southfront--2020-11-24--Lessons Learned From Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

On November 10th , 2020 the Republic of Armenia signed a ceasefire with Azerbaijan , agreeing to hand over nearly a fifth of the territory within its sphere of influence prior to the signing .
While maintaining the Lachin corridor , as well as a passageway to Stepanakart , the former capital of the self proclaimed Artsakh Republic ; the Armenian Prime Minister , Nikol Pashinyan , was forced to accept a peace agreement returning all surrounding territories to Azeribaijani control , as well as permitting Russian Peacekeepers to set up observation posts throughout the Lachin corridor and the Nagorno-Karabakh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement was a bloody , and largely one-sided conflict in which Azerbaijan proved once and for all that a new generation of warfare has arrived .
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union , Nagorno-Karabakh as well as the surrounding territories have been fiercely contested between Armenia and Azerbaijan .
Initially the undisputed territory of Azerbaijan , the regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh have been under the de-facto control of the Artsakh Republic , an autonomous region within the Armenian sphere of influence , since the brutal First Nagorno-Karabakh War ended in 1994 .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were displaced from the region , causing enormous friction in the years following the OSCE brokered ceasefire , as they were not permitted to return to their homes after the territorial handover took place .
While the territory surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh has remained de-jure Azerbaijani , internationally recognized to be so , the negotiations regarding their return remained fruitless for the 26 years they had been underway .
Baku , growing increasingly dissatisfied with this lack of progress , began to consider military options during the mid-2010s .
Border skirmishes became a common occurrence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops being killed and wounded in the years before the 2020 conflict .
In 2016 , a large scale flare-up in the fighting brought tensions to a fever-pitch , with more than 100 combatants being killed .
This also served as confirmation for the Azeri military that they were truly a match for Armenia .
While undesirably large casualties were suffered , the advance had been extremely rapid ; in some cases with Armenian positions being overrun in a matter of hours from the beginning of operations .
Taking note of these results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remedy them in the form of further military modernization and expansion .
Large deals between Israel and Turkey provided Baku with loitering munitions such as the IAI Harop , developed by Israel , and the Bayraktar 2 reconnaissance drone , built by Turkey .
The Azerbaijani military also began a general restructuring of their tactics , aiming for a truly multi domain capability rather than the two-dimensional operational thinking common amongst second-rate powers .
In order to make this happen , Baku increased their defense budget by more than 60 % between 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 and 2018 , the gloves finally came off on September 27th , 2020 .
Initial skirmishes along the line of contact led to the declaration of martial law in both Armenia and Azerbaijan , and the beginning stages of mobilization by the Armenian Military .
The following day , Azerbaijan began its own mobilization efforts .
Much to the consternation of the United Nations and the International Community at large , Azerbaijan did not relent and continued it ’ s offensive actions past the first skirmishes .
Following initial moderately successful counterattacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost positions , the lines became relatively static for the following days despite intense clashes between the two forces .
As early as the beginning of October , the Armenian lines began to crack .
Intense usage of long range artillery with observation drones in a forward observer role started to take their effect on Armenian manpower and morale .
Azerbaijani forces were able to advance in both the Northern and Southern sectors of fighting throughout the beginning of the month ; and following incremental Azerbaijani advances , on October 10th Russia brokered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , within a matter of hours this ceasefire fell apart and hostilities resumed across the entire front .
Throughout mid-October the advantage shifted further and further towards Azerbaijan .
The Republic of Artsakh began losing more and more territory , and the Armenian aligned military forces continued losing more and more men and equipment .
It was at this point where Azerbaijan began exerting more operational dominance on the battlefield .
By October 19th , Azerbaijani forces had occupied a significant portion of southern Artsakh , and were successfully holding their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hundreds , if not thousands of Armenians had been killed by this point , and hundreds of trucks , tanks , and other pieces of military equipment had been destroyed by Azerbaijani drones and artillery .
Following yet another unsuccessful Russia brokered ceasefire , Azerbaijani offensives resumed in the South .
Armenian and Artsakh forces were forced into a total retreat , being continuously targeted by unseen drones , loitering munitions , and shelling .
At this point the air defenses within Nagorno-Karabakh had been utterly dismantled by effective Azerbaijani use of air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Baku had previously acquired .
A notable image encapsulates the conflict by showing the moment before a Harop impacts into an S-300PS Transporter Erector Launcher .
By the beginning of November , the entire Artsakh-Iranian border had been occupied by Azerbaijani forces , and the Armenian aligned forces were on a distinct strategic backfoot .
With morale at an all time high for Azerbaijan , their forces pivoted to the Northwest to begin an offensive targeting Stepanakart , the capital of The Republic of Artsakh .
Within a matter of days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the shattered remnants of the Armenian aligned forces hastily attempted to halt the Azerbaijani advance .
However , the Armenian forces were no longer capable of any significant impact on the battlefield , and the Armenian Prime Minister , Nikol Pashinyan , was forced to the negotiating table after the fall of Shusha , the second largest city in Nagorno Karabakh , and the last stronghold before Stepanakart .
This war is essential to take lessons from due to a number of key properties it displayed .
The usage of Unmanned Aerial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any nation not to take note of .
Unlike in prior conflicts , aerial capabilities are no longer exclusive to large powers , and can be employed to enormous effect by any military regardless of size or funding .
There is no longer an ability to fight a nation state without considering the aerial dimension of the conflict , and air defense capabilities must be high up on the priority list of any military planner .
Had the Armenian air defenses been competent and extensive , the war may have turned out significantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ munitions also holds with it enormous consequences for future conflicts .
Relatively inexpensive precision guided munitions are proliferating massively , and as a result any concentrated military formation or emplacement is vulnerable from the air .
While in the past it may have sufficed to entrench military hardware to protect it , modern warfare now dictates that such two-dimensional thinking is a recipe for disaster .
Even small , lightly funded militaries are now capable of precision standoff strikes without putting their forces at risk .
The most important effect of these two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be more relegated to standoff engagements , rather than troop-on-troop kinetic fights .
If it is possible to dismantle a military without ever putting a soldier in harm ’ s way , a commander will undoubtedly choose that option .
It is likely there will be a shift from typical “ troop ” movements towards an initial battle for aerial dominance , and an attempt to attrit enemy air defenses and destroy enemy formations as quickly as possible with cheap standoff munitions , followed by what is most aptly characterized as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While ground formations are by no means useless , their role has undergone a total change .
In a conventional conflict , they no longer are most effective in their offensive capability and ability to destroy the enemy , but rather are now most useful solely to hold off an enemy ground force from being able to deny the use of a military ’ s aerial assets , and to secure territory following the dismantling of a nation ’ s military from the air .
It is blindingly clear that as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air to project power and destroy Armenian aligned formations , the war was as good as won .
Nikol Pashinyan had in fact been warned of this eventuality by the fourth day of the conflict , however he had failed to react accordingly .
Instead of ensuring a successful and timely mobilization of the nation , he instead issued orders to halt replacements to the front , and opted to send only volunteers to the front lines .
Acquisition of new , effective Short Range Air Defense ( SHORAD ) systems such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and instead older 9K33 “ Osa ” Short Range Air Defense systems were procured .
While simple procurement and mobilization policies would likely not alone have resulted in a victory for Armenia , it would undoubtedly have made the conflict much more difficult for the Azerbaijani military , and a more favorable peace agreement could have been achieved .
When one opts to ignore the reality of the modern battlefield in favor of political fantasy as Pashinyan has done , good men die .
The Armenian military was not equipped with the necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the result was a crushing defeat , with thousands of unnecessary casualties .
If any military seeks to win conflicts in the modern age , it must take these lessons from Nagorno-Karabkh , lest they suffer the same fate .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Armenia Is Trolling Russia , Digging Its Own Grave Around The Clock • Karabakh Rambo : Azerbaijani President Drives Armoured Vehicle In Another District Captured From Armenians

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Prepared by Thurisaz Solutions exclusively for SouthFront
On November 10th, 2020 the Republic of Armenia signed a ceasefire with Azerbaijan, agreeing to hand over nearly a fifth of the territory within its sphere of influence prior to the signing. While maintaining the Lachin corridor, as well as a passageway to Stepanakart, the former capital of the self proclaimed Artsakh Republic; the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, was forced to accept a peace agreement returning all surrounding territories to Azeribaijani control, as well as permitting Russian Peacekeepers to set up observation posts throughout the Lachin corridor and the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Leading up to this historic agreement was a bloody, and largely one-sided conflict in which Azerbaijan proved once and for all that a new generation of warfare has arrived.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh as well as the surrounding territories have been fiercely contested between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Initially the undisputed territory of Azerbaijan, the regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh have been under the de-facto control of the Artsakh Republic, an autonomous region within the Armenian sphere of influence, since the brutal First Nagorno-Karabakh War ended in 1994. During this war more than 700,000 Azerbaijani civilians were displaced from the region, causing enormous friction in the years following the OSCE brokered ceasefire, as they were not permitted to return to their homes after the territorial handover took place.
While the territory surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh has remained de-jure Azerbaijani, internationally recognized to be so, the negotiations regarding their return remained fruitless for the 26 years they had been underway. Baku, growing increasingly dissatisfied with this lack of progress, began to consider military options during the mid-2010s. Border skirmishes became a common occurrence, with hundreds of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops being killed and wounded in the years before the 2020 conflict.
In 2016, a large scale flare-up in the fighting brought tensions to a fever-pitch, with more than 100 combatants being killed. This also served as confirmation for the Azeri military that they were truly a match for Armenia. While undesirably large casualties were suffered, the advance had been extremely rapid; in some cases with Armenian positions being overrun in a matter of hours from the beginning of operations. Taking note of these results, Azerbaijan’s government began to remedy them in the form of further military modernization and expansion.
Large deals between Israel and Turkey provided Baku with loitering munitions such as the IAI Harop, developed by Israel, and the Bayraktar 2 reconnaissance drone, built by Turkey. The Azerbaijani military also began a general restructuring of their tactics, aiming for a truly multi domain capability rather than the two-dimensional operational thinking common amongst second-rate powers. In order to make this happen, Baku increased their defense budget by more than 60% between 2016 and 2020.
Following further skirmishes in 2017 and 2018, the gloves finally came off on September 27th, 2020. Initial skirmishes along the line of contact led to the declaration of martial law in both Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the beginning stages of mobilization by the Armenian Military. The following day, Azerbaijan began its own mobilization efforts. Much to the consternation of the United Nations and the International Community at large, Azerbaijan did not relent and continued it’s offensive actions past the first skirmishes. Following initial moderately successful counterattacks by Armenia in an effort to retake lost positions, the lines became relatively static for the following days despite intense clashes between the two forces.
As early as the beginning of October, the Armenian lines began to crack. Intense usage of long range artillery with observation drones in a forward observer role started to take their effect on Armenian manpower and morale. Azerbaijani forces were able to advance in both the Northern and Southern sectors of fighting throughout the beginning of the month; and following incremental Azerbaijani advances, on October 10th Russia brokered an initial Ceasefire between the two sides. However, within a matter of hours this ceasefire fell apart and hostilities resumed across the entire front.
Throughout mid-October the advantage shifted further and further towards Azerbaijan. The Republic of Artsakh began losing more and more territory, and the Armenian aligned military forces continued losing more and more men and equipment. It was at this point where Azerbaijan began exerting more operational dominance on the battlefield. By October 19th, Azerbaijani forces had occupied a significant portion of southern Artsakh, and were successfully holding their gains in the north as well. Hundreds, if not thousands of Armenians had been killed by this point, and hundreds of trucks, tanks, and other pieces of military equipment had been destroyed by Azerbaijani drones and artillery.
Following yet another unsuccessful Russia brokered ceasefire, Azerbaijani offensives resumed in the South. Armenian and Artsakh forces were forced into a total retreat, being continuously targeted by unseen drones, loitering munitions, and shelling. At this point the air defenses within Nagorno-Karabakh had been utterly dismantled by effective Azerbaijani use of air assets, such as the IAI Harop that Baku had previously acquired. A notable image encapsulates the conflict by showing the moment before a Harop impacts into an S-300PS Transporter Erector Launcher.
By the beginning of November, the entire Artsakh-Iranian border had been occupied by Azerbaijani forces, and the Armenian aligned forces were on a distinct strategic backfoot. With morale at an all time high for Azerbaijan, their forces pivoted to the Northwest to begin an offensive targeting Stepanakart, the capital of The Republic of Artsakh. Within a matter of days, large scale breakthroughs had been made, as the shattered remnants of the Armenian aligned forces hastily attempted to halt the Azerbaijani advance. However, the Armenian forces were no longer capable of any significant impact on the battlefield, and the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, was forced to the negotiating table after the fall of Shusha, the second largest city in Nagorno Karabakh, and the last stronghold before Stepanakart.
This war is essential to take lessons from due to a number of key properties it displayed. The usage of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) is impossible for any nation not to take note of. Unlike in prior conflicts, aerial capabilities are no longer exclusive to large powers, and can be employed to enormous effect by any military regardless of size or funding. There is no longer an ability to fight a nation state without considering the aerial dimension of the conflict, and air defense capabilities must be high up on the priority list of any military planner. Had the Armenian air defenses been competent and extensive, the war may have turned out significantly differently.
The employment of standoff loitering munitions also holds with it enormous consequences for future conflicts. Relatively inexpensive precision guided munitions are proliferating massively, and as a result any concentrated military formation or emplacement is vulnerable from the air. While in the past it may have sufficed to entrench military hardware to protect it, modern warfare now dictates that such two-dimensional thinking is a recipe for disaster. Even small, lightly funded militaries are now capable of precision standoff strikes without putting their forces at risk.
The most important effect of these two new factors is that wars are likely to be more relegated to standoff engagements, rather than troop-on-troop kinetic fights. If it is possible to dismantle a military without ever putting a soldier in harm’s way, a commander will undoubtedly choose that option. It is likely there will be a shift from typical “troop” movements towards an initial battle for aerial dominance, and an attempt to attrit enemy air defenses and destroy enemy formations as quickly as possible with cheap standoff munitions, followed by what is most aptly characterized as “mopping up” by ground formations.
While ground formations are by no means useless, their role has undergone a total change. In a conventional conflict, they no longer are most effective in their offensive capability and ability to destroy the enemy, but rather are now most useful solely to hold off an enemy ground force from being able to deny the use of a military’s aerial assets, and to secure territory following the dismantling of a nation’s military from the air. It is blindingly clear that as soon as Azerbaijani forces were capable of effectively utilizing the air to project power and destroy Armenian aligned formations, the war was as good as won.
Nikol Pashinyan had in fact been warned of this eventuality by the fourth day of the conflict, however he had failed to react accordingly. Instead of ensuring a successful and timely mobilization of the nation, he instead issued orders to halt replacements to the front, and opted to send only volunteers to the front lines. Acquisition of new, effective Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) systems such as the Tor-M2KM were also neglected, and instead older 9K33 “Osa” Short Range Air Defense systems were procured. While simple procurement and mobilization policies would likely not alone have resulted in a victory for Armenia, it would undoubtedly have made the conflict much more difficult for the Azerbaijani military, and a more favorable peace agreement could have been achieved.
When one opts to ignore the reality of the modern battlefield in favor of political fantasy as Pashinyan has done, good men die. The Armenian military was not equipped with the necessary tools to wage a modern war, and the result was a crushing defeat, with thousands of unnecessary casualties. If any military seeks to win conflicts in the modern age, it must take these lessons from Nagorno-Karabkh, lest they suffer the same fate.
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southfront--2020-11-24--Armenia Is Trolling Russia, Digging Its Own Grave Around The Clock

As of November 23 , the Russian peacekeeping force has finished its deployment in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone , that included the sending 1960 personnel and 552 units of equipment .
The total number of observation posts currently kept by Russian forces in the region is 23 .
At the same time , planes of the Russian Aerospace Forces have not halted their flights to Armenia .
They are currently involved in the deployment of additional equipment and civil defense and disaster response specialists that will participate in the humanitarian aid campaign in Karabakh .
While the Azerbaijani side insists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territories that it is gaining under the peace deal , the area to which the Azerbaijani military will have no access to will remain within the zone of the responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers and the authorities of the self-proclaimed Armenian Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Another factor is the return of displaced persons .
Since November 14 , over 9,000 civilians have returned to their homes under the protection of the Russian military .
Most of the activities needed to avoid an acute humanitarian crisis are now being conducted with direct involvement or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the Armenian government , led by Nikol ‘ The Basement ’ Pashinyan that is openly cracking down on opposition to its rule with force and threats of jail terms , continues demonstrating its brilliant skills in undermining the Armenian regional position and destroying the already weakened partnership with the only guarantor of its statehood and security .
On November 21 , a high-ranking Russian delegation , including Prime Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu , visited Armenia and Azerbaijan holding a series of meetings with the leadership of both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region and the settlement of the Karabakh question .
Accepting the high-ranking Russian delegation , the Armenian side ‘ accidentally ’ forgot to put out the Russian flag .
Such a position of Armenia towards its only real ally in the region that has just rescued Armenian forces from total annihilation in the war with Azerbaijan for Nagorno-Karabakh is at least surprising .
In the worst case scenario , it just demonstrates that the government led by the Western puppet is rock solid in its anti-Armenian policy could easily lead to the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is interesting to note that the Armenian Foreign Ministry claimed that the absence of the Russian flags is completely fine and this is an ordinary practice for Yerevan .
However , the fact that the Russian flag appeared on photos after media drew attention to the incident and that demonstrates that the original situation was not so okay because it revealed the real aim of the current Armenian government .
The Russian visit to Baku expectedly led to no diplomatic scandals of such kind and Azerbaijan is now preparing to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should hand over to it under the reached deal .
On November 25 , Azerbaijani troops are set to enter Kalbajar District .
The Armenian leaders are reaping the benefits of its destructive policies of the previous years .

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As of November 23, the Russian peacekeeping force has finished its deployment in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, that included the sending 1960 personnel and 552 units of equipment. The total number of observation posts currently kept by Russian forces in the region is 23. At the same time, planes of the Russian Aerospace Forces have not halted their flights to Armenia. They are currently involved in the deployment of additional equipment and civil defense and disaster response specialists that will participate in the humanitarian aid campaign in Karabakh.
While the Azerbaijani side insists that it would demine and restore all territories that it is gaining under the peace deal, the area to which the Azerbaijani military will have no access to will remain within the zone of the responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers and the authorities of the self-proclaimed Armenian Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Another factor is the return of displaced persons. Since November 14, over 9,000 civilians have returned to their homes under the protection of the Russian military. Most of the activities needed to avoid an acute humanitarian crisis are now being conducted with direct involvement or under the supervision of the peacekeepers.
Meanwhile, the Armenian government, led by Nikol ‘The Basement’ Pashinyan that is openly cracking down on opposition to its rule with force and threats of jail terms, continues demonstrating its brilliant skills in undermining the Armenian regional position and destroying the already weakened partnership with the only guarantor of its statehood and security.
On November 21, a high-ranking Russian delegation, including Prime Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, visited Armenia and Azerbaijan holding a series of meetings with the leadership of both countries on the current situation in the region and the settlement of the Karabakh question. Accepting the high-ranking Russian delegation, the Armenian side ‘accidentally’ forgot to put out the Russian flag.
Such a position of Armenia towards its only real ally in the region that has just rescued Armenian forces from total annihilation in the war with Azerbaijan for Nagorno-Karabakh is at least surprising. In the worst case scenario, it just demonstrates that the government led by the Western puppet is rock solid in its anti-Armenian policy could easily lead to the full destruction of the country’s statehood.
It is interesting to note that the Armenian Foreign Ministry claimed that the absence of the Russian flags is completely fine and this is an ordinary practice for Yerevan. However, the fact that the Russian flag appeared on photos after media drew attention to the incident and that demonstrates that the original situation was not so okay because it revealed the real aim of the current Armenian government.
The Russian visit to Baku expectedly led to no diplomatic scandals of such kind and Azerbaijan is now preparing to take control of another district that Armenian forces should hand over to it under the reached deal. On November 25, Azerbaijani troops are set to enter Kalbajar District. The Armenian leaders are reaping the benefits of its destructive policies of the previous years.
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southfront--2020-11-24--Karabakh Rambo: Azerbaijani President Drives Armoured Vehicle In Another District Captured From Arme

Karabakh Rambo: Azerbaijani President Drives Armoured Vehicle In Another District Captured From Armenians

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was filmed driving an armoured vehicle in Agdam District in the Nagorno-Karabakh region .
The district @ @ @ @ @ the Armenians to Azerbaijan under the peace deal reached to end the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war @ @ @ @ @ leader already paid visits to areas captured by Azerbaijani forces in the south of the @ @ @ @ @ bridge at the border with Iran .
Aliyev visits to captured areas are a part @ @ @ @ @ propaganda campaign aimed at showcasing the historic military victory of the country and the return @ @ @ @ @ areas that it lost during the First Karabakh War .
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was filmed driving an armoured vehicle in Agdam District in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The district was recently handed over by the Armenians to Azerbaijan under the peace deal reached to end the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Earlier, the Azerbaijani leader already paid visits to areas captured by Azerbaijani forces in the south of the region, including the Khodaafarin bridge at the border with Iran.
#Iran's IRGC released the photos of the scope of an Iranian sniper while President Aliyev was visiting Khodaafarin bridge at the Karabakh-Iran border.#Azerbaijan
? pic.twitter.com/soE8TR6ipV — Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) November 17, 2020
Aliyev visits to captured areas are a part of the wider Azerbaijani internal propaganda campaign aimed at showcasing the historic military victory of the country and the return of a large part of areas that it lost during the First Karabakh War.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Russian-Made Su-24 Spotted Taking Part In Libyan Military Exercises (Video)

Two Su-24M combat jets of the Air Forces of the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar participated in a live-fire exercise of the LNA ’ s 106th Armored Brigade .
It is for the first time the images of Russian-made Su-24 in a service with the LNA forces emerged online .
The video was published by the Information Office of the General Command of the Libyan Armed Forces .
It shows the pair of Su-24s releasing infrared decoy flares flying low above the Libyan desert .
Sukhoi Su-24 is a supersonic attack aircraft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a variable-sweep wing and twin-engines .
It was the first of the USSR ’ s aircraft to carry an integrated digital navigation and attack system .
Su-24M among other upgrades were provided with GLONASS and provision for the latest guided weapons , including R-73 air-to-air missiles Mi-24 attack helicopters , Mi-8 transport helicopters and T-54 / T-55 battle tanks also participated in the exercise .
The Su-24 combat jets spotted on the video raised a number of suspicions .
Some sources supposed that Russian private military contractors were flying these aircraft .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ somehow .
The two aircraft were wearing the gray and white colors , what is typical for Russian Aerospace Forces .
The Russian combat jets that were provided to Libya late in 1989 or to Syria had the camouflage color .
According to US Africa Command , at least 14 combat jets were sent by Russia to support the LNA commanded by Marshal Khalifa Haftar in May 2020 .
To prove the claims AFRICOM published the satellite imagery allegedly showing the Russian jets in Al Jufrah air base .
The jets had allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt , as well as Russia and France , has seen its latest offensive against the GNA .
In its turn , the GNA receives a large support from Turkey .
In October , a new ceasefire was agreed between the LNA and the GNA .
In November , it was decided to hold the national presidential election on December 24 , 2021 .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Turkey Complains OF Illegal Ship Search By EU ’ s Libyan Embargo-Enforcing Mission In Mediterranean Sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Haftar ” : Turkey ’ s Struggle To Find Excuses For Its Apparent Failure In Libya

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Two Su-24M combat jets of the Air Forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar participated in a live-fire exercise of the LNA’s 106th Armored Brigade.
It is for the first time the images of Russian-made Su-24 in a service with the LNA forces emerged online. The video was published by the Information Office of the General Command of the Libyan Armed Forces.
It shows the pair of Su-24s releasing infrared decoy flares flying low above the Libyan desert.
Sukhoi Su-24 is a supersonic attack aircraft developed in the Soviet Union. It has a variable-sweep wing and twin-engines. It was the first of the USSR’s aircraft to carry an integrated digital navigation and attack system. Su-24M among other upgrades were provided with GLONASS and provision for the latest guided weapons, including R-73 air-to-air missiles
Mi-24 attack helicopters, Mi-8 transport helicopters and T-54 / T-55 battle tanks also participated in the exercise.
The Su-24 combat jets spotted on the video raised a number of suspicions. Some sources supposed that Russian private military contractors were flying these aircraft. However, such claims were not proved somehow.
The two aircraft were wearing the gray and white colors, what is typical for Russian Aerospace Forces. The Russian combat jets that were provided to Libya late in 1989 or to Syria had the camouflage color.
According to US Africa Command, at least 14 combat jets were sent by Russia to support the LNA commanded by Marshal Khalifa Haftar in May 2020. To prove the claims AFRICOM published the satellite imagery allegedly showing the Russian jets in Al Jufrah air base.
The jets had allegedly arrived in Libya when the LNA, supported by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as Russia and France, has seen its latest offensive against the GNA. In its turn, the GNA receives a large support from Turkey.
In October, a new ceasefire was agreed between the LNA and the GNA. In November, it was decided to hold the national presidential election on December 24, 2021.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Behind The Scenes Of Presidential Leapfrog In Peru

The wave of protests that is spreading today in Latin America is an evidence of global civil unrest .
The lower class , youth , working people , the poor and the marginalized middle class are going out to the streets in Brazil , Chile , Guatemala etc .
Peru is not a big player in global geopolitics , but the current circumstances made it a trigger of the regional development tendencies .
Peru has had 3 presidents in a week , 4 in four years… and counting .
The population yells “ All must go !
” , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” , as the Congress swears that it is fighting corruption… What is actually happening in the country and what is going to happen ?
Analyzing the Peruvian way can be the key to understanding the entire region .
On the self-destruction of the government : The destruction of the government , and not only of the executive branch or Congress , was the multi-year process .
A few years ago , during the elections in 2016 , the options for Peruvians consisted of the white-collar thieves and more common ones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference , as the two parties argued of the political rights and their corrupted leaders .
Thus , a suggested solution that prevailed at the second electoral round was quite obvious : the Congress was given to one party , and the presidency to another .
Former President Pedro Pablo Kuscynski ( also called PPK ) blackmailed Congress several times threatening to dissolve it , in case the Minister ’ s appointments and government plans were not approved , while Congress threatened to vacate him .
The population supported PPK ( the Peruvians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , starting with former President Fujimori and ending with now former President Vizcarra ) , but slowly there have been records Congress accumulated against him .
Finally a vacancy process was opened , which he won !
But PKK committed a significant mistake , which was to negotiate with Fuerza Popular ( the political party of former President Fujimori , now controlled by his daughter Keiko ) a pardon for former President Fujimori , who had a long prison sentence for the participation in murders and massacres , among other crimes .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
Shortly after , he faced another vacancy process .
One morning he resigned before Congress kicked him out that very afternoon .
Today he is on trial on corruption charges .
Then Vice-president Martín Vizcarra , a low profile politician who had been president of the Moquegua Department , took office .
He arrived with courage and won over most of the population .
He soon approached the Fujimori majority in Congress , which had previously been discredited , and following the trend of his predecessor , threatened several times to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
This dissolution was unconstitutional .
( LINK ) However , elections were called and a new Congress was elected .
Was it convenient for Vizcarra to dissolve that Congress ?
If he wanted to try to rule , yes .
But one thing is to try and another is to succeed .
From the very beginning , he did not have a great probability of success , not even having a party to run in those elections .
His party was that of PPK , which depended completely on PKK ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was tried for corruption , the party just disappeared into smoke .
Fujimori ’ s party suffered a debacle in the elections , but Vizcarra ’ s allies also did not rise that much .
Congress was divided into several minor parties , none of which had a minimal majority .
Each group began its battle to advance and gain influence and support from the others .
For Vizcarra and the executive branch , it was too difficult to reconcile support among so many groups , or to buy them .
Their main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have ( and does not have ) strength .
Soon after , the struggle between the president and Congress resumed .
Why did Congress decide to vacate the president , with only half a year left before the elections ?
Frankly speaking , there was no reason for the persecution that the new Congress carried out against Vizcarra .
Both the Congress and presidency support right-wing economic ideas .
They also worked together against the “ fujimoristas ” .
There were 3 attempts to vacate Vizcarra .
The first attempt was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself against the threat of dissolution .
The second was rather a melodramatic novel , which mentioned Vizcarra ’ s sexual affairs during his government in Moquegua .
The third attempt came with accusations of receiving payments to benefit a company with contracts , also during his regional presidency .
So… did Congress just want to fight corruption ?
No way .
As the now-former president said in his defense speech , 68 of those same congressmen have open judicial investigations in court .
The reality is that they were preparing themselves for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition party has benefited from helping Vizcarra .
Only Acción Popular ( party with majority of seats in the actual Congress ) and Partido Morado could hope to inherit Vizcarra ’ s votes .
But Acción Popular wanted to distance itself from the government , which would bear the blame for the economic crisis ( a 40 % drop in GDP in the second quarter , and it is expected to fall in the third and fourth quarters as well ) and for the crisis of the health system during the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally put the control over the country ( and the victory in the upcoming elections ) in their hands , they took that route .
In absent of a vice president , in case of presidential vacancy , the presidency goes to the Congress Chairman , and that was the chance for Acción Popular .
Also , the Mayor of Lima , who has the greatest economic weight and a third of the voters , is from that same party .
Now , with such a power they were not going to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have time with the coming elections .
But they would control the checks .
If former President Vizcarra and the Congress main parties have the same economic and political right wing preferences , so why did the Peruvian corporate media react fervently defending the last presidency ?
A fact is worth more than a million words , and this author sticks to the facts .
What ghost scares the Peruvian establishment ?
What makes their legs shake ?
Well , his natural enemy , the people !
What has recently happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Movimiento al Socialismo , the party of socialist Evo Morales .
In Chile , the bastion of the economic right in South America , the government was forced by its population to bury its Constitution and make a new one , from the very first letter .
Trump falls , Bolsonaro has 167 thousand deaths due to the pandemic he always denied , Maduro is still in Venezuela… and in Peru the demands to change the Constitution are louder and louder , promoted by few left parties that exist .
One of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third in the last presidential elections .
At the time of his fall , Martín Vizcarra had high support of the population .
He represented stability , also guaranteed a quiet election and huge financial aid for big business groups , aid that the small parties now in control of the country will not give because of their political campaign and can not give because of their capabilities .
And whoever even tries will lose the election .
Therefore , the mass media were alarmed and shouted about the coup .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dissolution of the previous Congress , they remained silent .
Large media were actively sending their commentators to promote the idea .
Finally , was there the coup ?
No .
The Constitution is clear about this , and it seems that the media reporters have not read the Constitution .
So if they shout ; it is not because of their ignorance .
They wanted to try , in a mad rush , to get Vizcarra back .
They sold the idea that the protesters ’ cry was asking for Vizcarra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was “ everyone must go ” .
The media tantrum did not last long .
Soon , they realized that a reversal was impossible and proceeded to look for a stable option .
Acción Popular , who led Congress , inherited the presidency with Congress Chairman Manuel Merino , who had come to office with 5,000 votes from the Department of Tumbes in the extreme north of the country .
It did not help .
The protests continued , and the violence increased on the streets , there were two deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Congress had to find a consensual way out .
Manuel Merino would resign , would bear responsibility for the deaths ( he will not be judicially bothered for the issue , anyway ) , and they would look for someone as clean as possible to assume presidency… and do absolutely nothing more than to lead the country to new elections .
The first choice for “ as clean as possible ” was a left-wing congresswoman Rocío Silva Santisteban from the Frente Amplio ( which is the only self-proclaimed left-wing party in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist and social activist who supposedly had the consensus of the congressional groups .
The vote seemed just a formality , but a counter-order came at some point and she was rejected .
The rejection surprised almost all journalists covering the event .
The establishment was not desperate enough to accept the leftist woman .
We are almost at the end , with Peruvian politics biting its tail .
Francisco Sagasti , from the Partido Morado is the new president of Peru , for now .
A well-studied man , disciple of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international banking and very efficient in his affairs , who has Peruvian and Costa Rican citizenship .
He worked with the military government in the 70s , also in the first and second presidential periods of late Alan García ( suicide the day he was going to be arrested because of corruption trials ) , a little during Humala presidency ( also on corruption trials ) , and even with former Lima Mayor Susana Villarán ( house arrest , more corruption trials ) .
As you can see , he does not feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him working as he wishes .
He was elected Congress Chairman and shortly after , the President of the Republic .
For the groups in power , he is a guarantee that there will be no experiment or change in the country ’ s economic policy , at least until another president is elected .
Nor will foreign policy change and will remain well aligned with Washington .
Nor are monetary problems expected ( although the currency has slowly lost value in these months , due to the pandemic ) , because there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary .
In short , he is another Pedro Pablo Kuczynski .
Firstly , both the government and the mass media will do everything possible to silence and dissolve the protests , especially the demands of a new Constitution .
The groups that continue to press , taking the example of Chile , will be named as “ terrucos ” ( derogatory word for leftist protesters , relating them to terrorists ) , who seek to turn Peru into “ a new Venezuela ” .
Then , any violent protest will be linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left , Frente Amplio and Juntos por el Perú ( the second contains one of the largest communist parties in the country , Patria Roja ) .
Normally all the parties would disengage from any form of violence , but with the successful example of Chile , perhaps , some will dare to take the movement for them .
The protests , which have almost calmed down , will probably resurface sporadically during electoral campaign the next year .
They will likely focus on calling for a new Constitution .
It seems that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Acción Popular , today the best-positioned party in the country , will have the straight lane for the campaign , and will not lack resources with the tacit support of the government and the media .
The Purple Party will have an easy campaign , but it is not expected to come out of the shadows .
Another electoral debacle waits for Fujimori ’ s party .
The new religious party , FREPAP , will continue to rise in votes , although probably not enough to win the top scores .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The two leftist parties will try to negotiate a common candidacy… doubtful , but not impossible .
No party seems to come close to winning in the first round .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • The Political Right Loses Ground In Bolivia And Latin America

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Submitted by Jhr Cronos
The wave of protests that is spreading today in Latin America is an evidence of global civil unrest. The lower class, youth, working people, the poor and the marginalized middle class are going out to the streets in Brazil, Chile, Guatemala etc.
Peru is not a big player in global geopolitics, but the current circumstances made it a trigger of the regional development tendencies. Peru has had 3 presidents in a week, 4 in four years… and counting. The population yells “All must go!”, the media yells “It was a coup!”, as the Congress swears that it is fighting corruption… What is actually happening in the country and what is going to happen? Analyzing the Peruvian way can be the key to understanding the entire region.
On the self-destruction of the government:
The destruction of the government, and not only of the executive branch or Congress, was the multi-year process. A few years ago, during the elections in 2016, the options for Peruvians consisted of the white-collar thieves and more common ones. (LINK) There was not much difference, as the two parties argued of the political rights and their corrupted leaders. Thus, a suggested solution that prevailed at the second electoral round was quite obvious: the Congress was given to one party, and the presidency to another.
Former President Pedro Pablo Kuscynski (also called PPK) blackmailed Congress several times threatening to dissolve it, in case the Minister’s appointments and government plans were not approved, while Congress threatened to vacate him. The population supported PPK (the Peruvians traditionally support the president in such cases, starting with former President Fujimori and ending with now former President Vizcarra), but slowly there have been records Congress accumulated against him. Finally a vacancy process was opened, which he won! But PKK committed a significant mistake, which was to negotiate with Fuerza Popular (the political party of former President Fujimori, now controlled by his daughter Keiko) a pardon for former President Fujimori, who had a long prison sentence for the participation in murders and massacres, among other crimes. This is the way PKK lost all popular support. Shortly after, he faced another vacancy process. One morning he resigned before Congress kicked him out that very afternoon. Today he is on trial on corruption charges.
Then Vice-president Martín Vizcarra, a low profile politician who had been president of the Moquegua Department, took office. He arrived with courage and won over most of the population. He soon approached the Fujimori majority in Congress, which had previously been discredited, and following the trend of his predecessor, threatened several times to dissolve the Congress… until he finally did it. This dissolution was unconstitutional. (LINK) However, elections were called and a new Congress was elected. Was it convenient for Vizcarra to dissolve that Congress? If he wanted to try to rule, yes. But one thing is to try and another is to succeed. From the very beginning, he did not have a great probability of success, not even having a party to run in those elections. His party was that of PPK, which depended completely on PKK’s figure. As PKK fell and was tried for corruption, the party just disappeared into smoke. Fujimori’s party suffered a debacle in the elections, but Vizcarra’s allies also did not rise that much. Congress was divided into several minor parties, none of which had a minimal majority. Each group began its battle to advance and gain influence and support from the others. For Vizcarra and the executive branch, it was too difficult to reconcile support among so many groups, or to buy them. Their main support, the Partido Morado, did not have (and does not have) strength. Soon after, the struggle between the president and Congress resumed.
Why did Congress decide to vacate the president, with only half a year left before the elections?
Frankly speaking, there was no reason for the persecution that the new Congress carried out against Vizcarra. Both the Congress and presidency support right-wing economic ideas. They also worked together against the “fujimoristas”.
There were 3 attempts to vacate Vizcarra. The first attempt was made by the previous Congress, which defended itself against the threat of dissolution. The second was rather a melodramatic novel, which mentioned Vizcarra’s sexual affairs during his government in Moquegua. The third attempt came with accusations of receiving payments to benefit a company with contracts, also during his regional presidency.
So… did Congress just want to fight corruption? No way. As the now-former president said in his defense speech, 68 of those same congressmen have open judicial investigations in court. The reality is that they were preparing themselves for the electoral campaign.
Politically, no opposition party has benefited from helping Vizcarra. Only Acción Popular (party with majority of seats in the actual Congress) and Partido Morado could hope to inherit Vizcarra’s votes. But Acción Popular wanted to distance itself from the government, which would bear the blame for the economic crisis (a 40% drop in GDP in the second quarter, and it is expected to fall in the third and fourth quarters as well) and for the crisis of the health system during the coronavirus pandemic; and since, vacating Vizcarra would literally put the control over the country (and over the upcoming elections) in their hands, they took that route. In absent of a vice president, in case of presidential vacancy, the presidency goes to the Congress Chairman, and that was the chance for Acción Popular. Also, the Mayor of Lima, who has the greatest economic weight and a third of the voters, is from that same party. Now, with such a power they were not going to carry out any government plans, they didn’t have time with the coming elections. But they would control the checks.
If former President Vizcarra and the Congress main parties have the same economic and political right wing preferences, so why did the Peruvian corporate media react fervently defending the last presidency?
A fact is worth more than a million words, and this author sticks to the facts. What ghost scares the Peruvian establishment? What makes their legs shake? Well, his natural enemy, the people! What has recently happened in Bolivia? The victory of the Movimiento al Socialismo, the party of socialist Evo Morales. In Chile, the bastion of the economic right in South America, the government was forced by its population to bury its Constitution and make a new one, from the very first letter. Trump falls, Bolsonaro has 167 thousand deaths due to the pandemic he always denied, Maduro is still in Venezuela… and in Peru the demands to change the Constitution are louder and louder, promoted by few left parties that exist. One of them even has several congressmen and was the third in the last presidential elections.
At the time of his fall, Martín Vizcarra had high support of the population. He represented stability, also guaranteed a quiet election and huge financial aid for big business groups, aid that the small parties now in control of the country will not give because of their political campaign and cannot give because of their capabilities. And whoever even tries will lose the election.
Therefore, the mass media were alarmed and shouted about the coup. However, when there was a real coup with the dissolution of the previous Congress, they remained silent. Large media were actively sending their commentators to promote the idea.
Finally, was there the coup? No. The Constitution is clear about this, and it seems that the media reporters have not read the Constitution. So if they shout; it is not because of their ignorance. They wanted to try, in a mad rush, to get Vizcarra back. They sold the idea that the protesters’ cry was asking for Vizcarra’s return, when in reality it was “everyone must go”.
Final Results:
The media tantrum did not last long. Soon, they realized that a reversal was impossible and proceeded to look for a stable option. Acción Popular, who led Congress, inherited the presidency with Congress Chairman Manuel Merino, who had come to office with 5,000 votes from the Department of Tumbes in the extreme north of the country. It did not help. The protests continued, and the violence increased on the streets, there were two deaths, dozens of wounded and even kidnapped. The Congress had to find a consensual way out. Manuel Merino would resign, would bear responsibility for the deaths (he will not be judicially bothered for the issue, anyway), and they would look for someone as clean as possible to assume presidency… and do absolutely nothing more than to lead the country to new elections.
The first choice for “as clean as possible” was a left-wing congresswoman Rocío Silva Santisteban from the Frente Amplio (which is the only self-proclaimed left-wing party in the Peruvian Congress), a poet, journalist and social activist who supposedly had the consensus of the congressional groups. The vote seemed just a formality, but a counter-order came at some point and she was rejected. The rejection surprised almost all journalists covering the event. The establishment was not desperate enough to accept the leftist woman.
We are almost at the end, with Peruvian politics biting its tail. Francisco Sagasti, from the Partido Morado is the new president of Peru, for now. A well-studied man, disciple of the United States universities, closely linked to international banking and very efficient in his affairs, who has Peruvian and Costa Rican citizenship. He worked with the military government in the 70s, also in the first and second presidential periods of late Alan García (suicide the day he was going to be arrested because of corruption trials), a little during Humala presidency (also on corruption trials), and even with former Lima Mayor Susana Villarán (house arrest, more corruption trials). As you can see, he does not feel disgust at any political party that leaves him working as he wishes. He was elected Congress Chairman and shortly after, the President of the Republic. For the groups in power, he is a guarantee that there will be no experiment or change in the country’s economic policy, at least until another president is elected. Nor will foreign policy change and will remain well aligned with Washington. Nor are monetary problems expected (although the currency has slowly lost value in these months, due to the pandemic), because there will be access to international credit if necessary.
In short, he is another Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.
Predictions:
Firstly, both the government and the mass media will do everything possible to silence and dissolve the protests, especially the demands of a new Constitution. The groups that continue to press, taking the example of Chile, will be named as “terrucos” (derogatory word for leftist protesters, relating them to terrorists), who seek to turn Peru into “a new Venezuela”. Then, any violent protest will be linked to the two parties of the supposed left, Frente Amplio and Juntos por el Perú (the second contains one of the largest communist parties in the country, Patria Roja). Normally all the parties would disengage from any form of violence, but with the successful example of Chile, perhaps, some will dare to take the movement for them.
The protests, which have almost calmed down, will probably resurface sporadically during electoral campaign the next year. They will likely focus on calling for a new Constitution.
It seems that the atomization of political groups will continue. Acción Popular, today the best-positioned party in the country, will have the straight lane for the campaign, and will not lack resources with the tacit support of the government and the media. The Purple Party will have an easy campaign, but it is not expected to come out of the shadows. Another electoral debacle waits for Fujimori’s party. The new religious party, FREPAP, will continue to rise in votes, although probably not enough to win the top scores. The nationalists will see their votes stalled. The two leftist parties will try to negotiate a common candidacy… doubtful, but not impossible. No party seems to come close to winning in the first round.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Photos Reveal Turkish Military Losses In Last Greater Idlib Battle

On November 24 , photos raveling some of Turkey ’ s military losses during the recent battle in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib surfaced online .
The photos were taken by the SMART News Agency .
The pro-opposition news agency posted the photos on its website on March 6 .
However , the photos went unnoticed by all military observers until now .
Three destroyed M60 Sabra MK II battle tanks , a burned out ACV-15 armored personnel carrier and a military truck of the Turkish Armed Forces can be seen in the photos .
A heated battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 of 2019 and March 5 of 2020 .
During the battle , which saw the Syrian Arab Army liberating the Hama-Aleppo highway , Turkish forces provided the region ’ s militants with direct support .
In one occasion , on February 20 , the Turkish Armed Forces took part in a large attack led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham on Syrian government forces in the town of al-Nayrab in southern Idlib .
The attack was a failure .
Turkish troops sustained heavy losses , including at least four M60 Sabra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed by Russian and Syrian warplanes .
The situation in Greater Idlib is somewhat stable .
A ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Turkey on March 5 is still holding up .
However , Ankara is yet to end its support for the region ’ s militants , who continue to attack government forces .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Israel Enjoys Last Weeks Of Love With Trump .
Azerbaijan Controls Kalbajar District In Karabkah

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On November 24, photos raveling some of Turkey’s military losses during the recent battle in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib surfaced online.
The photos were taken by the SMART News Agency. The pro-opposition news agency posted the photos on its website on March 6. However, the photos went unnoticed by all military observers until now.
Three destroyed M60 Sabra MK II battle tanks, a burned out ACV-15 armored personnel carrier and a military truck of the Turkish Armed Forces can be seen in the photos.
A heated battle took place in Greater Idlib between December 19 of 2019 and March 5 of 2020. During the battle, which saw the Syrian Arab Army liberating the Hama-Aleppo highway, Turkish forces provided the region’s militants with direct support.
In one occasion, on February 20, the Turkish Armed Forces took part in a large attack led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on Syrian government forces in the town of al-Nayrab in southern Idlib.
The attack was a failure. Turkish troops sustained heavy losses, including at least four M60 Sabra MK II battle tanks which were allegedly destroyed by Russian and Syrian warplanes.
The situation in Greater Idlib is somewhat stable. A ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Turkey on March 5 is still holding up. However, Ankara is yet to end its support for the region’s militants, who continue to attack government forces.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Azerbaijanis Wear Russian Uniform To Infiltrate Armenia-Held Areas And Murder Locals ?

Azerbaijani service members have disguised in Russian military uniforms to infiltrate Armenian-held areas in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh , according to British journalist Emile Ghessen .
Ghessen shared on his Instagram account a video showing the jacket of an Azerbaijani infiltrator who was recently captured in the town of Martuni .
According to Russian sources , Azerbaijani troops are using this tactic to infiltrate into Armenian-held areas of Nagorno-Karabakh , where they are abducting or even killing residents .
However , the type of military uniform shown in the video has not been used in Russian troops for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass through any observation point of the Russian peacekeepers or Armenian militants in such a uniform .
Persons in this form would be immediately detained .
It is also impossible to pass through the ceasefire line without attracting the attention of the military .
In addition to numerous control posts , the Russian military actively uses drones to monitor the demarcation line .
Some 2,000 peacekeepers have been deployed by Russia in Nagorno-Karabakh to oversee the implementation of the November 9 peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan .
The Russian-brokered deal ended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 27 with Azerbaijani advance .
Russian peacekeepers have already deployed 23 observation posts in both the Armenian and Azerbaijani-held parts of Nagorno-Karabakh .
In case that this was a provocation planned by the Azerbaijani military or intelligence , it is obvious that the individuals sent to the Armenian territory would have been equipped in accordance with the current norms of uniforms of the Russian troops .
Two versions are possible .
According to the first version , some Azerbaijanis , rather civilians , decided to take advantage of the situation in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
it could be those who lost their relatives , homes and property during the first Nogorno-Karabakh war of 1992-1994 .
According to the second version , such a publication is an informative campaign in favor of the Armenian side , which is intended to demonstrate to Russia that Azerbaijanis have the opportunity to commit sabotage and war crimes by dressing up in Russian uniforms .
The purpose of this information campaign is most likely to destabilize the situation in the region .
The second version is supported by the fact that information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Pro-Armenian media , with the additional facts that the purpose of penetration are precisely murders in the local villages .
Moreover , old pea jackets , like the one shown in the video , are widely used by the local population as a daily outerwear .
It is highly likely that the information campaign was planned in advance , and the British journalist was deliberately shown this jacket and told about the recent detention of Azerbaijanis .
After that , an unremarkable story on the Instagram of a British journalist was intercepted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emotional addition that Armenian fighters are making their way to the Armenian side in order to kill local residents .
Thus , the second variation seems to be more likely than the first one .
Most likely , in the coming months , there will be many more similar statements from both sides , because right now , after the situation is stabilized by Russian peacekeepers , legal investigations of war crimes committed during the conflict will begin .
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Azerbaijani service members have disguised in Russian military uniforms to infiltrate Armenian-held areas in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to British journalist Emile Ghessen.
Ghessen shared on his Instagram account a video showing the jacket of an Azerbaijani infiltrator who was recently captured in the town of Martuni.
According to different sources, Azerbaijani troops are using this tactic to infiltrate into Armenian-held areas of Nagorno-Karabakh, where they are abducting or even killing residents.
However, the type of military uniform shown in the video has not been used in Russian troops for a long time.
It is impossible to pass through any observation point of the Russian peacekeepers or Armenian militants in such a uniform. Persons in this form would be immediately detained. It is also impossible to pass through the ceasefire line without attracting the attention of the military. In addition to numerous control posts, the Russian military actively uses drones to monitor the demarcation line.
Some 2,000 peacekeepers have been deployed by Russia in Nagorno-Karabakh to oversee the implementation of the November 9 peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian-brokered deal ended the second war in Nagorno-Karabakh that started on September 27 with Azerbaijani advance.
Russian peacekeepers have already deployed 23 observation posts in both the Armenian and Azerbaijani-held parts of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In case that this was a provocation planned by the Azerbaijani military or intelligence, it is obvious that the individuals sent to the Armenian territory would have been equipped in accordance with the current norms of uniforms of the Russian troops.
Two versions are possible.
According to the first version, some Azerbaijanis, rather civilians, decided to take advantage of the situation in the region to commit ‘personal vendetta’. it could be those who lost their relatives, homes and property during the first Nogorno-Karabakh war of 1992-1994.
According to the second version, such a publication is an informative campaign in favor of the Armenian side, which is intended to demonstrate to Russia that Azerbaijanis have the opportunity to commit sabotage and war crimes by dressing up in Russian uniforms. The purpose of this information campaign is most likely to destabilize the situation in the region.
The second version is supported by the fact that information about alleged Azerbaijanis and Turks is distributed by Pro-Armenian media, with the additional facts that the purpose of penetration are precisely murders in the local villages.
Moreover, old pea jackets, like the one shown in the video, are widely used by the local population as a daily outerwear.
It is highly likely that the information campaign was planned in advance, and the British journalist was deliberately shown this jacket and told about the recent detention of Azerbaijanis. After that, an unremarkable story on the Instagram of a British journalist was intercepted by a number of Armenian media with the emotional addition that Armenian fighters are making their way to the Armenian side in order to kill local residents.
Thus, the second variation seems to be more likely than the first one.
Most likely, in the coming months, there will be many more similar statements from both sides, because right now, after the situation is stabilized by Russian peacekeepers, legal investigations of war crimes committed during the conflict will begin.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Israel Threatened Syrian Army 1st Corps In leaflets Dropped Over Al-Quneitra

The Israeli military had dropped leaflets with threats to the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) 1st Corps over the countryside of al-Quneitra , local sources reported on November 25 .
In the leaflets , the Israeli military alleged that Lebanon ’ s Hezbollah had taken control over decision-making within the 1st Corps .
Furthermore , Iran and Hezbollah were accused of abusing Syrian military positions , personnel and civilians to launch “ sabotage ” operations against Israel .
“ Your relationship with Iran and Hezbollah is hindering the reconstruction of Syria and obstructing Syrian unity , ” the leaflet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone to destabilize us !
Beware of working for Hezbollah in any way , direct or indirect , we will not stop until we eliminate the threat posed to us.
” In the early morning hours , a series of Israeli strikes targeted military positions in al-Quneitra and in the outskirts of the Syrian capital , Damascus .
Last month , the Israeli military dropped similar leaflets with threats to senior commanders in the SAA ’ s 1st Corps .
Early on November 18 , Israeli airstrikes destroyed the personal office of Major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1st Corps ’ 7th Division .
Hawija was one of the officer named in the leaflets .
The new leaflets indicate that Israel is planning to launch new wave of strikes on the SAA 1st Corps under the pretext of “ cooperation with Hezbollah.
” The 1st Corps is the main force in southern Syria .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Strike Them All !
Israel Enjoys Last Weeks Of Trump Presidency By Attacking Syria • Israeli Military Was Ordered To Prepare For U.S. Strike On Iran Before Trump Leaves Office – @

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The Israeli military had dropped leaflets with threats to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) 1st Corps over the countryside of al-Quneitra, local sources reported on November 25.
In the leaflets, the Israeli military alleged that Lebanon’s Hezbollah had taken control over decision-making within the 1st Corps. Furthermore, Iran and Hezbollah were accused of abusing Syrian military positions, personnel and civilians to launch “sabotage” operations against Israel.
“Your relationship with Iran and Hezbollah is hindering the reconstruction of Syria and obstructing Syrian unity,” the leaflet reads. “We will not allow anyone to destabilize us! Beware of working for Hezbollah in any way, direct or indirect, we will not stop until we eliminate the threat posed to us.”
In the early morning hours, a series of Israeli strikes targeted military positions in al-Quneitra and in the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Last month, the Israeli military dropped similar leaflets with threats to senior commanders in the SAA’s 1st Corps. Early on November 18, Israeli airstrikes destroyed the personal office of Major General Akram Hawija, commander of the 1st Corps’ 7th Division. Hawija was one of the officer named in the leaflets.
The new leaflets indicate that Israel is planning to launch new wave of strikes on the SAA 1st Corps under the pretext of “cooperation with Hezbollah.” The 1st Corps is the main force in southern Syria.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Israeli Military Was Ordered To Prepare For U.S. Strike On Iran Before Trump Leaves Office – Report

The Israeli Defense Forces ( IDF ) were ordered to prepare for the possibility that the U.S. will carry out a military strike on Iran before President Donald Trump leaves office next January , AXIOS reported on November 25 .
According to AXIOS , there is no intelligence or assessment that Trump will order a strike on Iran .
The order was given because senior Israeli officials believe that the transitional period in Washington will be “ very sensitive.
” A recent report by the New York Times revealed that President Trump raised the possibility of attacking Iran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent meeting with members of his national security team .
Top U.S. officials , including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , had reportedly advised Trump against such move .
The New York Times said Trump was convinced that a strike on Iran will be “ too risky.
” However , he is considering other options .
Earlier this year , Trump ordered the assassination of Iran ’ s Quds Force commander , Qassim Soleimani .
The assassination demonstrated Trump ’ s willingness to use force against Iran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ missile strike on U.S. base in northern Iraq proved that Tehran will not hesitate to strike back .
An unprovoked U.S. military strike on Iran will lead to a dangerous confrontation in the Persian Gulf .
U.S. troops and its regional allies , including Israel , will likely be targeted by Iran .
Tehran and its allies are already on high-alert , according to the Associated Press .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Israel Enjoys Last Weeks Of Love With Trump .
Azerbaijan Controls Kalbajar District In Karabkah • Iran Directs Military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In Trump ’ s Final Weeks In Office

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The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were ordered to prepare for the possibility that the U.S. will carry out a military strike on Iran before President Donald Trump leaves office next January, AXIOS reported on November 25.
According to AXIOS, there is no intelligence or assessment that Trump will order a strike on Iran. The order was given because senior Israeli officials believe that the transitional period in Washington will be “very sensitive.”
“The IDF’s preparedness measures relate to possible Iranian retaliation against Israel directly or through Iranian proxies in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon,” AXIOS quoted Israeli officials as saying.
A recent report by the New York Times revealed that President Trump raised the possibility of attacking Iran’s uranium enrichment facility in Natanz in a recent meeting with members of his national security team.
Top U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, had reportedly advised Trump against such move.
The New York Times said Trump was convinced that a strike on Iran will be “too risky.” However, he is considering other options.
Earlier this year, Trump ordered the assassination of Iran’s Quds Force commander, Qassim Soleimani. The assassination demonstrated Trump’s willingness to use force against Iran. However, an Iranian response with a missile strike on U.S. base in northern Iraq proved that Tehran will not hesitate to strike back.
An unprovoked U.S. military strike on Iran will lead to a dangerous confrontation in the Persian Gulf. U.S. troops and its regional allies, including Israel, will likely be targeted by Iran. Tehran and its allies are already on high-alert, according to the Associated Press.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Booby-Trapped Houthi Boat Attacked Greek-Managed Oil Tanker In Saudi Red Sea Terminal

On November 25 , an attack on a Saudi petroleum terminal located near the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea damaged a Greek-managed oil tanker .
In a statement , Col. Turki Al-Malki , a spokesman for the coalition , said the tanker was hit with a shrapnel that resulted from an attack by the Houthis , Ansar Allah , with a water-born improvised explosive device ( WBIED ) .
The spokesman claimed that the WBIED was intercepted .
Nevertheless , the tanker ’ s operator , the Athens-based TMS Tankers , said the Maltese-flagged Agrari received a direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about one meter above the waterline and has suffered a breach , ” the company said in a statement .
“ It has been confirmed that the crew are safe and there have been no injuries .
No pollution has been reported .
The vessel is in ballast condition and stable.
” The Saudi Ministry of Energy said firefighters extinguished a fire that erupted after the attack .
A spokesman for the ministry stressed that Aramco ’ s fuel supplies to its customers were not affected by the incident .
New satellite images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack on Agrari resulted in a large oil spill off the shores of Jeddah ’ s terminal .
The Houthis have been using WBIEDs in attacks on Saudi-led coalition vessels and Saudi naval facilities for a few years now .
However , the Yemen group is yet to confirm its responsibility for the attack on Agrari .
A few days ago , the Houthis claimed responsibility for a successful attack with a “ home-grown ” cruise missile on an oil facility of Aramco in Jeddah .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its Oil Facility On Red Sea Coast ( Video , Map )

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On November 25, an attack on a Saudi petroleum terminal located near the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea damaged a Greek-managed oil tanker.
In a statement, Col. Turki Al-Malki, a spokesman for the coalition, said the tanker was hit with a shrapnel that resulted from an attack by the Houthis, Ansar Allah, with a water-born improvised explosive device (WBIED).
The spokesman claimed that the WBIED was intercepted. Nevertheless, the tanker’s operator, the Athens-based TMS Tankers, said the Maltese-flagged Agrari received a direct hit.
“The Agrari was struck about one meter above the waterline and has suffered a breach,” the company said in a statement. “It has been confirmed that the crew are safe and there have been no injuries. No pollution has been reported. The vessel is in ballast condition and stable.”
The Saudi Ministry of Energy said firefighters extinguished a fire that erupted after the attack. A spokesman for the ministry stressed that Aramco’s fuel supplies to its customers were not affected by the incident.
New satellite images shared by observers on Twitter revealed that the attack on Agrari resulted in a large oil spill off the shores of Jeddah’s terminal.
Sat. Imagery from the 23rd Nov. 2020 courtesy of @planetlabs and imagery from today courtesy of @AirbusSpace / @sentinel_hub shows the oil spill caused by damage sustained to the Agrari Tanker off the coast of #Saudi/#KSA Everyone else was releasing imagery, I felt left out! pic.twitter.com/rcH2eINZVQ — Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) November 25, 2020
The Houthis have been using WBIEDs in attacks on Saudi-led coalition vessels and Saudi naval facilities for a few years now. However, the Yemen group is yet to confirm its responsibility for the attack on Agrari.
A few days ago, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a successful attack with a “home-grown” cruise missile on an oil facility of Aramco in Jeddah.
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southfront--2020-11-25--French Senate Adopted Resolution Calling To Recognition Of Nagorno-Karabakh

The French Senate voted in favor of the resolution on the need to recognize the Republic of Artsakh ( Nagorno-Karabakh ) .
This resolution is only a recommendation in its nature and is calling on the government of the country to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh .
The text of the resolution was presented by the leaders of the five largest parliamentary factions .
The decision to adopt the resolution was taken almost unanimously .
Among 336 senators , only one voted against , and 305 voted for the adoption of resolution .
The resolution not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republic , it also demands the withdrawal of Azerbaijani military forces from the territories occupied since the outbreak of clashes on September 27 .
Today , 16 localities of the Kelbajar region of Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of Azerbaijan .
The remaining localities that come under Baku ’ s control are located in Lachin ( 52 ) , Martakert ( 8 ) , Hadrut ( 29 ) , Shusha ( 2 ) , Askeran ( 8 ) and Martuni ( 6 ) regions .
The adopted resolution one more time stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peace process in Nagorno-Karabakh , the only way for France to realize its influence in the region .
Armenian Prime-minister Nikol Pashinyan hurried up to express his gratitude to the French Senate , publishing a post in Twitter in French .
France remains the main Western supporter of Armenia .
The Armenian diaspora in France is the largest in Europe .
The political establishment of Armenia , especially the Pashinyan ’ s administration , is strongly linked to France .
For example , there is the French University in Yerevan , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is directly managed from France .
Officially , the French Senate proclaims its commitment to the human rights support and its readiness to prevent the new escalation in the region , blames the Azerbaijani attack and its war crimes .
However , the real French support to the citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh is mostly declarative .
At the moment , only one plain with humanitarian aid was sent to Yerevan .
It is not compared , for example , to the Russian humanitarian support .
France ’ s main aim is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region .
It is difficult to imagine that the French government will follow the recommendation to recognize Artsakh .
How could France do so , while even the Armenian government with N. Pashinyan is not hurrying up to give the independence to this region ?
!
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The French Senate voted in favor of the resolution on the need to recognize the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). This resolution is only a recommendation in its nature and is calling on the government of the country to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh.
The text of the resolution was presented by the leaders of the five largest parliamentary factions.
The decision to adopt the resolution was taken almost unanimously. Among 336 senators, only one voted against, and 305 voted for the adoption of resolution.
The resolution not only contains an appeal to the recognition of the Republic, it also demands the withdrawal of Azerbaijani military forces from the territories occupied since the outbreak of clashes on September 27. Today, 16 localities of the Kelbajar region of Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of Azerbaijan. The remaining localities that come under Baku’s control are located in Lachin (52), Martakert (8), Hadrut (29), Shusha (2), Askeran (8) and Martuni (6) regions.
The adopted resolution one more time stressed out the necessity OSCE of implementation to the peace process in Nagorno-Karabakh, the only way for France to realize its influence in the region.
Armenian Prime-minister Nikol Pashinyan hurried up to express his gratitude to the French Senate, publishing a post in Twitter in French.
J’adresse ma profonde gratitude à la France et au peuple français pour la Résolution du @Senat sur la reconnaissance de la République d’#Artsakh. La France réaffirme son attachement aux valeurs universelles, ainsi qu’au respect des principes fondementaux du droit international. — Nikol Pashinyan (@NikolPashinyan) November 25, 2020
France remains the main Western supporter of Armenia. The Armenian diaspora in France is the largest in Europe. The political establishment of Armenia, especially the Pashinyan’s administration, is strongly linked to France. For example, there is the French University in Yerevan, where the future Armenian political elite studies, and it is directly managed from France.
“Charles de Gaulle said:“ France cannot be a France without greatness.” Today, it is the parliament that is the embodiment of this greatness, supporting the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. We could not avoid the war, we will do everything to avoid dishonor, ”said Senator Valerie Boye.
Officially, the French Senate proclaims its commitment to the human rights support and its readiness to prevent the new escalation in the region, blames the Azerbaijani attack and its war crimes.
However, the real French support to the citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh is mostly declarative. At the moment, only one plain with humanitarian aid was sent to Yerevan. It is not compared, for example, to the Russian humanitarian support.
???? The first French humanitarian aid arrived to Yerevan as announced by the President of France. The plane carried medical equipment and medicines to strengthen the capacity of Armenia's health system,as well as essential items for the displaced people from the Karabakh region pic.twitter.com/5g63LQzAO0 — CaucasusWarReport (@Caucasuswar) November 22, 2020
France’s main aim is to prevent the spread of Turkish influence in the region.
“Only its independence can guarantee the rights and freedoms of the populations of Nagorno-Karabakh which faces Turkish Islamist expansionism,” the Senator said in a Twitter post.
It is difficult to imagine that the French government will follow the recommendation to recognize Artsakh. How could France do so, while even the Armenian government with N. Pashinyan is not hurrying up to give the independence to this region?!
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southfront--2020-11-25--Israel Enjoys Last Weeks Of Love With Trump. Azerbaijan Controls Kalbajar District In Karabkah

On November 25 , Azerbaijani troops entered the district of Kalbajar in the Nagorno-Karabakh region .
The district was handed over to Baku under the ceasefire deal reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan to put an end to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War earlier in November .
In total , Armenian forces were set to hand over the following districts : Agdam , Kalbajar , and Lachin , excluding the Lachin corridor .
Agdam and Kalbajar are already in the hands of Azerbaijani forces .
Lachin will be handed over on December 1 .
Withdrawing Armenians are destroying their properties and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day ago , on November 24 , Armenians troops blew up their barracks in Kalbajar .
In these conditions , the presence of the Russian peacekeepers remains the only guarantee of the security of the local Armenian population .
And Russian forces already suffered first casualties as a part of this mission .
On November 23 , a Russian peacekeeper , four employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic were wounded , and an Azerbaijani officer was killed in a mine explosion near the village of Magadiz .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross , was searching bodies of those killed in the war .
A large number of IEDs , not exploded ammunition and projectiles are an important security factor that prevents the potential return of displaced civilians to Nagorno-Karabkah .
A group of Russian sappers has been already working on demining key roads and areas in the Russian zone of responsibility .
Baku also vowed to demine territories that its forces captured and already started building a new road linking the town of Shusha and Ahmedbeyli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security and humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabkah will likely improve , but there are almost zero chances the Armenian population that fled the Azerbaijani advance would return .
Therefore , the Azerbaijani-controlled part of Nagorno-Karabakh is in fact empty and the Azerbaijani leadership would have to launch some settlement program if it wants re-populate the region .
Pro-Kurdish sources , waging a propaganda campaign against the traditional Azerbaijani ally , Turkey , already claimed that Ankara is planning to settle families of fighters of Turkish-backed Syrian militant groups in Karabakh .
According to reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Turkish-occupied Syrian town of Afrin for this purpose .
If such plans even exist , it is unlikely that Azerbaijan would be happy to support them .
The one thing is to use a cheap cannon fodder recruited by the Big Turkish Brother and the very different thing is to allow multiple Syrian radicals to become the permanent factor of your internal security .
The implementation of such a plan would inevitably turn the Azerbaijani-controlled part of Nagorno-Karabkah into the hotbed of terrorism .
Meanwhile , Israel has been desperately exploiting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term .
Early on November 25 , the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes on targets in the southern countryside of Damascus and the province of Quneitra .
According to Syrian state media , missiles were launched from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights .
As of now , the Syrian side denies any casualties and claims that the strike caused a material damage only .
Pro-Israeli sources insist that the strike led to multiple casualties among Iranian-backed forces and Iranian personnel .
This became the second Israeli strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The previous one took place on November 18 and hit the very same areas , including Damascus International Airport .
The activation of the Israeli military activity in the region indicates that Tel Aviv expects a particular decrease of unconditional support that it was receiving from the United States under the Trump administration .
Therefore , it seeks to use the last days of this 4-year-long honeymoon as effective as possible .
Even more Israeli and potentially US actions against Iranian interests in the region and Iran itself could be expected in @ @ @ @

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On November 25, Azerbaijani troops entered the district of Kalbajar in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The district was handed over to Baku under the ceasefire deal reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan to put an end to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War earlier in November.
In total, Armenian forces were set to hand over the following districts: Agdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin, excluding the Lachin corridor. Agdam and Kalbajar are already in the hands of Azerbaijani forces. Lachin will be handed over on December 1. Withdrawing Armenians are destroying their properties and even evacuating graves of their relatives. Just a day ago, on November 24, Armenians troops blew up their barracks in Kalbajar.
In these conditions, the presence of the Russian peacekeepers remains the only guarantee of the security of the local Armenian population. And Russian forces already suffered first casualties as a part of this mission. On November 23, a Russian peacekeeper, four employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic were wounded, and an Azerbaijani officer was killed in a mine explosion near the village of Magadiz. A joint group, that also included representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, was searching bodies of those killed in the war.
A large number of IEDs, not exploded ammunition and projectiles are an important security factor that prevents the potential return of displaced civilians to Nagorno-Karabkah. A group of Russian sappers has been already working on demining key roads and areas in the Russian zone of responsibility. Baku also vowed to demine territories that its forces captured and already started building a new road linking the town of Shusha and Ahmedbeyli.
In the coming months, the security and humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabkah will likely improve, but there are almost zero chances the Armenian population that fled the Azerbaijani advance would return. Therefore, the Azerbaijani-controlled part of Nagorno-Karabakh is in fact empty and the Azerbaijani leadership would have to launch some settlement program if it wants re-populate the region.
Pro-Kurdish sources, waging a propaganda campaign against the traditional Azerbaijani ally, Turkey, already claimed that Ankara is planning to settle families of fighters of Turkish-backed Syrian militant groups in Karabakh. According to reports, Turkish authorities opened 2 offices in the Turkish-occupied Syrian town of Afrin for this purpose. If such plans even exist, it is unlikely that Azerbaijan would be happy to support them. The one thing is to use a cheap cannon fodder recruited by the Big Turkish Brother and the very different thing is to allow multiple Syrian radicals to become the permanent factor of your internal security. The implementation of such a plan would inevitably turn the Azerbaijani-controlled part of Nagorno-Karabkah into the hotbed of terrorism.
Meanwhile, Israel has been desperately exploiting the last months of the current Trump presidency term. Early on November 25, the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes on targets in the southern countryside of Damascus and the province of Quneitra. According to Syrian state media, missiles were launched from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights. As of now, the Syrian side denies any casualties and claims that the strike caused a material damage only. Pro-Israeli sources insist that the strike led to multiple casualties among Iranian-backed forces and Iranian personnel.
This became the second Israeli strike on Syria in the last 7 days. The previous one took place on November 18 and hit the very same areas, including Damascus International Airport. The activation of the Israeli military activity in the region indicates that Tel Aviv expects a particular decrease of unconditional support that it was receiving from the United States under the Trump administration. Therefore, it seeks to use the last days of this 4-year-long honeymoon as effective as possible. Even more Israeli and potentially US actions against Iranian interests in the region and Iran itself could be expected in the coming weeks.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Military Situation In Afghanistan On November 25, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan : • On November 24 @ @ @ @ @ were killed and 59 others were injured in two landmine explosions Bamyan city .
Taliban @ @ @ @ @ ; • On November 25 , Germany began withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the German Joint Operations Command in Kabul ; • On November 25 , the Ainomine @ @ @ @ @ by a VBIED explosion .
At least 2 people were killed and 18 – wounded @ @ @ @ @ , Taliban ambushed and destroyed an ANA military vehicle near Baghlan .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan:
On November 24, at least 15 people were killed and 59 others were injured in two landmine explosions Bamyan city. Taliban denied responsibility for the attack;
On November 25, Germany began withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan’s Kunduz province, according to the German Joint Operations Command in Kabul;
On November 25, the Ainomine area of Kandahar was targeted by a VBIED explosion. At least 2 people were killed and 18 – wounded;
On November 25, Taliban ambushed and destroyed an ANA military vehicle near Baghlan.
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southfront--2020-11-25--Out Of A Sudden: U.S. Remembered Leader Of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham Is A Wanted Terrorist

On November 24 , the U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice Program released a poster calling for information on the whereabouts of Abu Mohamad al-Julani , leader of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) .
HTS is in control of the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib , where Turkey , a close NTO ally of the U.S , maintains a large force .
The State Rewards for Justice Program offered a reward of up to $ 10 Million for information on al-Julani , who is known to be present in Greater Idlib .
Al-Julani was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 .
The commander is designated by the Department of State as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and is also listed at the UN Security Council ISIS and al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee , Under al-Julani ’ s leadership , HTS carried out several crimes against the Syrian people not only in areas that are under government control , but also in the areas held by the opposition .
In the last two years , a series of U.S. strikes targeted prominent jihadists in Greater Idlib .
However , none of them were affiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were opponents of the group and personal enemies of al-Julani .
The lack of U.S. actions against HTS , which is strengthening its grip on Greater Idlib , is questionable .
The Russian , Syrian and Iranian forces seem to be the only side taking action against the terrorist group .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Dozens Of Turkish-Backed Militants Killed In Failed Attack On SDF In Northern Raqqa ( Video ) • Bridge On Syria ’ s M4 Blown Up As Turkish Forces Were Deploying On The Highway ( Photos )

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On November 24, the U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice Program released a poster calling for information on the whereabouts of Abu Mohamad al-Julani, leader of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
HTS is in control of the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, where Turkey, a close NTO ally of the U.S, maintains a large force.
The State Rewards for Justice Program offered a reward of up to $10 Million for information on al-Julani, who is known to be present in Greater Idlib.
“The U.S. Department of State is looking for information on the higher commander of HTS, the al-Nusra Front formerly, who is responsible for many crimes against Syrians,” the poster reads. “Help locate al-Julani, send your information to the Rewards for Justice Program.”
Al-Julani was added to the Rewards for Justice Program in 2017. The commander is designated by the Department of State as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and is also listed at the UN Security Council ISIS and al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee,
Under al-Julani’s leadership, HTS carried out several crimes against the Syrian people not only in areas that are under government control, but also in the areas held by the opposition.
“ANF [the al-Nusra Front] has carried out multiple terrorist attacks throughout Syria, often targeting civilians. In April 2015, ANF reportedly kidnapped, and later released, approximately 300 Kurdish civilians from a checkpoint in Syria. In June 2015, ANF claimed responsibility for the massacre of 20 residents in the Druze village Qalb Lawzeh in Idlib province, Syria,” the Rewards for Justice Program website says.
In the last two years, a series of U.S. strikes targeted prominent jihadists in Greater Idlib. However, none of them were affiliated with HTS. In fact, many were opponents of the group and personal enemies of al-Julani.
The lack of U.S. actions against HTS, which is strengthening its grip on Greater Idlib, is questionable. The Russian, Syrian and Iranian forces seem to be the only side taking action against the terrorist group.
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