Posted on 05/11/2017 5:14:18 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (4:50 P.M.) – Following the loss of Tabqa and three villages in northern Raqqa, the Islamic State launched a localized counter-offensive against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) beginning on Wednesday evening.
Targeting Kurdish-held territory in western Raqqa, convoys of ISIS vehicles attacked the villages of Ayed al-Kabeer, Ibad and Al-Mashirfa where SDF garrisons came under enormous pressure, forcing them to call upon US air support to repel the attack.
With skirmishes persisting throughout the night and early hours of Thursday, ISIS had not been able to break through the Kurdish defensive line.
Thus far, 26 ISIS militants have been killed and dozens more injured in the aforementioned firefights, a Swedish foreign fighter operating in SDF ranks said.
The source did not specify Kurdish casualties from the ISIS attacks.
Although the Syrian Kurds have won the decisive upper hand against jihadist belligerents, the SDF and Manbij Military Council (MMC) have their backs against the wall on the southern bank of the Euphrates River and remain exposed to counter-attacks.
ISIS commanders reportedly hope to drive US allies back across Lake Assad but there are no indications they will succeed in doing so just yet with the self-proclaimed caliphate crumbling territorially with each day that passes.
Phase four of the Euphrates Wrath offensive has already resulted in the death of over 500 ISIS militants, thus weakening the hardline group before the looming battle for Raqqa.
ISIS is also heavily invested in battles against the Syrian Arab Army on the Aleppo and Palmyra frontiers in events that have diverted thousands of jihadists from Raqqa city to elsewhere in the country.
SDF forces held against heavy pressure. USAF strikes ended the engagement.
Syria Ping
Well, we may not know what the meaning of IsIs...,
...but we sure know what the meaning of WasIs.
“:^)
26 is not “huge”, 50,000 is huge
oh that’s sad. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight knowing that some murderous, crazy 40-iQ sand n-words are dead boo hoo
It would have been easy for them to abandon their positions while awaiting the air support. They didn’t. When fanatacism meets discipline coupled with courage, the fanatics stand to lose.
should have drones locate an area that they congregate. drop a MOAB and follow that up with a couple of hundred delayed munitions set at hours to weeks.
Kurds: whey to go guys....
I don’t want it to end.
I want US to sell all the weapons, and I want a TOTAL stalemate, with TONS of energetic, true-believing Muslim boys pouring in from alllll over, to marry bullet with chest (or temple, I’m not fussy).
Victory..?
The victory for the USA would be for this to go on, and on, and on, and on.
I don’t want any side to win, I just want MY people to be uninvolved (beyond sales).
Feed those ISIS bodies to hogs, videotape it then post it on Youtube.
An ISIS counter attack ends with an ISIS loss of territory and 500 dead; sounds like success to me for the good guys. Any time ISIS looses is hardly a disaster.
Kill them all. Give no quarter and take no prisoners.
I saw what you did there ...
I saw it too....
It was a little hard to swallow.
Oh my how things change. At the height of the Vietnam War we lost 120+ Americans per week. NVA and VC casualties were much higher. Of course the Vietnamese were a far more competent enemy than these ragheads who rely on Allah to guide their bullets. In Korea we lost another 50000 Americans in 3 years. 500000 in WW2.
Count on the press to exaggerate everything.
By now, Raqqa is a hell hole. Scarce water, food, supplies. People holed up in the pockets in building rubble.
Many trying to escape, but ISIS tries to kill the civilians who flee.
I’ve heard various stories about how bad the damage to the buildings are. You cannot rely on the picture on the web, many of them are used over for lack of better sources. But it cannot be good.
I feel sorry for the civilians after 3 years of ISIS horrible treatment.
And ISIS actively uses civilians as human shields. That happened as they exited Tabqa Dam area. Took many civilians to shield them from air/ground assault.
May it end soon.
The loss of life is tragic no matter the number when the good guys are getting killed.
You underestimate the ability of ISIS. In the beginning they were almost unstoppable. The tanks, personnel carriers, heavy machine guns, anti tank weapons over powered all who attempted to stop them. And the poor Kurds only had small arms. (they captured some of the heavy stuff)
During the Siege of Kobane in Sep/Oct 2014 it almost went down. Some of my friends and I begged and pleaded for air cover to save them. Finally in mid October at the last possible moment, Obama agreed and killed the tanks and artillery there. That was the beginning of the struggle that is here now. I have great respect for the Kurds and their allies.
They need apologize to no one for bravery and doing much with little.
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