
Pro-opposition sources claim opposition fighters are now trying to enter the northeastern part of the city, amidst a reported regime withdrawal
Urgent | A special military source in the Syrian opposition to Step News: We are trying to enter the neighborhoods of the city [#حماة] from the northeastern side, amid successive withdrawals of the Syrian regime from the entrances and neighborhoods of the city.
It seems the reports of outflanking Hama city and regime forces retreating may indeed be correct. A large assault ongoing according to many sources.
Rebel forces are closing in on Hama. Rebel commander Lt. Col. Hassan Abdul Ghani said that his forces captured 14 villages near Hama, including Al-Rahjan & Maarshhour. Syrian media report that Assad loyalist (SAA) have started a partial retreat to Salamiyah while rebels have entered the outskirts of Hama near Hashimiya.
Also:
The Israeli army confirms an airstrike near Damascus, killing Salman Jumaa, Hezbollah’s liaison to the Syrian Army. Jumaa was described as “key” to facilitating weapons transfers between the two forces.
And:
East of Hama, rebel forces are closing in on highway 42 near Ithrya, capturing Mraijeb Al-Jamlan, Shakhiter, Al-Hasnawi and Al-Shakousiya.
Meanwhile in the north
https://x.com/ScharoMaroof/status/1863990489864708314
The Russian Med Fleet has left Tarsus, likely last night. The ships were at port yesterday, and I have been keeping an eye to see if they would leave port. The Fleet is moving towards the east med sea and likely deploying to combat stations. Probability of Kalibr launches is therefore going to be very high.
This is a high res picture of the expeditionary fleet in question
BREAKING — Putin tells Erdogan in a phone call that there needs to be a “speedy end to the terrorist aggression against the Syrian state by radical groups.”
Putin says all round support must be provided to “legitimate authorities” to restore order in Syria, “in particular, using Ankara’s existing capabilities in the region.”
Turkish journo.
If Erdogan wasn’t such a piece of shit, he could very well repeat the statement back, but substitute Ukrainian for Syrian…
More seriously, the rebel factions driving south have captured 2 Smerch systems, which is unbelievable to me, but so it is.
The capture of this system (which are fully loaded) may have also played a role in Russia’s fleet leaving for sea for exercises/deployment.
I mean, this is the range of the rockets:
2 days ago, researhers had counted a 33% loss of the armoured fleet, I wonder what it is now. Staggering armour losses, and staggering loot for the jihadists and rebels.
It is starting to resemble what happened in Afghanistan, with the major difference being that there is still some unit integrity in some of the better units of the Syrian army. That won’t last long without a sense of direction.
But so much funny shit is captured. I would love to be a fly on the wall in some of the command HQs, as well as the Russian MoD, when they get these reports
https://x.com/Archer83Able/status/1864284832357851596
(no, it is not an S-300 piece, just often used with it. It’s much more modern and high tech).
Ukraine would love this piece…
The Israeli air force must be delighted seeing these.
So would the United States and Ukraine. It is a very rare piece.
More general loot from the capture of the 25 Divison (formerly known as the Tiger Forces) base in Aleppo governate.
I think this is the 6th T-90 captured so far, but possibly the 5th, not sure. But then again, there may be more as many of these videos are very delayed (HTS op sec much better than in 2016).
Edit: OMG, this is new capture from today and in Hama. They already captured their Aleppo base intact.
FPV drones making them terrified to evacuate maybe. I don’t fathom this.
A very note worthy message:
https://x.com/SaladinAlDronni/status/1864299216614420882
Meanwhile, you may wonder why I don’t post updates from regime sources these days. They have mostly all gone insane. Believing all sorts of insane cope and insane conspiracies, pumped into their veins by Baghdad Bob propagandists.
An example of note from today:
Thousands of extremist terrorist groups led by Ukrainian-Turkish forces are trying for the fourth day to storm the northern city of [#حماه] and the brave men of the Syrian Arab Army are writing epics for history, repelling them and eliminating hundreds of them
So yeah…