southfront--2020-07-29--U.S.-Backed Fighters Captured During Spy Mission Near Al-Tanaf

On July 29 , the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) captured two U.S.-backed fighters who snuck out of the occupied area of al-Tanaf to spy on military and civilian facilities .
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency , the two fighters , “ Muhammad al-Dukhul ” and “ Abdullah Hawyan Shalash , ” were ambushed and captured by the army near the town of al-Qaryatayn in the southern Homs countryside .
The fighters are members of the U.S.-backed Revolutionary Commando Army ( MaT ) .
This fairly small group guards al-Tanaf garrison and the surrounding 55-km zone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fighters ’ possession , while they confessed to participating in an information-gathering operation .
The fighters revealed that they were tasked to take photos of SAA posts and a number of economic facilities , including oil wells , on their way from al-Tanaf to al-Qaryatayn , in preparation for future sabotage operations .
The fighters also confirmed that they were dealing with ISIS , whose cells are known to be moving in the desert between Homs and Damascus .
Earlier this month , the SAA ambushed a group of the MaT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed and three others were captured .
The fighters were reportedly on their way back from an arms deal with ISIS terrorists .
The SAA is keeping a close eye at al-Tanaf to address the growing threat posed both by ISIS and U.S.-backed fighters , who are cooperating against Damascus .
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On July 29, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) captured two U.S.-backed fighters who snuck out of the occupied area of al-Tanaf to spy on military and civilian facilities.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, the two fighters, “Muhammad al-Dukhul” and “Abdullah Hawyan Shalash,” were ambushed and captured by the army near the town of al-Qaryatayn in the southern Homs countryside.
The fighters are members of the U.S.-backed Revolutionary Commando Army (MaT). This fairly small group guards al-Tanaf garrison and the surrounding 55-km zone.
Assault rifles and night-vision goggles were found in the fighters’ possession, while they confessed to participating in an information-gathering operation.
The fighters revealed that they were tasked to take photos of SAA posts and a number of economic facilities, including oil wells, on their way from al-Tanaf to al-Qaryatayn, in preparation for future sabotage operations.
The fighters also confirmed that they were dealing with ISIS, whose cells are known to be moving in the desert between Homs and Damascus.
Earlier this month, the SAA ambushed a group of the MaT around al-Tanaf. Three U.S.-backed fighters were killed and three others were captured. The fighters were reportedly on their way back from an arms deal with ISIS terrorists.
The SAA is keeping a close eye at al-Tanaf to address the growing threat posed both by ISIS and U.S.-backed fighters, who are cooperating against Damascus.
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southfront--2020-07-29--Military Situation On Israeli-Lebanese Contact Line On July 29, 2020 (Map Update)

Come on , respond already you damn Hezbollah rats .
Me and my unit are waiting to come and slaughter @ @ @ @ @ we will give Lebanon back to the Sunnis and the Christians like they deserve .
@ @ @ @ @ SL for good .

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A brief overview of the recent developments on the Israeli-Lebanese contact line:
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced the further reinforcement of its Northern Command with advanced fire systems, intelligence collection systems and special forces;
The Lebanese military stated that at least 29 Israeli reconnaissance drones and other aircraft were spotted in Lebanese airspace in the past 24 hours;
According to Lebanese media reports, Israeli forces fired with light arms in direction of Lebanese territory, near Kafrkila in south Lebanon.
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southfront--2020-07-29--The Saker: “Russia And The Next Presidential Election In The US”

Written by The Saker ; Originally appeared at The Unz Review Let ’ s begin with a disclaimer : in this article , I will assume that there will be a US Presidential election in the Fall .
Right now , it appears to be likely that this election will take place ( there appear to be no legal way to cancel or delay it ) , but this is by no means certain ( see for a machine translated and very interesting article by one Russian analyst , who predicts a diarchy after the election ) .
Right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is both extremely worried ( and for good reason ) and potentially explosive .
It is impossible to predict what a well-executed false flag attack could do to the US .
There is also the possibility of either a natural disaster ( hurricane , earthquake , etc . )
or even an unnatural one ( considering the condition of the US infrastructure , this is almost inevitable ) which could precipitate some kind of state of emergency or martial law to “ protect ” the people .
Finally , though at this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this as very likely , there is always the possibility of a coup of some kind , maybe a “ government of national unity ” with the participation of both parties which , as Noam Chomsky correctly points out , are basically only two factions of what could be called the Business Party .
There might come a point when they decide to drop this pretense too ( just look at how many other pretenses the US ruling elites have dropped in the last decade or so ) .
Alexander Solzhenitsyn used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a continuum ranging from , on one end , “ states whose power is based on their authority ” to , on the other end , “ states whose authority is based on their power “ .
In the real world , most states are somewhere between these two extremes .
But it is quite obvious that the US polity currently has gone very far down the “ states whose authority is based on their power ” path and to speak of any kind of “ moral authority ” of US politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probable ) upcoming “ choice ” between Donald “ grab them by the pussy ” Trump and Joe “ creepy uncle ” Biden will make this joke even more laughable .
Right now , the most powerful force in the US political system must be the financial sector .
And , of course , there are many other powerful interest groups ( MIC , Israel Lobby , the CIA and the ridiculously bloated Intel community , Big Pharma , the US Gulag , the corporate media , Oil , etc . )
who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vector does in mathematics ) to produce a “ resulting vector ” which we call “ US policies ” .
That is in theory .
In practice , you have several competing “ policies ” vying for power and influence , both on the domestic and on international front .
Often these policies are mutually exclusive .
Last , but certainly not least , the level of corruption in the US is at least as bad as , say , in the Ukraine or in Liberia , but rather than being on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corruption in the US is counted in billions of dollars .
All in all , not a pretty sight ( see for a good analysis of the decline of US power ) .
Yet the US remains a nuclear power and still has a lot of political influence worldwide and thus this is not a country anyone can ignore .
Including Russia .
Before looking into Russian options in relation to the US , we need to take a quick look at how Russia has been faring this year .
The short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
The Russian economy has shrunk by about 10 % and the small businesses have been devastated by the combined effects of 1 ) the economic policies of the Russian government and Central Bank , and 2 ) the devastating economic impact of the COVID19 pandemic , and 3 ) the full-spectrum efforts of the West , mostly by the Anglosphere , to strangle Russia economically .
Politically , the “ Putin regime ” is still popular , but there is a sense that it is getting stale and that most Russians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proactive policies aimed , not only to help the Russian mega-corporations , but also to help the regular people .
Many Russians definitely have a sense that the “ little guy ” is being completely ignored by fat cats in power and this resentment will probably grow until and unless Putin decides to finally get rid of all the Atlantic Integrationists aka the “ Washington consensus ” types which are still well represented in the Russian ruling circles , including the government .
So far , Putin has remained faithful to his policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this might change in the future as the level of frustration in the general population is likely to only grow with time .
That is not to say that the Kremlin is not trying .
Several of the recent constitutional amendments adopted in a national vote had a strongly expressed “ social ” and “ patriotic ” character and they absolutely horrified the “ liberal ” 5th columnists who tried their best two 1 ) call for a boycott , and 2 ) denounce thousands of ( almost entirely ) imaginary violations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 ) de-legitimize the outcome by declaring the election a “ fraud ” .
None of that worked : the participation was high , very few actual violations were established ( and those that were , had no impact on the outcome anyway ) and most Russians accepted that this outcome was the result of the will of the people .
Furthermore , Putin has made public the , which are heavily focused on improving the living and life conditions of average Russians ( for details , see ) .
It is impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the most likely scenario is that Russia has several , shall we say , “ bumpy ” years ahead , both on the domestic and on the international front .
What can Russia reasonably hope for ?
This is really the key question : in the best of situations , what can Russia really hope for in the next elections ?
I would argue that there is really very little which Russia can hope for , if only because the russophobic hysteria started by the Democrats to defeat Trump has now apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the all the members of Congress .
As for the imperial propaganda machine , it now manages to simultaneously declare that from the West AND that this Spring .
As for the US Dems , they are already announcing that the Russians are spreading “ disinformation ” about Biden .
Talk about PRE-traumatic stress disorder ( to use the phrase coined by my friend Gilad Atzmon ) … I would argue that this mantric Russia-bashing is something which will not change in the foreseeable future .
For one thing , since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the situation , they really have no other option left than to blame it all on some external agent .
The “ terrorist threat ” has lost a lot of traction over the past years , the “ Muslim threat ” is too politically incorrect to openly blame it all on Islam , as for the other boogeymen which US Americans like to scare themselves at night with ( immigrants , drug dealers , sex offenders , “ domestic terrorists ” , etc . )
they simply can not be blamed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , and China , can .
In fact , ever since the ( self-evidently ridiculous ) “ Skripal case ” the collective West has proven that it simply does not have the spine to say “ no ” , or even “ maybe ” , to any thesis energetically pushed forward by the AngloZionist propaganda machine .
Thus no matter how self-evidently silly the imperial propaganda is , the people in the West have been conditioned ( literally ) to accept any nonsense as “ highly likely ” as long as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their legacy ziomedia .
As for the leaders of the EU , we already know that they will endorse any idiocy coming out of Washington or London in the name of “ solidarity ” .
Truth be told , most Russian politicians ( with the notable exception of the official Kremlin court jester , Zhirinovskii ) and analysts never saw Trump as a potential ally or friend .
The Kremlin was especially cautious , which leads me to believe that the Russian intelligence analysts did a very good job evaluating Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was no better than any other US politician .
Right now , I know of no Russian analyst who would predict that relations between the US and Russia will improve in the foreseeable future .
If anything , most are clearly saying that “ guys , we better get used to this ” ( accusations , sanctions , accusations , sanctions , etc .
etc .
etc. )
.
Furthermore , it is pretty obvious to the Russians that while Crimea and MH17 were the pretexts for western sanctions against Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The real cause of the West ’ s hatred for Russia is as simple as it is old : Russia can not be conquered , subdued , subverted or destroyed .
They ’ ve been at it for close to 1,000 years and they still are at it .
In fact , each time they fail to crush Russia , their russophobia increases to even higher levels ( phobia both in the sense of “ fear ” and in the sense of “ hatred ” ) .
Simply put – there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming election .
Nothing at all .
Still , that does not mean that things are not better than 4 or 8 years ago .
Let ’ s look at what changed .
The big difference between now and then What did Trump ’ s election give to the world ?
I would say four years for Russia to fully prepare for what might be coming next .
I would argue that since at least Russia and the AngloZionist Empire have been at war since at least 2013 , when Russia foiled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretext that it was “ highly likely ” that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against civilians ( in reality , a textbook case of a false flag organized by the Brits ) , This means that Russia and the Empire have been at war since at least 2013 , for no less than seven years ( something which Russian 6th columnists and Neo-Marxists try very hard to ignore ) .
True , at least until now , this was has been 80 % informational , 15 % economic and only 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real existential war of survival for both sides : only one side will walk away from this struggle .
The other one will simply disappear ( not as a nation or a people , but as a polity ; a regime ) .
The Kremlin fully understood that and it embarked on a huge reform and modernization of the Russian armed forces in three distinct ways : • A “ general ” reform of the Russian armed forces which had to be modernized by about 80 % .
This part of the reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific reform to prepare the western and southern military districts for a major conventional war against the united West ( as always in Russian history ) which would involve the First Guards Tank Army and the Russian Airborne Forces .
• The development of bleeding-edge weapons systems with no equivalent in the West and which can not be countered or defeated ; these weapons have had an especially dramatic impact upon First Strike Stability and upon naval operations .
While some US politicians understood what was going on ( I think of Ron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not .
They were so brainwashed by the US propaganda that they were sure that no matter what , “ USA !
USA !
USA !
” .
Alas for them , the reality was quite different .
Russian officials , by the way , have confirmed that Russia was preparing for war .
Heck , the reforms were so profound and far reaching , that it would have been impossible for the Russians to hide what they were doing ( see for details ; also please see Andrei Martyanov ’ s excellent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While no country is ever truly prepared for war , I would argue that by 2020 the Russians had reached their goals and that now Russia is fully prepared to handle any conflict the West might throw at her , ranging from a small border incident somewhere in Central Asia to a full-scaled war against the US/NATO in Europe .
Folks in the West are now slowly waking up to this new reality ( I mentioned some of that ) , but it is too late .
In purely military terms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gap with the West that the still existing quantitative gap is not sufficient to guarantee a US/NATO victory .
Now some western politicians are starting to seriously freak out ( see , for example ) , but most Europeans are coming to terms with two truly horrible realities : • Russia is much stronger than Europe and , even much worse , • Russia will never attack first ( which is a major cause of frustration for western russophobes ) As for the obvious solution to this problem , having friendly relations with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made their entire careers peddling the Soviet ( and now Russian ) threat to the world .
But Russia is changing , albeit maybe too slowly ( at least for my taste ) .
As I mentioned last week , a number of Polish , Ukrainian and Baltic politicians have declared that the Zapad2020 military maneuvers which are supposed to take place in southern Russia and the Caucasus could be used to prepare an attack on the West ( see for a rather typical example of this nonsense ) .
In the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public statement ridiculing this nonsense , but this time around Putin did something different .
Right after he saw the reaction of these politicians , Putin ordered a major and UNSCHEDULED military readiness exercise which involved no less than !
The message here was clear : • Yes , we are much more powerful than you are and • No , we are not apologizing for our strength anymore And , just to make sure that the message is clear , the Russians also tested the readiness of the Russian Airborne Forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see for yourself : This response is , I think , the correct one .
Frankly , nobody in the West is listening to what the Kremlin has to say , so what is the point of making more statements which in the future will be ignored equally as they have been in the past .
If anything , the slow realization that Russia is more powerful than NATO would be most helpful in gently prodding EU politicians to change their tune and return back to reality .
Check out this recent video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the German Left and see for yourself : The example of Sahra Wagenknecht is interesting , because she is from Germany , one of the countries of northern Europe ; traditionally , northern European powers have been much more anti-Russian than southern Europeans , so it is encouraging to see that the anti-Putin and anti-Russia hysteria is not always being endorsed by everybody .
But if things are very slowly getting better in the EU , in the bad old US of A things are only getting worse .
Even the Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ float ( right behind a “ gay pride ” one I suppose ) and they are now contributing their own insanity to the cause , as this article entitled “ Congressional Republicans : Russia should be designated state sponsor of terror ” shows ( designating Russia as a terrorist state is an old idea of the Dems , by the way ) .
In truth , Russia does not have any particularly good options towards the US .
Both parties are now fully united in their rabid hatred of Russia ( and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while there are many well-funded and virulently anti-Russian organizations in the US ( Neo-cons , Papists , Poles , Masons , Ukrainians , Balts , Ashkenazi Jews , etc . )
, Russian organizations in the US like , have very little influence or even relevance .
However , as the chaos continues to worsen inside the US and as US politicians continue to alienate pretty much the entire planet , Russia does have a perfect opportunity to weaken the US grip on Europe .
The beauty in the current dynamic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything at all ( nevermind anything covert or illegal ) to help the anti-EU and anti-US forces in Europe : All she needs to do is to continuously hammer in the following simple message : “ the US is sinking – do you really want to go down with it ?
” .
There are many opportunities to deliver that message .
The current US/Polish efforts to prevent the EU from enjoying cheap Russian gas might well be the best example of what we could call “ European suicide politics ” , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Truth be told , neither the US nor the EU are a top priority for Russia , at least not in economic terms .
The moral credibility of the West in general can certainly be described as dead and long gone .
As for the West military might , it is only a concern to the degree that western politicians might be tempted to believe their own propaganda about their military forces being the best in the history of the galaxy .
This is why Russia regularly engages in large surprise exercises : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian military is fully ready for anything the West might try .
As for the constant move of more and more US/NATO forces closer to the borders of Russia , they are offensive in political terms , but in military terms , getting closer to Russia only means that Russia will have more options to destroy you .
“ Forward deployment ” is really a thing of the past , at least against Russia .
With time , however , and as the US federal center loses even more of its control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-advised to try to open some venues for “ popular diplomacy ” , especially with less hostile US states .
The weakening of the Executive Branch has already resulted in US governors playing an increasingly important international role and while this is not , strictly speaking , legal ( only the federal government has the right to engage in foreign policy ) , the fact is that this has been going on for years already .
Another possible partner inside the US for Russian firms would be US corporations ( especially now that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think that the Kremlin ought to try to open channels of communication with the various small political forces in the US which are clearly not buying into the official propaganda : libertarians , ( true ) liberals and progressives , paleo-conservatives .
What we are witnessing before our eyes is the collapse of the US federal center .
This is a dangerous and highly unstable moment in our history .
But from this crisis opportunities will arise .
The best thing Russia can do now is to simply remain very careful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appear on the US political scene .

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Written by The Saker; Originally appeared at The Unz Review
Intro: not a pretty picture
Let’s begin with a disclaimer: in this article, I will assume that there will be a US Presidential election in the Fall. Right now, it appears to be likely that this election will take place (there appear to be no legal way to cancel or delay it), but this is by no means certain (see here for a machine translated and very interesting article by one Russian analyst, who predicts a diarchy after the election). Right now, the state of the US society is both extremely worried (and for good reason) and potentially explosive. It is impossible to predict what a well-executed false flag attack could do to the US. There is also the possibility of either a natural disaster (hurricane, earthquake, etc.) or even an unnatural one (considering the condition of the US infrastructure, this is almost inevitable) which could precipitate some kind of state of emergency or martial law to “protect” the people. Finally, though at this point in time I don’t see this as very likely, there is always the possibility of a coup of some kind, maybe a “government of national unity” with the participation of both parties which, as Noam Chomsky correctly points out, are basically only two factions of what could be called the Business Party. There might come a point when they decide to drop this pretense too (just look at how many other pretenses the US ruling elites have dropped in the last decade or so).
Alexander Solzhenitsyn used to explain that all governments can be placed on a continuum ranging from, on one end, “states whose power is based on their authority” to, on the other end, “states whose authority is based on their power“. In the real world, most states are somewhere between these two extremes. But it is quite obvious that the US polity currently has gone very far down the “states whose authority is based on their power” path and to speak of any kind of “moral authority” of US politicians is really a joke. The (probable) upcoming “choice” between Donald “grab them by the pussy” Trump and Joe “creepy uncle” Biden will make this joke even more laughable.
Right now, the most powerful force in the US political system must be the financial sector. And, of course, there are many other powerful interest groups (MIC, Israel Lobby, the CIA and the ridiculously bloated Intel community, Big Pharma, the US Gulag, the corporate media, Oil, etc.) who all combine their efforts (just like a vector does in mathematics) to produce a “resulting vector” which we call “US policies”. That is in theory. In practice, you have several competing “policies” vying for power and influence, both on the domestic and on international front. Often these policies are mutually exclusive.
Last, but certainly not least, the level of corruption in the US is at least as bad as, say, in the Ukraine or in Liberia, but rather than being on the street and petty cash level, the corruption in the US is counted in billions of dollars.
All in all, not a pretty sight (see here for a good analysis of the decline of US power).
Yet the US remains a nuclear power and still has a lot of political influence worldwide and thus this is not a country anyone can ignore. Including Russia.
A quick look at Russia
Before looking into Russian options in relation to the US, we need to take a quick look at how Russia has been faring this year. The short of it would be: not too well. The Russian economy has shrunk by about 10% and the small businesses have been devastated by the combined effects of 1) the economic policies of the Russian government and Central Bank, and 2) the devastating economic impact of the COVID19 pandemic, and 3) the full-spectrum efforts of the West, mostly by the Anglosphere, to strangle Russia economically. Politically, the “Putin regime” is still popular, but there is a sense that it is getting stale and that most Russians would prefer to see more dynamic and proactive policies aimed, not only to help the Russian mega-corporations, but also to help the regular people. Many Russians definitely have a sense that the “little guy” is being completely ignored by fat cats in power and this resentment will probably grow until and unless Putin decides to finally get rid of all the Atlantic Integrationists aka the “Washington consensus” types which are still well represented in the Russian ruling circles, including the government. So far, Putin has remained faithful to his policy of compromises and small steps, but this might change in the future as the level of frustration in the general population is likely to only grow with time.
That is not to say that the Kremlin is not trying. Several of the recent constitutional amendments adopted in a national vote had a strongly expressed “social” and “patriotic” character and they absolutely horrified the “liberal” 5th columnists who tried their best two 1) call for a boycott, and 2) denounce thousands of (almost entirely) imaginary violations of the proper voting procedures, and to 3) de-legitimize the outcome by declaring the election a “fraud”. None of that worked: the participation was high, very few actual violations were established (and those that were, had no impact on the outcome anyway) and most Russians accepted that this outcome was the result of the will of the people. Furthermore, Putin has made public the Russian strategic goals for 2030 ,which are heavily focused on improving the living and life conditions of average Russians (for details, see here ). It is impossible to predict what will happen next, but the most likely scenario is that Russia has several, shall we say, “bumpy” years ahead, both on the domestic and on the international front.
What can Russia reasonably hope for?
This is really the key question: in the best of situations, what can Russia really hope for in the next elections? I would argue that there is really very little which Russia can hope for, if only because the russophobic hysteria started by the Democrats to defeat Trump has now apparently been completely endorsed by the Trump administration and the all the members of Congress. As for the imperial propaganda machine, it now manages to simultaneously declare that Russia tried to “steal” COVID vaccine secrets from the West AND that Russian elites were given a secret COVID vaccine this Spring. As for the US Dems, they are already announcing that the Russians are spreading “disinformation” about Biden . Talk about PRE-traumatic stress disorder (to use the phrase coined by my friend Gilad Atzmon)…
SIDEBAR: Although I have no way of knowing what is really taking place in the delusional minds of US politicians, I am strongly suspecting that the latest hysteria about “Russia stealing COV19 vaccine secrets” is probably triggered by the conclusion of the US intel community that Russia will have a vaccine ready before the US does. This is, of course, something absolutely unthinkable for US politicians who, (sort of) logically conclude that “if these Russkies got a vaccine first, they *must* have stolen it from us” or something similar (see here for a good analysis of this). And if the Chinese get there first, same response. After all, who in the US legacy media would ever even mention that Russian or Chinese researchers might be ahead of their US colleagues? Nobody, of course.
I would argue that this mantric Russia-bashing is something which will not change in the foreseeable future. For one thing, since the imperial ruling elites have clearly lost control of the situation, they really have no other option left than to blame it all on some external agent. The “terrorist threat” has lost a lot of traction over the past years, the “Muslim threat” is too politically incorrect to openly blame it all on Islam, as for the other boogeymen which US Americans like to scare themselves at night with (immigrants, drug dealers, sex offenders, “domestic terrorists”, etc.) they simply cannot be blamed for stuff like a crashing economy. But Russia, and China, can.
In fact, ever since the (self-evidently ridiculous) “Skripal case” the collective West has proven that it simply does not have the spine to say “no”, or even “maybe”, to any thesis energetically pushed forward by the AngloZionist propaganda machine. Thus no matter how self-evidently silly the imperial propaganda is, the people in the West have been conditioned (literally) to accept any nonsense as “highly likely” as long as it is proclaimed with enough gravitas by politicians and their legacy ziomedia. As for the leaders of the EU, we already know that they will endorse any idiocy coming out of Washington or London in the name of “solidarity”.
Truth be told, most Russian politicians (with the notable exception of the official Kremlin court jester, Zhirinovskii) and analysts never saw Trump as a potential ally or friend. The Kremlin was especially cautious, which leads me to believe that the Russian intelligence analysts did a very good job evaluating Trump’s psyche and they quickly figured out that he was no better than any other US politician. Right now, I know of no Russian analyst who would predict that relations between the US and Russia will improve in the foreseeable future. If anything, most are clearly saying that “guys, we better get used to this” (accusations, sanctions, accusations, sanctions, etc. etc. etc.). Furthermore, it is pretty obvious to the Russians that while Crimea and MH17 were the pretexts for western sanctions against Russia, they were not the real cause. The real cause of the West’s hatred for Russia is as simple as it is old: Russia cannot be conquered, subdued, subverted or destroyed. They’ve been at it for close to 1,000 years and they still are at it. In fact, each time they fail to crush Russia, their russophobia increases to even higher levels (phobia both in the sense of “fear” and in the sense of “hatred”).
Simply put – there is nothing which Russia can expect from the upcoming election. Nothing at all. Still, that does not mean that things are not better than 4 or 8 years ago. Let’s look at what changed.
The big difference between now and then
What did Trump’s election give to the world?
I would say four years for Russia to fully prepare for what might be coming next.
I would argue that since at least Russia and the AngloZionist Empire have been at war since at least 2013, when Russia foiled the US plan to attack Syria under the pretext that it was “highly likely” that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against civilians (in reality, a textbook case of a false flag organized by the Brits), This means that Russia and the Empire have been at war since at least 2013, for no less than seven years (something which Russian 6th columnists and Neo-Marxists try very hard to ignore).
True, at least until now, this was has been 80% informational, 15% economic and only 5% kinetic, but this is a real existential war of survival for both sides: only one side will walk away from this struggle. The other one will simply disappear (not as a nation or a people, but as a polity; a regime). The Kremlin fully understood that and it embarked on a huge reform and modernization of the Russian armed forces in three distinct ways:
A “general” reform of the Russian armed forces which had to be modernized by about 80%. This part of the reform is now practically complete. A specific reform to prepare the western and southern military districts for a major conventional war against the united West (as always in Russian history) which would involve the First Guards Tank Army and the Russian Airborne Forces. The development of bleeding-edge weapons systems with no equivalent in the West and which cannot be countered or defeated; these weapons have had an especially dramatic impact upon First Strike Stability and upon naval operations.
While some US politicians understood what was going on (I think of Ron Paul, see here ), most did not. They were so brainwashed by the US propaganda that they were sure that no matter what, “USA! USA! USA!”. Alas for them, the reality was quite different.
Russian officials, by the way, have confirmed that Russia was preparing for war . Heck, the reforms were so profound and far reaching, that it would have been impossible for the Russians to hide what they were doing (see here for details; also please see Andrei Martyanov’s excellent primer on the new Russian Navy here ).
While no country is ever truly prepared for war, I would argue that by 2020 the Russians had reached their goals and that now Russia is fully prepared to handle any conflict the West might throw at her, ranging from a small border incident somewhere in Central Asia to a full-scaled war against the US/NATO in Europe.
Folks in the West are now slowly waking up to this new reality (I mentioned some of that here ), but it is too late. In purely military terms, Russia has now created such a qualitative gap with the West that the still existing quantitative gap is not sufficient to guarantee a US/NATO victory. Now some western politicians are starting to seriously freak out (see this lady , for example), but most Europeans are coming to terms with two truly horrible realities:
Russia is much stronger than Europe and, even much worse, Russia will never attack first (which is a major cause of frustration for western russophobes)
As for the obvious solution to this problem, having friendly relations with Russia is simply unthinkable for those who made their entire careers peddling the Soviet (and now Russian) threat to the world.
But Russia is changing, albeit maybe too slowly (at least for my taste). As I mentioned last week, a number of Polish, Ukrainian and Baltic politicians have declared that the Zapad2020 military maneuvers which are supposed to take place in southern Russia and the Caucasus could be used to prepare an attack on the West (see here for a rather typical example of this nonsense). In the past, the Kremlin would only have made a public statement ridiculing this nonsense, but this time around Putin did something different. Right after he saw the reaction of these politicians, Putin ordered a major and UNSCHEDULED military readiness exercise which involved no less than 150,000 troops, 400 aircraft & 100 ships ! The message here was clear:
Yes, we are much more powerful than you are and No, we are not apologizing for our strength anymore
And, just to make sure that the message is clear, the Russians also tested the readiness of the Russian Airborne Forces units near the city of Riazan, see for yourself:
This response is, I think, the correct one. Frankly, nobody in the West is listening to what the Kremlin has to say, so what is the point of making more statements which in the future will be ignored equally as they have been in the past.
If anything, the slow realization that Russia is more powerful than NATO would be most helpful in gently prodding EU politicians to change their tune and return back to reality. Check out this recent video of Sarah Wagenknecht, a leading politician of the German Left and see for yourself:
The example of Sahra Wagenknecht is interesting, because she is from Germany, one of the countries of northern Europe; traditionally, northern European powers have been much more anti-Russian than southern Europeans, so it is encouraging to see that the anti-Putin and anti-Russia hysteria is not always being endorsed by everybody.
But if things are very slowly getting better in the EU, in the bad old US of A things are only getting worse. Even the Republicans are now fully on board the Russia-hating float (right behind a “gay pride” one I suppose) and they are now contributing their own insanity to the cause, as this article entitled “ Congressional Republicans: Russia should be designated state sponsor of terror ” shows (designating Russia as a terrorist state is an old idea of the Dems, by the way).
Russian options for the Fall
In truth, Russia does not have any particularly good options towards the US. Both parties are now fully united in their rabid hatred of Russia (and China too, of course). Furthermore, while there are many well-funded and virulently anti-Russian organizations in the US (Neo-cons, Papists, Poles, Masons, Ukrainians, Balts, Ashkenazi Jews, etc.), Russian organizations in the US like this one , have very little influence or even relevance.
However, as the chaos continues to worsen inside the US and as US politicians continue to alienate pretty much the entire planet, Russia does have a perfect opportunity to weaken the US grip on Europe. The beauty in the current dynamic is that Russia does not have to do anything at all (nevermind anything covert or illegal) to help the anti-EU and anti-US forces in Europe: All she needs to do is to continuously hammer in the following simple message: “the US is sinking – do you really want to go down with it?”.
There are many opportunities to deliver that message. The current US/Polish efforts to prevent the EU from enjoying cheap Russian gas might well be the best example of what we could call “European suicide politics”, but there are many, many more.
Truth be told, neither the US nor the EU are a top priority for Russia, at least not in economic terms. The moral credibility of the West in general can certainly be described as dead and long gone. As for the West military might, it is only a concern to the degree that western politicians might be tempted to believe their own propaganda about their military forces being the best in the history of the galaxy. This is why Russia regularly engages in large surprise exercises: to prove to the West that the Russian military is fully ready for anything the West might try. As for the constant move of more and more US/NATO forces closer to the borders of Russia, they are offensive in political terms, but in military terms, getting closer to Russia only means that Russia will have more options to destroy you. “Forward deployment” is really a thing of the past, at least against Russia.
With time, however, and as the US federal center loses even more of its control of the country, the Kremlin might be well-advised to try to open some venues for “popular diplomacy”, especially with less hostile US states. The weakening of the Executive Branch has already resulted in US governors playing an increasingly important international role and while this is not, strictly speaking, legal (only the federal government has the right to engage in foreign policy), the fact is that this has been going on for years already. Another possible partner inside the US for Russian firms would be US corporations (especially now that they are hurting badly). Finally, I think that the Kremlin ought to try to open channels of communication with the various small political forces in the US which are clearly not buying into the official propaganda: libertarians, (true) liberals and progressives, paleo-conservatives.
What we are witnessing before our eyes is the collapse of the US federal center. This is a dangerous and highly unstable moment in our history. But from this crisis opportunities will arise. The best thing Russia can do now is to simply remain very careful and vigilant and wait for new forces to appear on the US political scene.
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southfront--2020-07-29--Syrian Intelligence Officer Close To Hezbollah Assassinated In Western Daraa

On July 29 , Lt. Sharif al-Nazzal of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate ( MID ) was assassinated in the town of Sahem al-Golan in the western Daraa countryside .
The lieutenant was with another intelligence officer known as “ Abu Haider ” , when they were attacked by unidentified gunmen .
Both officers were shot dead on the spot .
Opposition sources revealed that al-Nazzal , a native of Sahem al-Golan , was close to Lebanon ’ s Hezbollah and Iranian forces .
The officer headed a detachment of the MID in the western Daraa countryside .
The sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around thirty fighters of Hezbollah to Sahem al-Golan .
The step reportedly provoked the locals .
No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination of al-Nazzal , thus far .
ISIS could be behind the attack , as well as Israeli intelligence .
Israel resists any Iranian activity in Syria ’ s southern region .
Over the past few months , a series of attacks targeted service members and local fighters in Daraa .
Government and local forces are yet to take serious measures to end the state of lawlessness in the governorate @ @ @ @ @ @

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On July 29, Lt. Sharif al-Nazzal of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate (MID) was assassinated in the town of Sahem al-Golan in the western Daraa countryside.
The lieutenant was with another intelligence officer known as “Abu Haider”, when they were attacked by unidentified gunmen. Both officers were shot dead on the spot.
Opposition sources revealed that al-Nazzal, a native of Sahem al-Golan, was close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iranian forces. The officer headed a detachment of the MID in the western Daraa countryside.
The sources claim that al-Nazzal has recently brought in around thirty fighters of Hezbollah to Sahem al-Golan. The step reportedly provoked the locals.
No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination of al-Nazzal, thus far. ISIS could be behind the attack, as well as Israeli intelligence. Israel resists any Iranian activity in Syria’s southern region.
Over the past few months, a series of attacks targeted service members and local fighters in Daraa. Government and local forces are yet to take serious measures to end the state of lawlessness in the governorate.
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southfront--2020-07-29--Turkey Shifts Focus To Southern Libya Amid Stalemate Near Sirte

Turkey is looking for opportunities to shift the current balance of power in Libya after its proxies failed to break the Libyan National Army defenses and capture the port city of Sirte in northern Libya in an off-the-cuff advance .
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Saturday 25 July that Turkey had signed a military cooperation agreement with Niger during his visit to the African nation , where he held meetings with a number of officials and discussed the effects of the Libyan situation on the region .
Niger ’ s President Mahamadou Issoufou also revealed Turkish interest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of agriculture , mining , transport , construction and energy .
As part of Turkey ’ s cooperation with Africa , the Anadolu Agency reported that the Turkish government has donated millions of dollars for infrastructure development on the continent and has sponsored hundreds of African students .
The deepening military and security cooperation with Niger gives Turkey a potential alternative bridgehead , logistical base and transport hub for its military operations in Libya .
The Military Training Cooperation Agreement signed with Niger could also serve as a means to curb France ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s efforts in Africa ’ s Sahel region given that country ’ s vocal criticism of Turkey ’ s activities in and around the eastern Mediterranean and its shows of support for Greece and Egypt in recent times .
From the tactical point of view , Ankara seeks to undermine positions of the Libyan National Army and its supporters in southern Libya , near the border with Niger , and to force them to allocate resources to contain the Turkish influence there .
This should limit the military capabilities of the allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , Turkey has continued deploying its own troops and members of Syrian militant groups to the Libyan combat zone .
According to reports , just recently at least 5 transport aircraft with personnel and equipment arrived at the al-Watiya Air Base .
The Turkish military also reactivated the Hawk medium-range air-defense systems deployed there .
The firm position of Egypt , directly supported by the UAE , France and diplomatically by Russia , against a potential attack on Sirte prevented a Turkish military operation there because Ankara did not want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Cairo .
Another factor is the reportedly growing presence of Russia-linked private military contractors in the country .
On July 24 , the U.S. Africa Command ( AFRICOM ) shared images claiming to show Russian forces and equipment in different parts of Libya .
This included two Russian-made Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems , two Soviet-made Su-24 warplanes and a Russian L-76 military cargo plane in al-Khadim Air Base , and supposed positions of Russia-linked contractors near Sirte .
On July 26 , two MiG-29 fighter jets were spotted flying at low-altitude over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been some of the several jets of this type received by the Libyan National Army in May .
However , the Erdogan government has not abandoned its plans and is now looking for opportunities to turn the situation to its own advantage and thus finally capture the strategic port city .

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Turkey is looking for opportunities to shift the current balance of power in Libya after its proxies failed to break the Libyan National Army defenses and capture the port city of Sirte in northern Libya in an off-the-cuff advance.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Saturday 25 July that Turkey had signed a military cooperation agreement with Niger during his visit to the African nation, where he held meetings with a number of officials and discussed the effects of the Libyan situation on the region.
Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou also revealed Turkish interest in economic cooperation, especially in the areas of agriculture, mining, transport, construction and energy. As part of Turkey’s cooperation with Africa, the Anadolu Agency reported that the Turkish government has donated millions of dollars for infrastructure development on the continent and has sponsored hundreds of African students.
The deepening military and security cooperation with Niger gives Turkey a potential alternative bridgehead, logistical base and transport hub for its military operations in Libya. The Military Training Cooperation Agreement signed with Niger could also serve as a means to curb France’s influence and oppose the French military’s efforts in Africa’s Sahel region given that country’s vocal criticism of Turkey’s activities in and around the eastern Mediterranean and its shows of support for Greece and Egypt in recent times.
From the tactical point of view, Ankara seeks to undermine positions of the Libyan National Army and its supporters in southern Libya, near the border with Niger, and to force them to allocate resources to contain the Turkish influence there. This should limit the military capabilities of the allies in the countryside of Sirte.
At the same time, Turkey has continued deploying its own troops and members of Syrian militant groups to the Libyan combat zone. According to reports, just recently at least 5 transport aircraft with personnel and equipment arrived at the al-Watiya Air Base. The Turkish military also reactivated the Hawk medium-range air-defense systems deployed there. The firm position of Egypt, directly supported by the UAE, France and diplomatically by Russia, against a potential attack on Sirte prevented a Turkish military operation there because Ankara did not want to risk launching an open military confrontation with Cairo. Another factor is the reportedly growing presence of Russia-linked private military contractors in the country.
On July 24, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) shared images claiming to show Russian forces and equipment in different parts of Libya. This included two Russian-made Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems, two Soviet-made Su-24 warplanes and a Russian L-76 military cargo plane in al-Khadim Air Base, and supposed positions of Russia-linked contractors near Sirte.
On July 26, two MiG-29 fighter jets were spotted flying at low-altitude over the coast near Sirte. These warplanes may have been some of the several jets of this type received by the Libyan National Army in May.
However, the Erdogan government has not abandoned its plans and is now looking for opportunities to turn the situation to its own advantage and thus finally capture the strategic port city.
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southfront--2020-07-29--Hearts, Heads&Livers: Syrian Army Uncovered Hideout Of Organ Traders In Greater Idlib (Photos)

The Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) had uncovered a hideout that had been used by militants working as organ traders in the southern Idlib countryside , the Syrian Arab News Agency ( SANA ) reported on July 29 .
The army discovered the hideout , which is located in the town of al-Ghadfah , with help from the locals , who provided information on its whereabouts .
According to the SANA , human organs , including hearts , livers and heads , were found in the hideout .
The organs were preserved in jars with chloroform .
The jars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Personal IDs of the victims , men and women , were also found in the hideout .
The hideout included a room detected for religious studies with radical books and publications .
This indicates that the militants were not members of a gang , but rather of a Jihadi group .
Al-Ghadfah , which is located in the vicinity of the city of Ma ` arat al-Nu ` man , was controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham .
The town was liberated by the SAA and its allies a few months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a hub for organ traders in Syria .
Turkey is the main market for this horrific trade .
Militants in the region rely on organ trading , among other criminal activities , as a means to finance their terrorist operations .
Turkey , which deployed thousands of troops and loads of equipment in Greater Idlib over the past few months , is turning a blind eye to illicit activities in the region .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Hay ’ at Tahrir Al-Sham Arrested Terrorist Commander For Refusing To Go To @ @ @

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The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) had uncovered a hideout that had been used by militants working as organ traders in the southern Idlib countryside, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on July 29.
The army discovered the hideout, which is located in the town of al-Ghadfah, with help from the locals, who provided information on its whereabouts.
According to the SANA, human organs, including hearts, livers and heads, were found in the hideout. The organs were preserved in jars with chloroform. The jars carried the names of the victims. Personal IDs of the victims, men and women, were also found in the hideout.
The hideout included a room detected for religious studies with radical books and publications. This indicates that the militants were not members of a gang, but rather of a Jihadi group.
Al-Ghadfah, which is located in the vicinity of the city of Ma`arat al-Nu`man, was controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. The town was liberated by the SAA and its allies a few months ago.
Greater Idlib is known to be a hub for organ traders in Syria. Turkey is the main market for this horrific trade. Militants in the region rely on organ trading, among other criminal activities, as a means to finance their terrorist operations.
Turkey, which deployed thousands of troops and loads of equipment in Greater Idlib over the past few months, is turning a blind eye to illicit activities in the region.
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southfront--2020-07-29--Military Situation In Libya On July 29, 2020 (Map Update)

Breaking news , Sirte has been renamed Stalingrad to be also referred to by its nickname ‘ Erdogangrad ’ .
@ @ @ @ @ the solid gold Commemorative Plaque delivered by an employee of Kingold Jewelry who introduced himself @ @ @ @ @ .
Erdogan threw the plate yelling ‘ you dirty Kurd ’ which the Kurd ducked @ @ @ @ @ a wall with a scraping sound revealing a copper metallic sheen – just beautiful .
@ @ @ @ @ angry at the misspelling of his name In the diplomatic note : Dearest Grand Sultan @ @ @ @ @ fabulous plaque in your honour… we were thinking Waterloo but decided on Stalingrad .
We @ @ @ @ @ when you give your sycophant Australopithecus Afarensis ‘ Field Marshall ’ Von Paulus the order @ @ @ @ @ city .
Now what is that famous saying , oh yes , your coming assault @ @ @ @ @ : ‘ An incompetent force meets an immovable object .
’

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya:
A large convoy of Chadian PMCs have deployed on the Sirte frontline to support the Libyan National Army (LNA);
A Turkish military aircraft took off from Al-Watiya airbase en route to Turkey. Recently, Turkey increased the number of flights with weapons and fighters to Libya;
A new batch of Russia-linked PMCs equipment was spotted en route to Sirte.
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southfront--2020-07-29--New ISIS’ Propaganda Video: Terrorists Called For Arson Attacks Around The World

ISIS has called on its supporters in the U.S. and around the world to carry out arson attacks , since they are an easy means to inflict damage upon enemies .
The group made the dangerous call in a 4-minute propaganda video , titled “ Incite the Believers.
” The video was shared by the group ’ s al-Hayat Media Center on July 26 .
ISIS argued its supporters , especially in the U.S. , to use cigarette lighters , matches and gasoline to start fires in places where they wouldn ’ t be detected .
Agricultural fields , factories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the targets set by the terrorist group .
The group also provided its supporters with instruction on how to get rid of any evidence that could link them to the arson attacks .
ISIS argued its supporters , who are still not convinced of this method , to look at the damage caused by seasonal fires around the world .
The group said arson attacks were an easy means to inflict serious human and financial losses on its enemies .
“ Remember that the longevity of an attack sometimes is more important than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , don ’ t be hesitant because something is better than nothing , invade for the sake for Allah and ask help from Allah , we ask Allah help you give you recompense and bless your Jihad , ” the video says .
Over the past two years , ISIS terrorists were responsible for a series of fires that targeted farmlands in both Syria and Iraq .
However , it remains uncertain , if the group ’ s supporters were behind any fire in other countries .
ISIS ’ call for arson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last few years , the group lost all of its strongholds in Syria and Iraq and was reduced to a cluster of cells .
Despite this , the group ’ s threat should be taken seriously .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • One More Senior Iraqi Army Officer Killed By ISIS Terrorists

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ISIS has called on its supporters in the U.S. and around the world to carry out arson attacks, since they are an easy means to inflict damage upon enemies.
The group made the dangerous call in a 4-minute propaganda video, titled “Incite the Believers.” The video was shared by the group’s al-Hayat Media Center on July 26.
ISIS argued its supporters, especially in the U.S., to use cigarette lighters, matches and gasoline to start fires in places where they wouldn’t be detected. Agricultural fields, factories, forests and residential buildings were among the targets set by the terrorist group.
The group also provided its supporters with instruction on how to get rid of any evidence that could link them to the arson attacks.
ISIS argued its supporters, who are still not convinced of this method, to look at the damage caused by seasonal fires around the world. The group said arson attacks were an easy means to inflict serious human and financial losses on its enemies.
“Remember that the longevity of an attack sometimes is more important than its trend or what was announced about it, don’t be hesitant because something is better than nothing, invade for the sake for Allah and ask help from Allah, we ask Allah help you give you recompense and bless your Jihad,” the video says.
Over the past two years, ISIS terrorists were responsible for a series of fires that targeted farmlands in both Syria and Iraq. However, it remains uncertain, if the group’s supporters were behind any fire in other countries.
ISIS’ call for arson attacks reflects its desperation. In the last few years, the group lost all of its strongholds in Syria and Iraq and was reduced to a cluster of cells. Despite this, the group’s threat should be taken seriously.
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southfront--2020-07-29--Belarus Claims It Detained 32 Mercenaries Near Minsk

Belarus detained dozens of 32 members of a foreign private military company after receiving information that more than 200 fighters had entered the country to destabilise it ahead of a presidential election , the state-controlled Belta news agency claimed on July 29 .
According to the report , the group came to Minsk overnight on July 25 .
Ahead of the August 9 election , Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko repeatedly claimed that some ‘ foreign forces ’ were planning to destabilize the situation in the country .
For example in June , Lukashenko accused Russian and Polish forces of trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cracked down on opposition protests in recent weeks .
Belarusian media outlets claim that the group detained on July 29 was a part of the so-called private military company ‘ Wagner ’ , which officially does not exist .
While the situation with the real motivation and goals of the group detained in Minks remains unclear , the Lukashenko government will likely use the situation to suppress any opposition to the current president during the election period .
Minsk will also use it in its ongoing propaganda campaign against Russia recently increased in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving financial resources and assistance from Moscow , but in fact his government does not act like Belarus is an ally of Russia .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Belarus Buys Discounted Saudi Oil As It Further Reduces Imports From Russia • Belarusian Tantrums : Lukashenko ’ s Fierce Push To Get Energy Price Discount From Russia • Lukashenko Says He Will Meet Putin Shortly , Proclaims End Of “ Cold ” In Belarus-US Relations

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Belarus detained dozens of 32 members of a foreign private military company after receiving information that more than 200 fighters had entered the country to destabilise it ahead of a presidential election, the state-controlled Belta news agency claimed on July 29.
According to the report, the group came to Minsk overnight on July 25.
Ahead of the August 9 election, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko repeatedly claimed that some ‘foreign forces’ were planning to destabilize the situation in the country. For example in June, Lukashenko accused Russian and Polish forces of trying to discredit him.
Security forces also cracked down on opposition protests in recent weeks.
Belarusian media outlets claim that the group detained on July 29 was a part of the so-called private military company ‘Wagner’, which officially does not exist.
While the situation with the real motivation and goals of the group detained in Minks remains unclear, the Lukashenko government will likely use the situation to suppress any opposition to the current president during the election period. Minsk will also use it in its ongoing propaganda campaign against Russia recently increased in the country. Lukashenko aims to continue receiving financial resources and assistance from Moscow, but in fact his government does not act like Belarus is an ally of Russia.
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southfront--2020-07-29--Military Situation In Yemen On July 29, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen : • The Liaison and @ @ @ @ @ ( loyal to Ansar Allah ) reported 154 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Hazm area;
Saudi-led coalition artillery shelled Ansar Allah positions in the Razih district;
Saudi-led coalition artillery shelled Ansar Allah positions in Durayhimi town;
The Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 154 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours.
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southfront--2020-07-29--One More Senior Iraqi Army Officer Killed By ISIS Terrorists

Late on July 28 , ISIS terrorists ambushed and killed Brig .
Gen. Ahmed Abdel Wahid Mohamed al-Lami , commander of the 29th Brigade ’ s 7th Infantry Division of the Iraqi military .
The Iraqi Security Media Cell said Brig .
Gen. al-Lami was ambushed while tracking terrorist cells in the district of Hit in the western province of al-Anbar .
A first lieutenant was killed and two soldiers were also injured during the attack .
ISIS confirmed its responsibility for the attack in a statement released by its news agency Amaq on July 29 .
The group claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed .
Brig .
Gen. al-Lami is the second senior officer of the Iraqi military assassinated by ISIS cells this month .
On July 17 , the terrorist group killed Brig .
Gen. Ali Hamid Ghaidan al-Khazraji , commander of the 59th Brigade , in a well-planned ambush north of the Iraqi capital , Baghdad .
Iraqi authorities are now investigating the assassination of Brig .
Gen. al-Khazraji .
A similar investigation will probably be launched in connexion with the attack that claimed the life of Brig .
Gen. al-Lami .
These recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracking senior Iraqi officers .
Iraqi security forces should take measures to address this new threat and protect army officers .
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Late on July 28, ISIS terrorists ambushed and killed Brig. Gen. Ahmed Abdel Wahid Mohamed al-Lami, commander of the 29th Brigade’s 7th Infantry Division of the Iraqi military.
The Iraqi Security Media Cell said Brig. Gen. al-Lami was ambushed while tracking terrorist cells in the district of Hit in the western province of al-Anbar. A first lieutenant was killed and two soldiers were also injured during the attack.
ISIS confirmed its responsibility for the attack in a statement released by its news agency Amaq on July 29. The group claimed that seven Iraqi officers and soldiers were killed.
Brig. Gen. al-Lami is the second senior officer of the Iraqi military assassinated by ISIS cells this month. On July 17, the terrorist group killed Brig. Gen. Ali Hamid Ghaidan al-Khazraji, commander of the 59th Brigade, in a well-planned ambush north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Iraqi authorities are now investigating the assassination of Brig. Gen. al-Khazraji. A similar investigation will probably be launched in connexion with the attack that claimed the life of Brig. Gen. al-Lami.
These recent assassinations indicate that ISIS cells are now tracking senior Iraqi officers. Iraqi security forces should take measures to address this new threat and protect army officers.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Aso-Class Patrol Ship (Infographics)

Aso-Class Patrol Ship (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The Aso is a class of Japanese patrol ships .
These ships are in @ @ @ @ @ Guard and also are being sold on the international market .
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The Aso is a class of Japanese patrol ships. These ships are in service with the Japan Coast Guard and also are being sold on the international market.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Military Situation In Northern Egypt On July 30, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in northern Egypt : • ISIS claimed @ @ @ @ @ police vehicle along the International Coastal Road west of al-Arish , causing 5 casualties ; @ @ @ @ @ ISIS attack in the city of Bir al-Abd .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in northern Egypt:
ISIS claimed an IED attack targeting armored police vehicle along the International Coastal Road west of al-Arish, causing 5 casualties;
The Egyptian army repelled ISIS attack in the city of Bir al-Abd.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Syrian Army Uncovers Organ Trading Hub Of Turkish-Backed Militants In Southern Idlib

Joint Statement by Iran , the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey President of the Islamic Republic of Iran , H.E .
Hassan Rouhani , President of the Russian Federation , H.E .
Vladimir Putin , and President of the Republic of Turkey , H.E .
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , held a tripartite virtual summit on 1 July 2020 .
1 .
Discussed the current situation on the ground in Syria , reviewed the developments following their last meeting in Ankara on 16 September 2019 and reiterated their determination to enhance the trilateral coordination in light of their agreements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the sovereignty , independence , unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter .
Highlighted that these principles should be universally respected and that no actions , no matter by whom they were undertaken should undermine them .
3 .
Rejected in this regard all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism , including illegitimate self-rule initiatives , and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as threatening the national security of neighboring countries .
4 .
Discussed the situation in the north-east of Syria , emphasized that security and stability in this region can only be achieved on the basis of preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and agreed to coordinate their efforts to this end .
Expressed their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to the Syrian Arab Republic .
5 .
Reaffirmed the determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate DAESH/ISIL , Al-Nusra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaeda or DAESH/ISIL , and other terrorist groups , as designated by the UN Security Council , while ensuring the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law .
6 .
Reviewed in detail the situation in the Idlib de-escalation area and underscored the necessity to maintain calm on the ground by fully implementing all agreements on Idlib .
7 .
Expressed grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Syria and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic , recognizing that the pandemic presents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health system , socio-economic and humanitarian situations .
Rejected all unilateral sanctions which are in contravention of international law , international humanitarian law and the UN Charter , particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Emphasized , in this regard , the critical need to ensure rapid , safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Syria in order to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people , and , called upon the international community , particularly the UN and its humanitarian agencies , to increase their assistance to all Syrians without discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reaffirmed their conviction that there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that it could only be resolved through the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned , UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 .
Emphasized in this regard the important role of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva , created as a result of the decisive contribution of the Astana guarantors and the implementation of the decisions of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi .
Welcomed the agreement to hold the third meeting of the Constitutional Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support its work through continuous interaction with its members and the UN Secretary-General ’ s Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen , as facilitator , in order to ensure its sustainable and effective work .
9 .
Reaffirmed their determination to continue operations on mutual release of detainees/abductees within the framework of the respective Working Group of the Astana format .
Underscored that the Working Group was a unique mechanism , that had proved to be effective and necessary for building confidence between the Syrian parties , and agreed to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Highlighted the need to facilitate safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons ( IDPs ) to their original places of residence in Syria , ensuring their right to return and right to be supported .
In this regard , they called upon the international community to provide appropriate contributions for their resettlement and normal life as well as to undertake greater responsibility in burden-sharing and to enhance their assistance to Syria , inter alia by developing early recovery projects , including basic infrastructure assets – water and power supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the humanitarian mine action .
11 .
Reaffirmed the necessity to respect universally recognized international legal decisions , including those provisions of the relevant UN resolutions rejecting the occupation of Syrian Golan , first and foremost UN Security Council Resolution 497 and thus condemned the decision of the US Administration on the occupied Syrian Golan , which constitutes a grave violation of international law and threatens regional peace and security .
They consider Israeli military attacks in Syria as destabilizing and violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country and intensifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition to the Syrian issue , they confirmed their intention to strengthen trilateral coordination in different fields in order to promote joint economic cooperation .
13 .
Agreed to assign their representatives with the task of holding the next International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format as soon as possible .
14 .
Agreed to hold the next Tripartite Summit in the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the invitation of President of the Islamic Republic of Iran , H.E .
Hassan Rouhani , as soon as possible .

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The joint Russian-Turkish patrol set to be held in southern Idlib on July 29 was delayed due to increased military tensions and the inability of Ankara to ensure the security of the patrol in its area of responsibility. And the situation does not seem to be improving.
According to pro-militant sources, on the evening of July 29th and morning of July 30th, the Syrian Army launched over 500 shells at militants’ positions in the Zawiya Mount area, including Kansafra, al-Bara, Kafar Aweed, Fatterah and Erinah. In response, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies struck Syrian Army checkpoints at Kafr Nabl, As Safa, Hakoura and in nearby areas.
In the last few days, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkistan Islamic Party reinforced their positions on the contact line with the Syrian Army, south of the M4 highway. Their forces reportedly remain on high alert. Pro-government sources say that the inability of Ankara to secure another joint patrol in southern Idlib is a signal that the militants are preparing for offensive actions there.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Army uncovered a hideout that had been used by militants working as organ traders in the village of al-Ghadfah in southern Idlib. According to Syria’s state-run news agency SANA, government forces found human organs, including hearts, livers and heads in the hideout. The organs were preserved in jars with chloroform. The jars carried the names of the victims. Personal IDs of the victims, men and women, were also found in the hideout.
The hideout included a room designated for religious studies with radical ideological publications. This indicates that the site had belonged to one of the multiple militant groups that still operate in Greater Idlib thanks to the Turkish opposition to counter-terrorism operations there.
Al-Ghadfah is located in the vicinity of the city of Maarat al-Numan and for a long time it has been controlled by Turkey’s main partner in Idlib – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The town was liberated by the Syrian Army and its allies in January 2020.
Lt. Sharif al-Nazzal of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate (MID) was assassinated in the town of Sahem al-Golan in western Daraa on July 29. The lieutenant was with another intelligence officer known as “Abu Haider”, when they were attacked by unidentified gunmen. Both officers were shot dead on the spot.
Opposition sources claimed that al-Nazzal, a native of Sahem al-Golan, was close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iranian forces. The officer headed a detachment of the MID in the western Daraa countryside. No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination. Nonetheless, in previous stages of the conflict Israel was extensively supporting militant groups in southern Syria. It is possible that Tel Aviv may have access to cells of these groups for support with particular operations.
Two members of the US-backed Revolutionary Commando Army militant group based in al-Tanf were detained by the Syrian Army near the US-controlled zone. The detained persons were moving on a motorcycle and possessed assault rifles and night-vision goggles. They were reportedly involved in an information gathering operation about civilian and military facilities in the Homs desert.
In the past, Damascus has repeatedly claimed that the US was planning to use its proxies in al-Tanf for destabilizing operations in the government-controlled area.
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southfront--2020-07-30--New Israeli Provocation: Drones Attacked Lebanese Civilians With Bottles&Rocks (Video, Photos)

On July 30 , two Israeli drones attacked a group of Lebanese civilians who were putting down a wild fire in the southern town of Houla near the separation line with Israel .
Ali Shoeib , a reporter of Hezbollah ’ s al-Manar TV , released a video and photos of the unusual incident .
The two drones , small quadcopters , dropped empty bottles and rocks at the civilians .
No injuries were reported .
A unit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon , UNIFL , was present at the site of the unusual Israeli attack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are yet to explain their action .
The IDF is expecting an attack by Hezbollah , which lost one of its fighters in the July 20 Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital , Damascus .
The army deployed reinforcements and advanced combat systems along the separation line with Lebanon over the last ten days .
Earlier this week , Israel reported an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah .
The group denied carrying out any attack , but stressed that it will respond to the recent airstrikes on Damascus .
Tension is clearly growing between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lebanese group will likely be limited and well-calculated .
Nevertheless , it could lead to a serious confrontation .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • IDF Thwarts Alleged Hezbollah Infiltration , But Did It Really Happen ?

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On July 30, two Israeli drones attacked a group of Lebanese civilians who were putting down a wild fire in the southern town of Houla near the separation line with Israel.
Ali Shoeib, a reporter of Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV, released a video and photos of the unusual incident. The two drones, small quadcopters, dropped empty bottles and rocks at the civilians. No injuries were reported.
إلى هذا الدرك الأسفل وصل العدو !!! مسيرتان صغيرتان تخترقان أجواء الخط الأزرق وترمي حجارة وزجاجات على مواطنين لبنانيين كانوا يطفؤون نيران مشتعلة قرب الخط الأزرق شرقي #حولا pic.twitter.com/T4dngVxUGZ — علي شعيب ?? (@alishoeib1970) July 30, 2020
?♂?♂?♂?♂ غارات جوية لمسيّرتين صغيرتين رمت خلالها نفايات على الأراضي اللبنانية قرب موقع العباد شرقي #حولا . pic.twitter.com/XC2PT3htlq — علي شعيب ?? (@alishoeib1970) July 30, 2020
A unit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFL, was present at the site of the unusual Israeli attack. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are yet to explain their action.
The IDF is expecting an attack by Hezbollah, which lost one of its fighters in the July 20 Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital, Damascus. The army deployed reinforcements and advanced combat systems along the separation line with Lebanon over the last ten days.
Earlier this week, Israel reported an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah. The group denied carrying out any attack, but stressed that it will respond to the recent airstrikes on Damascus.
Tension is clearly growing between Israel and Hezbollah. Any attack by the Lebanese group will likely be limited and well-calculated. Nevertheless, it could lead to a serious confrontation.
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southfront--2020-07-30--U.S.-led Coalition Warplanes Conducted Live-Fire Rehearsals In Syria’s Al-Tanaf

On July 30 , The U.S.-led coalition announced that its warplanes had conducted rehearsals in the southeastern Syrian region of al-Tanaf .
The rehearsals , that took placed on July 17 , were carried out by F-15 fighter jets .
Live ammo , likely guided bombs , were used in the rehearsals .
Photos released by the coalition show fighter jets hitting a mock target in al-Tanaf .
Last month , U.S.-led coalition F-15 fighter jets carried out a simulated attack over the 55 km zone surrounding al-Tanaf garrison .
The U.S.-led coalition maintains an illegal no-fly zone over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around it .
The no-fly zone was established in 2016 .
A week ago , two F-15 fighter jets of the coalition intercepted an Iranian civil airplane from Mahan Air that was on its way to Beirut , Lebanon .
The interception was carried out in an unprofessional manner .
The U.S.-led coalition presence in al-Tanaf is disturbing peace in southeastern and central Syria .
ISIS cells in nearby desert areas are reportedly receiving supplies from U.S.-backed fighters in al-Tanaf .
The coalition ’ s garrison in this area is also used as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Details On Alleged Deployment Of Egyptian Troops In Syria Revealed

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On July 30, The U.S.-led coalition announced that its warplanes had conducted rehearsals in the southeastern Syrian region of al-Tanaf.
The rehearsals, that took placed on July 17, were carried out by F-15 fighter jets. Live ammo, likely guided bombs, were used in the rehearsals. Photos released by the coalition show fighter jets hitting a mock target in al-Tanaf.
“The International Coalition supports partner efforts to contain Daesh, routinely provide immediate threat response in the 55 km deconfliction zone in southern Syria,” the coalition’s Special Operations Joint Task Force said in a statement.
U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jet conducts rehearsals near Al-Tanf, Syria, June 17. The International Coalition supports partner efforts to contain Daesh, routinely provide immediate threat response in the 55 km deconfliction zone in southern Syria. #DefeatDaesh pic.twitter.com/pjStwEfG0D — Special Ops Joint Task Force-OIR (Iraq/Syria) (@SOJTFOIR) July 30, 2020
Last month, U.S.-led coalition F-15 fighter jets carried out a simulated attack over the 55 km zone surrounding al-Tanaf garrison.
The U.S.-led coalition maintains an illegal no-fly zone over the al-Tanaf garrison and the 55 km zone around it. The no-fly zone was established in 2016.
A week ago, two F-15 fighter jets of the coalition intercepted an Iranian civil airplane from Mahan Air that was on its way to Beirut, Lebanon. The interception was carried out in an unprofessional manner.
The U.S.-led coalition presence in al-Tanaf is disturbing peace in southeastern and central Syria. ISIS cells in nearby desert areas are reportedly receiving supplies from U.S.-backed fighters in al-Tanaf. The coalition’s garrison in this area is also used as a center for sabotage and spying operations.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Military Situation In Afghanistan On July 30, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan : • At least nine @ @ @ @ @ leaders , were killed in clashes with security forces in Ghazni province ; • Two @ @ @ @ @ others were injured in an explosion in the city of Herat ; • One civilian @ @ @ @ @ were wounded in motorcycle VBIED blast in the city of Mehtarlam , Laghman province ; @ @ @ @ @ against the ANDSF in Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province on July 28 ; • @ @ @ @ @ targeting police patrol in the city of Jalalabad , Nangarhar province , on July 29 @ @ @ @ @ :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan:
At least nine Taliban members, including two leaders, were killed in clashes with security forces in Ghazni province;
Two civilians were killed and six others were injured in an explosion in the city of Herat;
One civilian was killed and 9 others were wounded in motorcycle VBIED blast in the city of Mehtarlam, Laghman province;
ISIS claimed an attack against the ANDSF in Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province on July 28;
ISIS claimed an IED attack targeting police patrol in the city of Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, on July 29.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Details On Alleged Deployment Of Egyptian Troops In Syria Revealed

On July 30 , the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army ( SNA ) revealed details on the alleged deployment of Egyptian troops in Syria .
Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud , a spokesman for the group , said 148 Egyptian service members had arrived in Syria through the Hama Air Base on three batches .
“ Two batches arrived last Sunday [ July 26 ] from the city of Ismailia to Hama Air Base , they numbered 98 , most of them officers of various ranks , they were transported to Aleppo countryside and stationed in Khan al-Asal , ” Maj. al-Hamoud said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 ] morning , a batch arrived from Cairo Airport to Hama Air Base , they numbered 50 service members and they were taken to the town of Saraqib on the same day.
” The SNA ’ s spokesman said the Egyptian troops were on a “ training and combat ” mission .
He also claimed that they were coordinating with Iranian forces .
Earlier , the Turkish Anadolu Agency reported that Egypt had deployed 150 troops in northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib in order to support the Syrian Arab Army .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ source , ” which may have been Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud himself .
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights dismissed all of these claims , saying that no Egyptian troops were deployed in any part of Syria .
The Anadolu Agency and the SNA are yet to back their claims with any solid evidence .
No flights from Egypt to Syria were reported on July 26 or 27 , which indicate that these claims are likely false .
Currently , there is a political confrontation between Egypt and Turkey in Libya .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be a part of the ongoing propaganda against Cairo .
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On July 30, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) revealed details on the alleged deployment of Egyptian troops in Syria.
Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud, a spokesman for the group, said 148 Egyptian service members had arrived in Syria through the Hama Air Base on three batches.
“Two batches arrived last Sunday [July 26] from the city of Ismailia to Hama Air Base, they numbered 98, most of them officers of various ranks, they were transported to Aleppo countryside and stationed in Khan al-Asal,” Maj. al-Hamoud said, adding “On Monday [July 27] morning, a batch arrived from Cairo Airport to Hama Air Base, they numbered 50 service members and they were taken to the town of Saraqib on the same day.”
The SNA’s spokesman said the Egyptian troops were on a “training and combat” mission. He also claimed that they were coordinating with Iranian forces.
Earlier, the Turkish Anadolu Agency reported that Egypt had deployed 150 troops in northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib in order to support the Syrian Arab Army. The stat-run agency cited a “military source,” which may have been Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud himself.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights dismissed all of these claims, saying that no Egyptian troops were deployed in any part of Syria.
The Anadolu Agency and the SNA are yet to back their claims with any solid evidence. No flights from Egypt to Syria were reported on July 26 or 27, which indicate that these claims are likely false.
Currently, there is a political confrontation between Egypt and Turkey in Libya. The new claims of Egyptian deployment in Syria could be a part of the ongoing propaganda against Cairo.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Car Bomb Attack Killed Turkish-Backed Syrian Militants In Al-Hasakah (Video 18+)

On July 30 , a large explosion rocked a checkpoint of Turkish-backed militants near the town of Tell Halaf in the northern al-Hasakah countryside .
A booby-trapped car exploded after approaching the checkpoint .
The checkpoint , that ’ s known as the “ silos checkpoint , ” is located right on the entrance of Tell Halaf , west of the border town of Ras al-Ain .
Opposition sources said at least six militants of the so-called Syrian National Army and the Free Syrian Police were killed in the explosion .
More than 15 others were reportedly injured .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkish service member .
Ten days ago a similar car bomb attack targeted Ras al-Ain .
Four people were killed and ten others were injured .
On July 26 , another explosion rocked the town , killing eight people and injuring 19 others .
No group has claimed responsibility for any of these attacks , so far .
Nevertheless , Kurdish forces were blamed by Turkey and Syrian opposition activists .
These repeated attacks are disturbing peace in Turkish-occupied areas in northern and northeastern Syria .
Yet , the Turkish military and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve security there .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Dozens Of Turkish-Backed Syrian Militants Are Preparing To Leave For Azerbaijan – Report

3.9 ( 7 votes) Car Bomb Attack Killed Turkish-Backed Syrian Militants In Al-Hasakah (Video 18+) 3.8571428571429 out of 5 based on 7 ratings. 7 user reviews.
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On July 30, a large explosion rocked a checkpoint of Turkish-backed militants near the town of Tell Halaf in the northern al-Hasakah countryside.
A booby-trapped car exploded after approaching the checkpoint. The checkpoint, that’s known as the “silos checkpoint,” is located right on the entrance of Tell Halaf, west of the border town of Ras al-Ain.
Opposition sources said at least six militants of the so-called Syrian National Army and the Free Syrian Police were killed in the explosion. More than 15 others were reportedly injured. It remains unclear if the casualties include any Turkish service member.
Ten days ago a similar car bomb attack targeted Ras al-Ain. Four people were killed and ten others were injured. On July 26, another explosion rocked the town, killing eight people and injuring 19 others.
No group has claimed responsibility for any of these attacks, so far. Nevertheless, Kurdish forces were blamed by Turkey and Syrian opposition activists.
These repeated attacks are disturbing peace in Turkish-occupied areas in northern and northeastern Syria. Yet, the Turkish military and its Syrian proxies are doing nothing whatsoever to improve security there.
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SouthFront Newsletter

The aggressive censorship and propaganda campaign against SouthFront by corporations and mainstream media outlets continues .
In these conditions , @ @ @ @ @ of communications and content delivery .
There is a well-tested way of delivering news and @ @ @ @ @ email newsletter ( daily or weekly ) .
Every email of this newsletter will cover @ @ @ @ @ graphic pieces and videos released by SouthFront for a daily or weekly period .
Points @ @ @ @ @ sorted by regions and topics , while every point will include a title , a @ @ @ @ @ and a link to the original content piece .
Dear friends , please , write @ @ @ @ @ about this idea and what format – weekly or daily – you will prefer .

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Dear friends,
The aggressive censorship and propaganda campaign against SouthFront by corporations and mainstream media outlets continues. In these conditions, we are considering new options of communications and content delivery.
There is a well-tested way of delivering news and content to people – an email newsletter (daily or weekly). Every email of this newsletter will cover key articles, maps, graphic pieces and videos released by SouthFront for a daily or weekly period. Points inside the email will be sorted by regions and topics, while every point will include a title, a brief description of the point and a link to the original content piece.
Dear friends, please, write in comments what you think about this idea and what format – weekly or daily – you will prefer.
Sincerely yours,
SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence
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southfront--2020-07-30--Dozens Of Turkish-Backed Syrian Militants Are Preparing To Leave For Azerbaijan – Report

Dozens of Syrian militants , who were recruited by Turkey , were preparing to depart to Azerbaijan , where they @ @ @ @ @ Forces , the Hawar News Agency ( ANHA ) reported on July 30 .
According @ @ @ @ @ the militants , who were recruited by offices in Afrin and Idlib , will depart @ @ @ @ @ which will end on August 3 .
In Azerbaijan the Syrian militants will receive a @ @ @ @ @ more than double salary of Turkish-backed militants in Libya .
Two weeks ago , Syria @ @ @ @ @ that Turkey was recruiting Syrian militants to fight as mercenaries for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces @ @ @ @ @ The Azerbaijani Armed Forces and the Armenian military engaged in a series of skirmishes earlier @ @ @ @ @ , Turkey vowed to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan .
Turkey could plan to support @ @ @ @ @ as it did with the Government of National Accord in Libya .
Nevertheless , these @ @ @ @ @ confirmed by any independent source .
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Dozens of Syrian militants, who were recruited by Turkey, were preparing to depart to Azerbaijan, where they would support the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, the Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reported on July 30.
According to the news agency, the militants, who were recruited by offices in Afrin and Idlib, will depart after Eid al-Adha holiday, which will end on August 3.
“After Eid al-Adha they will be sent to Turkish territory and from there to Azerbaijan,” the ANHA quoted a source with knowledge on the matter as saying.
In Azerbaijan the Syrian militants will receive a salary of $5,000, more than double salary of Turkish-backed militants in Libya.
Two weeks ago, Syria’s Sham FM reported that Turkey was recruiting Syrian militants to fight as mercenaries for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces against the Armenian forces.
The Azerbaijani Armed Forces and the Armenian military engaged in a series of skirmishes earlier this month. Back then, Turkey vowed to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan.
Turkey could plan to support Azerbaijan with Syrian militants, as it did with the Government of National Accord in Libya. Nevertheless, these allegations have not yet been confirmed by any independent source.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Military Situation In Iraq On July 30, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq : • 5 people were @ @ @ @ @ explosion in the center of Baghdad ; • 1 soldier was killed by sniper fire @ @ @ @ @ in IED explosion north of Khanaqin ; • The Iraqi Army foiled an ISIS attack @ @ @ @ @ MORE ON THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq:
5 people were wounded as a result of explosion in the center of Baghdad;
1 soldier was killed by sniper fire and 2 others were injured in IED explosion north of Khanaqin;
The Iraqi Army foiled an ISIS attack in the Qayah area.
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southfront--2020-07-30--Turkish Forces Shelled SDF-Held Towns In Northern Al-Hasakah For Unclear Reasons

Late on July 29 , the Turkish military and its Syrian proxies shelled several towns in the northern al-Hasakah countryside for unclear reasons .
The artillery strikes targeted the towns of Tell Tamr and al-Tawilah as well as villages located near the M4 highway .
The strategic highway , which was reopened by Russian forces last May , links al-Hasakah with Raqqa and Aleppo .
The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies invaded northeastern Syria in October 2019 .
Turkish forces occupied a long strip of land between al-Hasakah and Raqqa within a few weeks .
The SDF lost dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Ain and Tell Abyad .
Despite the presence of de-escalation agreements with both Russia and the U.S , Turkish forces stepped up their attacks in northeastern Syria this month .
On July 5 , Turkish forces targeted a truck on the highway with a shell .
The truck was completely destroyed and its driver was injured .
On July 22 , another truck was targeted and the driver was also injured .
These hostile acts could lead to a dangerous escalation in northeastern Syria .
Ankara does not respect the agreement with Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ :

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Late on July 29, the Turkish military and its Syrian proxies shelled several towns in the northern al-Hasakah countryside for unclear reasons.
The artillery strikes targeted the towns of Tell Tamr and al-Tawilah as well as villages located near the M4 highway. The strategic highway, which was reopened by Russian forces last May, links al-Hasakah with Raqqa and Aleppo.
“There has been no information on any human losses [as a result of the shelling], thus far,” the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a report.
The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies invaded northeastern Syria in October 2019. Turkish forces occupied a long strip of land between al-Hasakah and Raqqa within a few weeks. The SDF lost dozens of towns and villages, including Ras al-Ain and Tell Abyad.
Despite the presence of de-escalation agreements with both Russia and the U.S, Turkish forces stepped up their attacks in northeastern Syria this month.
On July 5, Turkish forces targeted a truck on the highway with a shell. The truck was completely destroyed and its driver was injured. On July 22, another truck was targeted and the driver was also injured.
These hostile acts could lead to a dangerous escalation in northeastern Syria. Ankara does not respect the agreement with Russia and the U.S.
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