southfront--2020-12-09--Taiwan’s President Warns Of “Daily Threats” From “Authoritarian Forces” Amid US Arms Sales

Taiwan says it ’ s coming under increasingly direct threats from the mainland amid pending US weapons sales to the breakaway republic .
President Tsai Ing-wen warned in urgent statements made Tuesday that Taiwan now faces military threats on a “ daily basis ” from “ authoritarian forces ” – a clear reference to China as it presses its claims over the island .
She said to a security forum in Taipei that there are huge threats especially in the “ increasingly militarized South China Sea ” – an area which has seen soaring tensions based on US patrols flying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces consistently attempt to violate the existing norms-based order , ” Tsai said .
“ Taiwan has been at the receiving end of such military threats on a daily basis.
” Beijing has repeatedly a series of US arms sales transfers since the summer , with the latest being a newly announced $ 280 million arms sale package , which is the sixth this year .
Sales have included drones , anti-air defense systems , radar equipment , and a coastal invasion early warning system and missiles .
China has said it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its threats , but in the last months has clearly ramped up PLA military exercises across from and near the island .
It ’ s connected with Trump ’ s pressure campaign on China which the administration has vowed to ramp up right till Biden ’ s inauguration on Jan.20 .
Reuters summarizes the arms sales as follows : The outgoing Trump administration has ramped up support for the island democracy , with 11 arms sale packages in total , and on Monday the U.S. government notified Congress of the sale of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Such sales – $ 5 billion worth this year – have riled China , adding to existing tension between Beijing and Washington , with China placing sanctions on U.S. companies involved and stepping up its military activities near Taiwan , including regular air force missions .
The question remains the degree China is willing to hit back at Washington sanctions and ‘ illicit ’ arms sales , which Beijing officials have long condemned as violating the ‘ One China ’ status quo , while Trump remains in office .
Waiting out the clock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s near daily escalation out of Washington , whether it be the latest sanctions on Chinese officials related to Hong Kong , or the recent ban on select Chinese cotton imports , as well as severe visa restrictions on Communist Party members and their families .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • China ’ s Progress Towards Technological Hegemony : Moving Every Which Way But Back

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Taiwan says it’s coming under increasingly direct threats from the mainland amid pending US weapons sales to the breakaway republic.
President Tsai Ing-wen warned in urgent statements made Tuesday that Taiwan now faces military threats on a “daily basis” from “authoritarian forces” – a clear reference to China as it presses its claims over the island.
She said to a security forum in Taipei that there are huge threats especially in the “increasingly militarized South China Sea” – an area which has seen soaring tensions based on US patrols flying near Chinese-claimed artificial islands.
“Authoritarian forces consistently attempt to violate the existing norms-based order,” Tsai said. “Taiwan has been at the receiving end of such military threats on a daily basis.”
Beijing has repeatedly a series of US arms sales transfers since the summer, with the latest being a newly announced $280 million arms sale package, which is the sixth this year.
Sales have included drones, anti-air defense systems, radar equipment, and a coastal invasion early warning system and missiles. China has said it will retaliate, but has never been specific in its threats, but in the last months has clearly ramped up PLA military exercises across from and near the island.
It’s connected with Trump’s pressure campaign on China which the administration has vowed to ramp up right till Biden’s inauguration on Jan.20. Reuters summarizes the arms sales as follows:
The outgoing Trump administration has ramped up support for the island democracy, with 11 arms sale packages in total, and on Monday the U.S. government notified Congress of the sale of a new Field Information Communications System. Such sales – $5 billion worth this year – have riled China, adding to existing tension between Beijing and Washington, with China placing sanctions on U.S. companies involved and stepping up its military activities near Taiwan, including regular air force missions.
2020 is a record year for US arms sales to Taiwan. Previous high was $7.1 billion according to DSCA. Would be interesting to map these sales figures against the state of relations between the US and China. @securitysplat pic.twitter.com/b0x9p2g2h8 — Craig Caffrey (@Craig_Caffrey_) December 5, 2020
The question remains the degree China is willing to hit back at Washington sanctions and ‘illicit’ arms sales, which Beijing officials have long condemned as violating the ‘One China’ status quo, while Trump remains in office.
Waiting out the clock will be made difficult given there’s near daily escalation out of Washington, whether it be the latest sanctions on Chinese officials related to Hong Kong, or the recent ban on select Chinese cotton imports, as well as severe visa restrictions on Communist Party members and their families.
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southfront--2020-12-09--Renewed Protests In Armenia As Nikol “The Basement” Pashinyan Shrugs Off Deadline To Resign

On December 8th , protests continue in Armenia , after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan disregarded an ultimatum to resign .
On December 5th , opposition parties warned Pashinyan there would be civil disobedience across the country if he doesn ’ t resign within the deadline .
The prime minister has refused to step down , defending the peace agreement as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Chanting “ Nikol , traitor , ” and “ Armenia without Nikol , ” thousands took to the streets of Yerevan , answering an opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline of midday December 8th set by the opposition for him to quit .
Pashinyan ’ s opponents want him out over what they say was his disastrous handling of the six-week conflict that handed Azerbaijan territorial gains .
The Prime Minister claims he accepts responsibility for the conflict ’ s outcome but said he is now responsible for ensuring national security and stabilizing the country by remaining in power and attempting to lead through Facebook videos .
Ishkhan Saghatelyan , an opposition politician for the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party , announced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ televised address on Tuesday after the deadline passed .
“ Nikol , you will go anyway .
Leave peacefully , ” he said .
“ From now until 17:00 Armenia ’ s citizens are justified in using their right to peaceful actions of disobedience to express their demand and to make it heard , ” he said .
Catholicos Karekin II , the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church said he had met Pashinyan and also urged him to resign .
Military goods at relatively low prices have appeared on Armenian websites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the delivery of aid to the military believe that the goods for sale were purchased during the war with donations .
Below are screenshots of the deals .
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on supporting the demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan .
In his letter , Armen Sarkissian once again thanked the Russian President for the efforts that led to the cessation of bloodshed in Nagorno Karabakh and the establishment of a ceasefire , thanks to which it was possible to avoid new casualties and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the President of Armenia noted that , unfortunately , there is still a potential danger of new disputes between the parties over the demarcation issue .
Taking into account the exceptional importance and urgency of the issue , President Sarkissian asked the Russian President to support the demarcation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan to exclude further tensions and negative developments .
On December 8th , a report from the Turkish TV channel TGRT News : take a close look at the map and flag .
The internationally recognized borders of Armenia are presented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory of Azerbaijan with a quote : “ Armenia has no money .
Azerbaijan also announced that it is closing its borders from December 14th , due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Armenian media commented on it saying that not even a pandemic could stop Baku from waging a war .
The Russian peacekeepers are continuing to provide medical aid , and demine the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh .
They also ensure the safe return of refugees , according to the Ministry of Defense , it is all going without issue .
MORE ON @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elderly Armenian Man In Karabakh As Turkish Forces Prepare To Participate In Victory Parade In Baku

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On December 8th, protests continue in Armenia, after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan disregarded an ultimatum to resign.
Roads were blocked in Yerevan.
On December 5th, opposition parties warned Pashinyan there would be civil disobedience across the country if he doesn’t resign within the deadline. The prime minister has refused to step down, defending the peace agreement as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Chanting “Nikol, traitor,” and “Armenia without Nikol,” thousands took to the streets of Yerevan, answering an opposition call to protest after Pashinyan ignored a deadline of midday December 8th set by the opposition for him to quit.
Pashinyan’s opponents want him out over what they say was his disastrous handling of the six-week conflict that handed Azerbaijan territorial gains.
The Prime Minister claims he accepts responsibility for the conflict’s outcome but said he is now responsible for ensuring national security and stabilizing the country by remaining in power and attempting to lead through Facebook videos.
Ishkhan Saghatelyan, an opposition politician for the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party, announced the start of coordinated civil disobedience in a televised address on Tuesday after the deadline passed.
“Nikol, you will go anyway. Leave peacefully,” he said. “From now until 17:00 Armenia’s citizens are justified in using their right to peaceful actions of disobedience to express their demand and to make it heard,” he said.
Catholicos Karekin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church said he had met Pashinyan and also urged him to resign.
Military goods at relatively low prices have appeared on Armenian websites.
Some public figures who were involved in the delivery of aid to the military believe that the goods for sale were purchased during the war with donations.
Below are screenshots of the deals.
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on supporting the demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In his letter, Armen Sarkissian once again thanked the Russian President for the efforts that led to the cessation of bloodshed in Nagorno Karabakh and the establishment of a ceasefire, thanks to which it was possible to avoid new casualties and tragedies.
At the same time, the President of Armenia noted that, unfortunately, there is still a potential danger of new disputes between the parties over the demarcation issue.
Taking into account the exceptional importance and urgency of the issue, President Sarkissian asked the Russian President to support the demarcation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan to exclude further tensions and negative developments.
On December 8th, a report from the Turkish TV channel TGRT News: take a close look at the map and flag. The internationally recognized borders of Armenia are presented to the public as part of the territory of Azerbaijan with a quote: “Armenia has no money. Let’s return Zangezur. “
Azerbaijan also announced that it is closing its borders from December 14th, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Armenian media commented on it saying that not even a pandemic could stop Baku from waging a war.
The Russian peacekeepers are continuing to provide medical aid, and demine the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh. They also ensure the safe return of refugees, according to the Ministry of Defense, it is all going without issue.
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southfront--2020-12-09--AI-Controlled Software For Drone Swarms Developed By Turkish Company

A Turkish company – MilSOFT claimed that it has developed an artificial intelligence-based software for control over drone swarms .
It announced its creation on November 19th , after four years of development , and the technology could be used in both fixed- and rotary-wing drone platforms .
A government aerospace official said swarm drones would be used in Turkey ’ s future unmanned aerial combat concept due to their low hardware costs and stealth technology .
Turkey ’ s main procurement authority , the Presidency for Defense Industries has launched a program to develop and demonstrate unmanned aerial vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software for use in unmanned platforms with swarm capabilities .
The program also involves the participation of private enterprises representing micro , small and medium businesses .
MilSOFT has been specializing in software development since 1998 and is one of the participants in the state program .
It offers the Turkish military products to address tasks such as the automatic recognition of detected moving targets using artificial intelligence and machine learning methods with image processing algorithms .
The company said the integration of its drone software intelligence and image evaluation products will enhance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , target acquisition and recognition , search and rescue , and tracking .
behind ground vehicles .
The MilSOFT software solution will launch swarms of drones from air , land and sea platforms , and the images they receive will be transmitted to a centralized control system .
Simultaneously , swarms of drones will transmit images between different military formations as repeaters .
Artificial intelligence technology can help identify those elements that are elusive to the human eye , and ensure the massive use of aviation weapons carried by unmanned aerial vehicles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enable drone swarms to carry out head-on attacks on command from helicopters and support other platforms for their troops ( forces ) .
It is reported that unmanned aerial vehicles will be able to operate autonomously from the beginning to the end of the flight mission ; they can be monitored and managed in near real time using intelligent applications .
The drone has a flight duration of more than 30 minutes and has a payload of 1 kilogram .
They are equipped with a chassis that will allow them to land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swarm of drones used in a combat situation consists of five vehicles ; in a controlled environment , their number can reach 25 .
At the same time , MilSOFT seeks to create a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles from 50 vehicles simultaneously in the air .
Communication between the drones is also provided by MilSOFT ’ s proprietary technology .
The devices can communicate with each other at a distance of up to 500 meters .
A network solution has been developed for data transmission within a radius of up to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technologies for underwater and surface platforms , as well as for land-based unmanned vehicles .
Notably , this new claim for software that can control drone swarms comes at an opportune time , since just days earlier the Turkish company Baykar announced that it has developed a smaller version of its Bayraktar TB2 drone , called the Bayraktar Mini UAV .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Poisonous Friendship : Two Russian Journalists Arrested In Over Alleged “ Espionage ” Of Bayraktar TB2 Factory

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A Turkish company – MilSOFT claimed that it has developed an artificial intelligence-based software for control over drone swarms.
The company is privately owned.
It announced its creation on November 19th, after four years of development, and the technology could be used in both fixed- and rotary-wing drone platforms.
A government aerospace official said swarm drones would be used in Turkey’s future unmanned aerial combat concept due to their low hardware costs and stealth technology.
“These drones could be ideal in asymmetrical warfare. They are quick, cost-effective and easy to operate,” the official said. “Most importantly, they are assets designed to minimize human loss in asymmetrical warfare.”
Turkey’s main procurement authority, the Presidency for Defense Industries has launched a program to develop and demonstrate unmanned aerial vehicle swarm control technologies to develop algorithms and software for use in unmanned platforms with swarm capabilities.
The program also involves the participation of private enterprises representing micro, small and medium businesses.
MilSOFT has been specializing in software development since 1998 and is one of the participants in the state program. It offers the Turkish military products to address tasks such as the automatic recognition of detected moving targets using artificial intelligence and machine learning methods with image processing algorithms.
The company said the integration of its drone software intelligence and image evaluation products will enhance drone swarm capabilities, including aerial reconnaissance, target acquisition and recognition, search and rescue, and tracking. behind ground vehicles.
The MilSOFT software solution will launch swarms of drones from air, land and sea platforms, and the images they receive will be transmitted to a centralized control system. Simultaneously, swarms of drones will transmit images between different military formations as repeaters.
Artificial intelligence technology can help identify those elements that are elusive to the human eye, and ensure the massive use of aviation weapons carried by unmanned aerial vehicles.
The AI-based MilSOFT software is also expected to enable drone swarms to carry out head-on attacks on command from helicopters and support other platforms for their troops (forces). It is reported that unmanned aerial vehicles will be able to operate autonomously from the beginning to the end of the flight mission; they can be monitored and managed in near real time using intelligent applications.
The drone has a flight duration of more than 30 minutes and has a payload of 1 kilogram. They are equipped with a chassis that will allow them to land on uneven ground.
Currently, the swarm of drones used in a combat situation consists of five vehicles; in a controlled environment, their number can reach 25. At the same time, MilSOFT seeks to create a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles from 50 vehicles simultaneously in the air.
Communication between the drones is also provided by MilSOFT’s proprietary technology. The devices can communicate with each other at a distance of up to 500 meters. A network solution has been developed for data transmission within a radius of up to 10 kilometers.
MilSOFT plans to integrate its technologies for underwater and surface platforms, as well as for land-based unmanned vehicles.
Notably, this new claim for software that can control drone swarms comes at an opportune time, since just days earlier the Turkish company Baykar announced that it has developed a smaller version of its Bayraktar TB2 drone, called the Bayraktar Mini UAV.
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southfront--2020-12-09--Houthis Make Fresh Gains In Battle With Saudi Proxies In Yemen’s Marib (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image Forces of the Ansar Allah movement ( more widely known as the Houthis ) @ @ @ @ @ on positions of Saudi proxies in the Yemeni province of Marib : • On December @ @ @ @ @ captured the Samra area north of Ajouz Height ; • On December 8 , Saudi-led @ @ @ @ @ Allah in the Madghal area ; • On December 7 , Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted @ @ @ @ @ Sarwah areas .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Saudi Arabia Claims It Intercepted Houthi @ @ @ @ @ Clashes Continue In Yemen ’ s Marib • Saudi-led Forces Are About To Lose Another @ @ @ @

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Forces of the Ansar Allah movement (more widely known as the Houthis) have been developing their advance on positions of Saudi proxies in the Yemeni province of Marib:
On December 8, Ansar Allah reportedly captured the Samra area north of Ajouz Height;
On December 8, Saudi-led forces attacked positions of Ansar Allah in the Madghal area;
On December 7, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 12 airstrikes on Raghwan and Sarwah areas.
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Kurd Runner 2020

The situation in the northern Syrian provinces of Aleppo and al-Hasakah is once again escalating amid speculations on the upcoming Turkish advance in the area .
In recent weeks , the Turkish military and its proxies increased the intensity of strikes on positions of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) and even on nearby positions of the Syrian Army along the contact line in the northeast of Syria .
For example , on the evening of December 6 , Turkish strikes hit a position of the Syrian Army near Tall Tamr destroying a BMP vehicle and reportedly injuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighters affiliated with the SDF attacked a position of the Turkish Army near Bab al-Khayr .
According to pro-Kurdish sources , 2 Turkish soldiers were allegedly killed or injured in the attack .
On the same day , the Turkish military and its proxies launched over 150 artillery shells at targets near and inside the town of Ain Issa .
The shelling that lasted for several hours reportedly killed at least one SDF member and injured several others .
The activity of Turkish forces near Ain Issa was permanently high in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation deteriorated even further .
A nearby observation post of the Russian Military Police and a position of the Syrian Army did not stop the Turks from violating the ceasefire .
In its own turn , pro-Ankara sources insist that the tensions in the region are a result of regular sabotage attacks by the SDF and affiliated Kurdish rebels near Ain Issa itself and in entire northern part of Syria in general .
For example , Kurdish groups linked with the SDF regularly inflict casualties on Turkish forces and their proxies in Afrin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not linked with these attacks , nobody with at least one brain cell believes in this .
The strong SDF links with the Kurdistan Workers ’ Party ( PKK ) , a Kurdish separatist armed group that seeks to create an independent Kurdish state on the territory of southeastern Turkey , and if it is possible northern Iraq and northern Syria , also does not contribute to stability .
Turkey sees the group as a vital threat to its national security .
Recently , the SDF Commander-in-Chief Ferhat Abdi Şahin officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died in the battles in Syria fighting on the side of the SDF .
Abdi , better known by his nom de guerre Mazloum Kobani , is himself a senior member of the PKK and a personal friend of the group ’ s leader Abdullah Öcalan , who has been imprisoned in Turkey since 1999 .
So , there is no surprise that Ankara sees claims of the United States leadership and SDF officials that the Kurdish-led group is not an offshoot of the PKK , but a ‘ democratically-oriented multiethnic alliance ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of hypocrisy .
In these conditions , the fate of the SDF is predetermined and the group remains under the permanent threat of a large-scale Turkish military attack .
At the same time , the main backer of the SDF , the United States , has never hurried up to openly back the group against its own important ally in the Middle East and a member of NATO .
Therefore , on the one hand , in its actions , the SDF relies on US support and has been consistently sabotaging Damascus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reintegration into Syria .
On the other hand , the Kurdish-led group has already lost a large part of the territories that it had controlled as a result of Turkish attacks .
This posture led to expected results and the last time the SDF even asked the Russians and the Syrian Army to rescue it from the Turkish advance in the northeast .
The deployment of the Russian and Syrian units along the contact line put an end to Turkey ’ s Operation Peace Spring in 2019 .
Immediately after this , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and started cooperation with Washington in the field looting Syrian oil on the eastern bank of the Euphrates .
Now , when the situation near Ain Issa is once again on the brink of military confrontation with Turkey , pro-SDF media have been crying and complaining about the alleged Russian demand to surrender the town to the Syrian Army to prevent the escalation .
SDF sources call this ‘ unfair ’ and ‘ unacceptable ’ .
It looks like that for the current Kurdish SDF leadership on Washington ’ s payroll it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of territory and provoke a bloodbath than to finally normalize relations with Damascus .

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The situation in the northern Syrian provinces of Aleppo and al-Hasakah is once again escalating amid speculations on the upcoming Turkish advance in the area.
In recent weeks, the Turkish military and its proxies increased the intensity of strikes on positions of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and even on nearby positions of the Syrian Army along the contact line in the northeast of Syria. For example, on the evening of December 6, Turkish strikes hit a position of the Syrian Army near Tall Tamr destroying a BMP vehicle and reportedly injuring or killing several soldiers. Meanwhile, fighters affiliated with the SDF attacked a position of the Turkish Army near Bab al-Khayr. According to pro-Kurdish sources, 2 Turkish soldiers were allegedly killed or injured in the attack. On the same day, the Turkish military and its proxies launched over 150 artillery shells at targets near and inside the town of Ain Issa. The shelling that lasted for several hours reportedly killed at least one SDF member and injured several others.
The activity of Turkish forces near Ain Issa was permanently high in the last few months but in recent weeks the situation deteriorated even further. A nearby observation post of the Russian Military Police and a position of the Syrian Army did not stop the Turks from violating the ceasefire. In its own turn, pro-Ankara sources insist that the tensions in the region are a result of regular sabotage attacks by the SDF and affiliated Kurdish rebels near Ain Issa itself and in entire northern part of Syria in general. For example, Kurdish groups linked with the SDF regularly inflict casualties on Turkish forces and their proxies in Afrin. While publicly the SDF pretends that it is not linked with these attacks, nobody with at least one brain cell believes in this.
The strong SDF links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist armed group that seeks to create an independent Kurdish state on the territory of southeastern Turkey, and if it is possible northern Iraq and northern Syria, also does not contribute to stability. Turkey sees the group as a vital threat to its national security. Recently, the SDF Commander-in-Chief Ferhat Abdi Şahin officially confirmed that at least 4,000 PKK members died in the battles in Syria fighting on the side of the SDF. Abdi, better known by his nom de guerre Mazloum Kobani, is himself a senior member of the PKK and a personal friend of the group’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned in Turkey since 1999.
So, there is no surprise that Ankara sees claims of the United States leadership and SDF officials that the Kurdish-led group is not an offshoot of the PKK, but a ‘democratically-oriented multiethnic alliance’ as a bad joke and the highest level of hypocrisy. In these conditions, the fate of the SDF is predetermined and the group remains under the permanent threat of a large-scale Turkish military attack.
At the same time, the main backer of the SDF, the United States, has never hurried up to openly back the group against its own important ally in the Middle East and a member of NATO. Therefore, on the one hand, in its actions, the SDF relies on US support and has been consistently sabotaging Damascus’ proposals on the political and security reintegration into Syria. On the other hand, the Kurdish-led group has already lost a large part of the territories that it had controlled as a result of Turkish attacks.
This posture led to expected results and the last time the SDF even asked the Russians and the Syrian Army to rescue it from the Turkish advance in the northeast. The deployment of the Russian and Syrian units along the contact line put an end to Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring in 2019. Immediately after this, the Kurds turned their back on their rescuers and started cooperation with Washington in the field looting Syrian oil on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. Now, when the situation near Ain Issa is once again on the brink of military confrontation with Turkey, pro-SDF media have been crying and complaining about the alleged Russian demand to surrender the town to the Syrian Army to prevent the escalation. SDF sources call this ‘unfair’ and ‘unacceptable’.
It looks like that for the current Kurdish SDF leadership on Washington’s payroll it would be more acceptable to lose another chunk of territory and provoke a bloodbath than to finally normalize relations with Damascus.
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southfront--2020-12-09--ISIS Claimed Responsibility For Bombing Oil Wells In Kirkuk (Video, Photos)

On December 9 , militants bombed two oil wells at Kirkuk ’ s Khabbaz oilfield .
The wells are located @ @ @ @ @ 25,000 barrels of oil per day .
Security forces deployed following the incident were not @ @ @ @ @ .
However , later , pro-ISIS sources claimed that cells of the terrorist group operating @ @ @ @ @ the attack .
Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image @ @ @ @ @ image MORE ON THE TOPIC : • U.S .
Reportedly Withdraws Diplomatic Staff From Iraq @ @ @ @ @ Qassem Soleimani ’ s Assassination Draws Near • Video Shows Moment Of ISIS Rocket Strike @ @ @ @ @

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On December 9, militants bombed two oil wells at Kirkuk’s Khabbaz oilfield. The wells are located at the site produces approximately 25,000 barrels of oil per day. Security forces deployed following the incident were not able to find the attackers. However, later, pro-ISIS sources claimed that cells of the terrorist group operating in the area was behind the attack.
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southfront--2020-12-09--Technological Race As Core Aspect Of New Cold War

The world is going to have a sigh of relief after the US elections .
High hopes are pinned on the Biden administration for reducing the confrontation between the United States and China .
It is expected that with the change of the US President , the number of new anti-Chinese initiatives would considerably decrease .
Under Trump , a significant part of such initiatives concerned the military sphere .
The American ships and aircraft were regularly spotted in disputed areas , which the PRC considers to be its territory .
The new U.S. administration is likely to abandon an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the risk of an accidental armed conflict between the great powers .
However , the desire of the “ Chinese Joe ” on its own , of which he already has much less over the years , is not enough for the normalization of US-China relations .
The legacy that Joe Biden will receive after assuming the presidency will not allow him to change the current American strategy only slightly adjust its tactics .
Biden is likely to take a more cold-blooded approach to accounting American interests and emphasize more in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such changes will not play a significant role in the confrontation between two superpowers with strikingly different systems , and neither Biden , nor anyone else can ignore this fundamental fact .
The US-China confrontation has fundamental reasons and will not disappear in the foreseeable future .
Today technological progress becomes the main dimension in the stand-off between great powers .
All of China ’ s recent foreign policy actions demonstrate that Beijing has no intention to conduct any overseas military operation if the issues do not directly affect China ’ s national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the South China Sea do not directly affect the U.S. national interests , and serves as a pretext , but not a reason , for an active containment policy of Washington .
Moreover , the nuclear potentials of the two sides are not comparable .
The current rules and procedures that form world trade and international system are beneficial to the PRC and contribute to its development .
Today , it is the U.S. that is not satisfied with the shifting world order .
Washington tries to rewrite international law and customs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post WWII status quo and contain Chinese expansion .
Anyway , the U.S maintains its current hegemonic position , and China is a catching power and is largely obliged to play according to the current American rules .
Beijing faced strong American retaliatory measures in the midst of its technological revolution .
In many civilian technologies , like Huawei ’ s 5G development , new magnetic transport , the creation of a quantum supercomputer , in the space sector China is ahead of the United States .
However , the application of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far away .
Meanwhile , the Americans maintain their leading position in the military sphere .
As a global weapons factory , the United States has undertaken all the significant technology developments in recent years .
All these technologies were tested on the battlefield by the American armed forces or by countries that purchase US-made weapons .
China , in its turn , remains dependent on US patents in the fields of electronic products and microprocessors , which ensures further US leadership .
An effective system of public and private investments in research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows maintaining its advantage in the medium term .
The number of patents registered in China today is not inferior to that of Western countries .
There are more Chinese patents in many areas .
However , Beijing lags far behind in nanotechnology , base to the sixth technological order , where the United States still holds the leading position .
In some spheres where Beijing has shown significant breakthroughs in recent years , the Chinese progress is not competitive enough to American technologies , like , for example , in the space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expansion , but about the level of technology and the scale of the exploration of near-earth space , the Americans retain the leadership , while the Chinese are currently breaking in their technologies .
In those areas where the R & D factor is of decisive importance , such as microprocessors , aerospace , medicine , biotechnology , the US advantage is great and will remain for a long time .
In such areas like network technologies , China has a fair chance of leading , due to the huge capacity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategic steps in this direction steadily increasing the level of investment in R & D .
China ’ s technology intelligence is extremely effective today and is a key division of China Intelligence Services .
Moreover , many large Chinese corporations have private technology intelligence units .
China , de facto has access to a significant part of the advanced technological developments in the West .
In the long term , such a policy will provide China with technological parity .
This will significantly worsen the leadership position of the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industries .
As a result , the intensifying competition in the margin markets is making the clashes between the USA and the PRC almost inevitable Therefore , there is a growing need for Beijing to achieve military-technical parity .
China needs not only to increase its military spending to the U.S. level , but also to maintain this level for a long period .
China has the second largest defense spending in the world after the United States ( about $ 686 billion in 2020 ) .
In 2020 the Chinese authorities intended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.6 % , to about $ 178.8 billion .
As follows from the country ’ s draft budget for 2020 , the growth rate was the lowest in almost 30 years .
Moreover , today Beijing is facing the problem of low efficiency of the civilian technologies transfer to the military sphere .
Thus , it is precisely technological rivalry that is the fundamental aspect of the confrontation between the United States and China .
It is necessary for each party to disrupt the development of computing power and networking solutions .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cold War stand-off , the current technological race will have an indelible impact on the entire humanity and will significantly shape its future .
In particular , the breakthrough development of technology will change the future warfare .
Today ’ s armed conflicts are already waged with the mass use of drones , smart ammunition , and anti-missile defense systems capable of hitting an abundance of targets .
All this requires an appropriate technological base and important financial investments .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Taiwan ’ s President Warns Of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Amid US Arms Sales • Footage Of Epic Clash Between Chinese And Indian Troops In Ladakh Border Region

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The world is going to have a sigh of relief after the US elections. High hopes are pinned on the Biden administration for reducing the confrontation between the United States and China.
It is expected that with the change of the US President, the number of new anti-Chinese initiatives would considerably decrease. Under Trump, a significant part of such initiatives concerned the military sphere. The American ships and aircraft were regularly spotted in disputed areas, which the PRC considers to be its territory. The new U.S. administration is likely to abandon an offensive approach on borderlands – and thereby reduce the risk of an accidental armed conflict between the great powers.
However, the desire of the “Chinese Joe” on its own, of which he already has much less over the years, is not enough for the normalization of US-China relations. The legacy that Joe Biden will receive after assuming the presidency will not allow him to change the current American strategy only slightly adjust its tactics. Biden is likely to take a more cold-blooded approach to accounting American interests and emphasize more in his discourse on human rights. However, such changes will not play a significant role in the confrontation between two superpowers with strikingly different systems, and neither Biden, nor anyone else can ignore this fundamental fact.
The US-China confrontation has fundamental reasons and will not disappear in the foreseeable future. Today technological progress becomes the main dimension in the stand-off between great powers.
All of China’s recent foreign policy actions demonstrate that Beijing has no intention to conduct any overseas military operation if the issues do not directly affect China’s national security. The Chinese artificial islands in the South China Sea do not directly affect the U.S. national interests, and serves as a pretext, but not a reason, for an active containment policy of Washington. Moreover, the nuclear potentials of the two sides are not comparable. The current rules and procedures that form world trade and international system are beneficial to the PRC and contribute to its development. Today, it is the U.S. that is not satisfied with the shifting world order. Washington tries to rewrite international law and customs in international trade in order to restore its post WWII status quo and contain Chinese expansion.
Anyway, the U.S maintains its current hegemonic position, and China is a catching power and is largely obliged to play according to the current American rules. Beijing faced strong American retaliatory measures in the midst of its technological revolution.
In many civilian technologies, like Huawei’s 5G development, new magnetic transport, the creation of a quantum supercomputer, in the space sector China is ahead of the United States. However, the application of these technologies in the military sphere is still far away. Meanwhile, the Americans maintain their leading position in the military sphere. As a global weapons factory, the United States has undertaken all the significant technology developments in recent years. All these technologies were tested on the battlefield by the American armed forces or by countries that purchase US-made weapons. China, in its turn, remains dependent on US patents in the fields of electronic products and microprocessors, which ensures further US leadership. An effective system of public and private investments in research, development and engineering in the USA allows maintaining its advantage in the medium term.
The number of patents registered in China today is not inferior to that of Western countries. There are more Chinese patents in many areas. However, Beijing lags far behind in nanotechnology, base to the sixth technological order, where the United States still holds the leading position.
In some spheres where Beijing has shown significant breakthroughs in recent years, the Chinese progress is not competitive enough to American technologies, like, for example, in the space. Talking not about the speed of expansion, but about the level of technology and the scale of the exploration of near-earth space, the Americans retain the leadership, while the Chinese are currently breaking in their technologies.
In those areas where the R&D factor is of decisive importance, such as microprocessors, aerospace, medicine, biotechnology, the US advantage is great and will remain for a long time. In such areas like network technologies, China has a fair chance of leading, due to the huge capacity of the Chinese market.
Beijing is taking significant strategic steps in this direction steadily increasing the level of investment in R&D. China’s technology intelligence is extremely effective today and is a key division of China Intelligence Services. Moreover, many large Chinese corporations have private technology intelligence units. China, de facto has access to a significant part of the advanced technological developments in the West. In the long term, such a policy will provide China with technological parity. This will significantly worsen the leadership position of the United States, weakening the global influence of its high-tech industries.
As a result, the intensifying competition in the margin markets is making the clashes between the USA and the PRC almost inevitable. Therefore, there is a growing need for Beijing to achieve military-technical parity. China needs not only to increase its military spending to the U.S. level, but also to maintain this level for a long period.
China has the second largest defense spending in the world after the United States (about $ 686 billion in 2020). In 2020 the Chinese authorities intended to increase spending on national defense by 6.6%, to about $ 178.8 billion. As follows from the country’s draft budget for 2020, the growth rate was the lowest in almost 30 years. Moreover, today Beijing is facing the problem of low efficiency of the civilian technologies transfer to the military sphere.
Thus, it is precisely technological rivalry that is the fundamental aspect of the confrontation between the United States and China. It is necessary for each party to disrupt the development of computing power and networking solutions.
As the nuclear weapon was invented during the Cold War stand-off, the current technological race will have an indelible impact on the entire humanity and will significantly shape its future. In particular, the breakthrough development of technology will change the future warfare. Today’s armed conflicts are already waged with the mass use of drones, smart ammunition, and anti-missile defense systems capable of hitting an abundance of targets. All this requires an appropriate technological base and important financial investments.
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southfront--2020-12-09--In Video: Drills Of Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Forces

On December 9 , the Russian Armed Forces of the Russian Federation held drills in the field of the control @ @ @ @ @ The drilsl involved the forces and means of the ground , naval and aviation components @ @ @ @ @ nuclear forces .
“ In the course of the event , practical actions were practiced @ @ @ @ @ the Strategic Missile Forces , crews of strategic missile carriers of long-range aviation of the @ @ @ @ @ missile submarine of the Northern Fleet .
Combat training launches of an intercontinental ballistic missile @ @ @ @ @ a submarine , high-precision long-range air-launched cruise missiles were carried out from the Plesetsk State @ @ @ @ @ Barents Sea , as well as by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS aircraft from Engels and Ukrainka @ @ @ @ @ strategic weapons were carried out at the Kura and Pemboy training grounds , ” the @ @ @ @

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On December 9, the Russian Armed Forces of the Russian Federation held drills in the field of the control of strategic offensive forces. The drilsl involved the forces and means of the ground, naval and aviation components of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces.
“In the course of the event, practical actions were practiced for crews of launchers of the Strategic Missile Forces, crews of strategic missile carriers of long-range aviation of the Aerospace Forces and a nuclear missile submarine of the Northern Fleet.
Combat training launches of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a ballistic missile of a submarine, high-precision long-range air-launched cruise missiles were carried out from the Plesetsk State Test Cosmodrome, from the Barents Sea, as well as by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS aircraft from Engels and Ukrainka airfields.
Training strikes of strategic weapons were carried out at the Kura and Pemboy training grounds,” the Defense Ministry reported.


southfront--2020-12-09--Eritrean Armed Forces Entered Civil War In Ethiopia

Eritrean troops are supporting Ethiopian government forces in their battle against the Tigray People ’ s Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , Reuters reported on December 8 , citing a U.S. government source and five regional diplomats .
A U.S. government source told Reuters that Washington is concerned by Eritrea ’ s involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region .
The deployment of Eritrean troops in the northern Ethiopian region was previously reported by residents , refugees and TPLF leader , Debretsion Gebremichael .
A senior diplomat from another country allegedly confirmed to Reuters that “ thousands ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the TPLF in Tigray .
Tigray has been under attack by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces ( ENDF ) since November 4 .
The operation was ordered by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in response to an attack by the TPLF on several military bases in the northern region .
The ENDF captured the capital of Tigray , Makelle , on November 28 .
However , the battle in the region is still ongoing .
The TPLF continue to show fierce resistance .
On December 8 , the ENDF opened fire at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a spokesman for the government , said the team ignored instructions not to be in the area .
The ongoing conflict in Tigray , which will not likely end anytime soon , has so far claimed the lives of 611 civilians and displaced thousands others .
The involvement of Eritrean forces , which signed a peace deal with Ethiopia two years ago , will likely inflame the conflict .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Internal Ethiopian War Draws To A Close , But Has It Damaged Neighboring Sudan Too Much

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Eritrean troops are supporting Ethiopian government forces in their battle against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Reuters reported on December 8, citing a U.S. government source and five regional diplomats.
A U.S. government source told Reuters that Washington is concerned by Eritrea’s involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region.
The deployment of Eritrean troops in the northern Ethiopian region was previously reported by residents, refugees and TPLF leader, Debretsion Gebremichael.
“There doesn’t appear to be a doubt anymore. It’s being discussed by U.S. officials on calls – that the Eritreans are in Tigray – but they aren’t saying it publicly,” the U.S. government source told Reuters.
A senior diplomat from another country allegedly confirmed to Reuters that “thousands” of Eritrean troops are currently fighting against the TPLF in Tigray.
Tigray has been under attack by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) since November 4. The operation was ordered by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in response to an attack by the TPLF on several military bases in the northern region.
The ENDF captured the capital of Tigray, Makelle, on November 28. However, the battle in the region is still ongoing. The TPLF continue to show fierce resistance.
On December 8, the ENDF opened fire at a UN team in Tigray. Redwan Hussein, a spokesman for the government, said the team ignored instructions not to be in the area.
The ongoing conflict in Tigray, which will not likely end anytime soon, has so far claimed the lives of 611 civilians and displaced thousands others. The involvement of Eritrean forces, which signed a peace deal with Ethiopia two years ago, will likely inflame the conflict.
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southfront--2020-12-09--‘Young Ukrainian Democracy’ & Its Fruitless Attempts To Terrorize Russia

On December 4 , Russian border guards prevented an attempt by 3 armed men to cross the Russian border from Ukraine .
The gunmen resisted detention and opened fire on Russian personnel .
As a result of the armed clash , one of the gunmen was eliminated , while two others fled back to Ukraine .
So far , the Border Service of the Russian FSB has provided few details of the incident .
However , the intercepted group was likely a subversive reconnaissance unit affiliated with the Ukrainian ( and thus Western ) intelligence services .
The neutralized unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports , received fire support from the territory of Ukraine during the incident .
Over the past years , Ukraine with help from its ‘ ’ democratic partners ” has repeatedly tried to stage terrorist and sabotage attacks in Russia .
Russian media revealed some details of the armed clash indicating that the Security Service of Ukraine ( SBU ) and the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces continue to plan and conduct active operations ( even if they are not very successful ) on the territory of Russia .
In particular , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the armed clash erupted during an attempt by the Ukrainian unit to kidnap a Russian citizen from the territory of Russia .
The report claims that the target of the operation was a former member of the self-defense forces of the region of Donbass – Denis Kharitonov .
The kidnapping attempt was reportedly a continuation of the SBU provocation that led to the temporary detention of Russia-linked private military contractors ( some of them were previously members of the forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People ’ s Republics ) in Belarus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a provocation luring this group of people onto the territory of Belarus , as a supposed transport point under a fake security contract to protect Rosneft facilities in Venezuela .
At the same time , Kiev informed Minsk that these people were allegedly preparing to stage an armed coup in Belarus and after their detention , requested their extradition .
The operation failed , when the entire SBU plot was revealed due to multiple contradictions in the version of events provided by the Ukrainian special services .
This development was just one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kidnap or eliminate people on the territory of Russia .
Just in August 2020 , the FSB already prevented an SBU plot to kidnap one of the leaders of the Eastern Ukraine ’ s people ’ s militia in Russia and to take him to the Kiev-controlled part of Ukraine .
Additionally with multiple other reports about the increase of SBU attempts to conduct aggressive actions on the territory of Russia , these developments demonstrate the new trend .
The special services of Ukraine with support from their NATO partners are not even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sabotage and other activities against Russia .
This activity has slowly but steadily become a permanent factor of life in the Russian border regions .
So far , SBU-sponsored plots have successfully been repelled by Russian special services .
However , in the long run , this threat will continue to grow .

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On December 4, Russian border guards prevented an attempt by 3 armed men to cross the Russian border from Ukraine. The gunmen resisted detention and opened fire on Russian personnel. As a result of the armed clash, one of the gunmen was eliminated, while two others fled back to Ukraine.
So far, the Border Service of the Russian FSB has provided few details of the incident. However, the intercepted group was likely a subversive reconnaissance unit affiliated with the Ukrainian (and thus Western) intelligence services. The neutralized unit was well equipped and, according to reports, received fire support from the territory of Ukraine during the incident. Over the past years, Ukraine with help from its ‘’democratic partners” has repeatedly tried to stage terrorist and sabotage attacks in Russia.
Russian media revealed some details of the armed clash indicating that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces continue to plan and conduct active operations (even if they are not very successful) on the territory of Russia.
In particular, according to the version shared by Russian media, the armed clash erupted during an attempt by the Ukrainian unit to kidnap a Russian citizen from the territory of Russia. The report claims that the target of the operation was a former member of the self-defense forces of the region of Donbass – Denis Kharitonov.
The kidnapping attempt was reportedly a continuation of the SBU provocation that led to the temporary detention of Russia-linked private military contractors (some of them were previously members of the forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics) in Belarus. At that time, the SBU staged a provocation luring this group of people onto the territory of Belarus, as a supposed transport point under a fake security contract to protect Rosneft facilities in Venezuela. At the same time, Kiev informed Minsk that these people were allegedly preparing to stage an armed coup in Belarus and after their detention, requested their extradition. The operation failed, when the entire SBU plot was revealed due to multiple contradictions in the version of events provided by the Ukrainian special services.
This development was just one of an entire series of SBU attempts to kidnap or eliminate people on the territory of Russia. Just in August 2020, the FSB already prevented an SBU plot to kidnap one of the leaders of the Eastern Ukraine’s people’s militia in Russia and to take him to the Kiev-controlled part of Ukraine.
Additionally with multiple other reports about the increase of SBU attempts to conduct aggressive actions on the territory of Russia, these developments demonstrate the new trend. The special services of Ukraine with support from their NATO partners are not even hiding their active planning and employing of sabotage and other activities against Russia. This activity has slowly but steadily become a permanent factor of life in the Russian border regions. So far, SBU-sponsored plots have successfully been repelled by Russian special services. However, in the long run, this threat will continue to grow.
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southfront--2020-12-09--The Payback: Unknown Gunmen Eliminated Perpetrator Of Recent Attack On Syrian Troops In Daraa

A former rebel commander that ordered the November 8 attack on Syrian troops in the town of Karak in the eastern Daraa countryside has been assassinated .
The attack targeted a checkpoint in Karak .
Five Syrian service members , including Lt. Col. Sohan Othman , were killed in the attack .
Six other service members were kidnapped , only to be freed a few hours later .
Local sources in Daraa confirmed that the mastermind behind the attack , Akef Abdo al-Zaki , was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in the front of his house in Karak late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16-year old son , Mohamad , was also killed in the attack .
Al-Zaki was the commander of a local Free Syrian Army faction known as Eastern Karak Martyrs .
In 2018 , he joined the reconciliation process .
However , he reportedly continued being involved in criminal activities , mainly ransom-kidnapping .
No side has claimed responsibility for the assassination of al-Zaki so far .
However , opposition activists believe that the Syrian intelligence was behind the shooting .
The checkpoint , which was attacked by al-Zaki and his militants , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intelligence Directorate .
The security force is highly-active in Daraa .
Following the attack , the Damascus government and locals in Karak agreed to restart the reconciliation process in the town .
The Russian Military Police and the Russian-backed 8th Brigade , a unit of the 5th Corps that ’ s dedicated for former rebels , facilitated the agreement .
As of December 9 , the situation in Karak is calm and the reconciliation process is holding up .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • After Libya & Karabakh , Turkey is Preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Reports

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A former rebel commander that ordered the November 8 attack on Syrian troops in the town of Karak in the eastern Daraa countryside has been assassinated.
The attack targeted a checkpoint in Karak. Five Syrian service members, including Lt. Col. Sohan Othman, were killed in the attack. Six other service members were kidnapped, only to be freed a few hours later.
Local sources in Daraa confirmed that the mastermind behind the attack, Akef Abdo al-Zaki, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in the front of his house in Karak late on December 7. Al-Zaki’s 16-year old son, Mohamad, was also killed in the attack.
Al-Zaki was the commander of a local Free Syrian Army faction known as Eastern Karak Martyrs. In 2018, he joined the reconciliation process. However, he reportedly continued being involved in criminal activities, mainly ransom-kidnapping.
No side has claimed responsibility for the assassination of al-Zaki so far. However, opposition activists believe that the Syrian intelligence was behind the shooting.
The checkpoint, which was attacked by al-Zaki and his militants, was manned by officers of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate. The security force is highly-active in Daraa.
Following the attack, the Damascus government and locals in Karak agreed to restart the reconciliation process in the town. The Russian Military Police and the Russian-backed 8th Brigade, a unit of the 5th Corps that’s dedicated for former rebels, facilitated the agreement.
As of December 9, the situation in Karak is calm and the reconciliation process is holding up.
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southfront--2020-12-09--After Libya & Karabakh, Turkey Is Preparing To Ship Its Syrian Proxies To Kashmir – Reports

Turkey is allegedly preparing to deploy Syrian militants in the region of Kashmir , which remains the focal point of a serious conflict between Pakistan and India since the late 40s .
The conflict over Kashmir started after the partition of India in 1947 .
Back then , India and Pakistan claimed the entirety of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir .
The dispute over the region escalated into three wars between India and Pakistan and several other armed skirmishes .
Today , India controls over 55 % of Kashmir .
The remaining part , formally known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is administrated by Pakistan .
The Syrian Hawar News Agency ( ANHA ) said on November 9 that Turkey is preparing to deploy Syrian militants in the AJK , where they will fight as mercenaries against India .
According to the ANHA , the Turkish intelligence promised the mercenaries a monthly salary of up to $ 3,000 during the deployment in Kashmir .
The reports on the deployment of Syrian mercenaries in Kashmir were denied by the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan and the president of the AJK .
The recent reports didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , Turkey has a track record of using its Syrian proxies as a pawn to promote its interests in other parts of the world .
Between 2019 and 2020 , Turkey deployed around 18,000 Syrian militants in Libya to support the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord .
In the second half of 2020 , more than 2,000 Syrian militants supported Azerbaijan ’ s large offensive on the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Despite Pakistan ’ s denial there is a real chance that Turkey is preparing to deploy its proxies in Kashmir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely reveal more information on the issue .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Syrian Army To Expand Its Presence In Northern Raqqa Under New Agreement With SDF

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Turkey is allegedly preparing to deploy Syrian militants in the region of Kashmir, which remains the focal point of a serious conflict between Pakistan and India since the late 40s.
The conflict over Kashmir started after the partition of India in 1947. Back then, India and Pakistan claimed the entirety of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The dispute over the region escalated into three wars between India and Pakistan and several other armed skirmishes.
Today, India controls over 55% of Kashmir. The remaining part, formally known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), is administrated by Pakistan.
The Syrian Hawar News Agency (ANHA) said on November 9 that Turkey is preparing to deploy Syrian militants in the AJK, where they will fight as mercenaries against India.
“Turkish intelligence instructed the mercenaries of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade to prepare a list of 100 mercenaries, who will undergo a training course in the Turkish city of Mersin in preparation for deployment in Kashmir where they will fight against India,” the ANHA said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the ANHA, the Turkish intelligence promised the mercenaries a monthly salary of up to $3,000 during the deployment in Kashmir.
The reports on the deployment of Syrian mercenaries in Kashmir were denied by the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan and the president of the AJK.
“India’s propaganda is rubbish and a crude attempt to undercut Turkey’s political and diplomatic support for Kashmiris struggling against Indian oppression and tyranny. It won’t happen,” said AJK President Sardar Masood Khan.
The recent reports didn’t present any material evidence. However, Turkey has a track record of using its Syrian proxies as a pawn to promote its interests in other parts of the world.
Between 2019 and 2020, Turkey deployed around 18,000 Syrian militants in Libya to support the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord. In the second half of 2020, more than 2,000 Syrian militants supported Azerbaijan’s large offensive on the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Despite Pakistan’s denial there is a real chance that Turkey is preparing to deploy its proxies in Kashmir. The upcoming few weeks and months will likely reveal more information on the issue.
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southfront--2020-12-09--Last Weeks Of 2020

Last Weeks Of 2020

Thanks to your regular support , SouthFront survived in the previous months despite the large-scale censorship and pressure campaign aimed against our endeavour .
( MORE HERE ) Unfortunately , regular attacks and the increasing censorship led to particular results and damaged SouthFront .
In October and November , we were undertaking efforts to keep SouthFront alive .
This work , together with your support , allowed us to continue working even in these hard times .
But the situation is not improving and there are no indications that the pressure against SouthFront will be reduced anytime soon .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give up and continue its struggle for the freedom and justice .
However , we will not be able to do this without your continuing support .
Since December 1 , we ’ ve collected 785 USD .
This is about 16 % of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further .
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment , SouthFront operates thanks to the audience ’ s donations .
We will not be able to survive without your help .
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT , SOUTHFRONT WORK WILL NOT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PayPal , Paysafecard , Bitcoin and other options .
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DEAR FRIENDS,
Thanks to your regular support, SouthFront survived in the previous months despite the large-scale censorship and pressure campaign aimed against our endeavour. (MORE HERE) Unfortunately, regular attacks and the increasing censorship led to particular results and damaged SouthFront.
In October and November, we were undertaking efforts to keep SouthFront alive. This work, together with your support, allowed us to continue working even in these hard times. But the situation is not improving and there are no indications that the pressure against SouthFront will be reduced anytime soon. There is no doubt that SouthFront will not give up and continue its struggle for the freedom and justice. However, we will not be able to do this without your continuing support.
THE SITUATION IS CRITICAL
Since December 1, we’ve collected 1390 USD. This is about 28% of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further.
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment, SouthFront operates thanks to the audience’s donations. We will not be able to survive without your help.
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, SOUTHFRONT WORK WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE:
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southfront--2020-12-10--SDF Confirmed Deal With Damascus On Ain Issa. Syrian Army Established New Posts Around The Town (Vid

SDF Confirmed Deal With Damascus On Ain Issa. Syrian Army Established New Posts Around The Town (Video)

The Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) confirmed that a new deal has been reached with the government in Damascus to secure the town of Ain Issa in northern Raqqa from Turkish attacks .
On December 9 , the SDF ’ s Tell Abyad Military Council said in a statement that the deal , which is meant to “ observe ” the ceasefire in the region , was brokered by Russia .
Turkey , which invaded northeastern Syria last year , agreed on a ceasefire in northern Raqqa and many other parts of the region in two separate agreements with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to this day Turkish forces continue to regularly violate the ceasefire there .
Under the new deal , the SDF and the Syrian Arab Army established three joint “ observation posts ” north , east and west of Ain Issa .
The three posts are located along the M4 highway , which links northern Raqqa with al-Hasakah in the east and Aleppo in the west .
The Russian Military Police maintains a fairly large presence in Ain Issa .
The town hosts a Coordination and Operations Center of Russian forces .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helicopters have been conducting patrols over Ain Issa on a daily basis since December 6 .
The new agreement came following two weeks of repeated Turkish attacks on Ain Issa .
The town was being shelled on a daily basis .
Several SDF fighters and a Syrian soldier were killed .
Russia reportedly warned the SDF of a nearing Turkish attack on Ain Issa , which forced the U.S.-backed group to reach an agreement with Damascus .
The agreement will deter Turkish forces and allow the government forces to expand their influence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • The Payback : Unknown Gunmen Eliminated Perpetrator Of Recent Attack On Syrian Troops In Daraa • After Libya & Karabakh , Turkey Is Preparing To Ship Its Syrian Proxies To Kashmir – Reports

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The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed that a new deal has been reached with the government in Damascus to secure the town of Ain Issa in northern Raqqa from Turkish attacks.
On December 9, the SDF’s Tell Abyad Military Council said in a statement that the deal, which is meant to “observe” the ceasefire in the region, was brokered by Russia.
Turkey, which invaded northeastern Syria last year, agreed on a ceasefire in northern Raqqa and many other parts of the region in two separate agreements with Russia and the United States. Nevertheless, to this day Turkish forces continue to regularly violate the ceasefire there.
Under the new deal, the SDF and the Syrian Arab Army established three joint “observation posts” north, east and west of Ain Issa. The three posts are located along the M4 highway, which links northern Raqqa with al-Hasakah in the east and Aleppo in the west.
The Russian Military Police maintains a fairly large presence in Ain Issa. The town hosts a Coordination and Operations Center of Russian forces.
According to the Hawar News Agency, Russian helicopters have been conducting patrols over Ain Issa on a daily basis since December 6.
The new agreement came following two weeks of repeated Turkish attacks on Ain Issa. The town was being shelled on a daily basis. Several SDF fighters and a Syrian soldier were killed.
Russia reportedly warned the SDF of a nearing Turkish attack on Ain Issa, which forced the U.S.-backed group to reach an agreement with Damascus. The agreement will deter Turkish forces and allow the government forces to expand their influence in Raqqa.
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southfront--2020-12-10--$5bn For 7 Districts: Leaked Conversation Between Lukashenko And Sargsyan Shows Who Truly Betrayed A

$5bn For 7 Districts: Leaked Conversation Between Lukashenko And Sargsyan Shows Who Truly Betrayed Armenia

Following the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh war , and the refusal of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to assume any actual responsibility , there ’ s been quite a bit of chaos in Armenia .
Pashinyan has blamed everybody for the failure , including the people themselves , the opposition , the international community , and the previous Armenian leadership .
However , on December 7th , a leaked conversation was reminded of between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and third President of Armenia , Serzh Sargsyan .
The conversation took place back in the autumn of 2016 , at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s press service has confirmed the authenticity of the recording .
Notably , in the conversation Lukashenko tells Sargsyan to give up the 7 districts of Nagorno-Karabakh that Azerbaijan got after the peace deal was struck on November 10th , 2020 .
Lukashenko said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev offered to pay $ 5 billion for Yerevan to give up the districts .
In response , Sargsyan , who Pashinyan dubbed a traitor , said that he would pay Aliyev $ 6 billion to give up on these 7 districts .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disseminated by one of the telegram channels last night , the office of the third president received numerous requests from the media , who want to find out whether the discussion contained in the audio recording is true , when it took place , where and why the third president of Armenia , Serzh Sargsyan , has not yet spoke about it , ” the Sargsyan office commented .
Armenians are mostly perplexed as to how the recording of the non-public conversation of the presidents during the meeting in a restricted format at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) held in Yerevan on October 14 , 2016 , ended up on the Internet .
According to the conversation , Lukashenko does not agree with Sargsyan ’ s assertion that seven districts will “ bare ” the borders of Artsakh and leave its 150,000-population face to face with Azerbaijan .
Therefore , real security mechanisms are needed .
The Belarusian leader offers the CSTO as an organization to take responsibility .
But at the same time , he doubted that having received the regions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a war .
And this is when Lukashenko says Aliyev is ready to pay Armenia 5 billion ( dollars ) in the first stage .
The President of Armenia says that he is ready to give Aliyev 6 billion , and let him give up these regions .
Also , according to the President of Armenia , he can not give these seven regions , since the blood of five thousand Armenian soldiers has been shed there .
But even here Sargsyan does not remain in debt : “ We didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus , 30 thousand ( Armenians ) died.
” The posture of Pashinyan and his allies is quite different than that of the previous Armenian leadership .
Corruption and scandals aside , they were at least not traitorous to the Armenian population .
Regardless of everything Sargsyan at least had political backbone to keep his country intact .
Pashinyan mismanaged forces , and capitulated after entirely failing in his leadership role .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • “ Yerevan , Zangezur , Sevan Are Our Historical Lands ” : Azerbaijani-Turkish Victory Parade @ @ @ @ @ @

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Following the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, and the refusal of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to assume any actual responsibility, there’s been quite a bit of chaos in Armenia.
Pashinyan has blamed everybody for the failure, including the people themselves, the opposition, the international community, and the previous Armenian leadership.
However, on December 7th, a leaked conversation was reminded of between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and third President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan.
The conversation took place back in the autumn of 2016, at the CSTO summit in Yerevan.
The ex-president’s press service has confirmed the authenticity of the recording.
Notably, in the conversation Lukashenko tells Sargsyan to give up the 7 districts of Nagorno-Karabakh that Azerbaijan got after the peace deal was struck on November 10th, 2020.
Lukashenko said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev offered to pay $5 billion for Yerevan to give up the districts.
In response, Sargsyan, who Pashinyan dubbed a traitor, said that he would pay Aliyev $6 billion to give up on these 7 districts.
“Regarding the audio recording, which was disseminated by one of the telegram channels last night, the office of the third president received numerous requests from the media, who want to find out whether the discussion contained in the audio recording is true, when it took place, where and why the third president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, has not yet spoke about it,” the Sargsyan office commented.
Armenians are mostly perplexed as to how the recording of the non-public conversation of the presidents during the meeting in a restricted format at the session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) held in Yerevan on October 14, 2016, ended up on the Internet.
“The office of the third president accepts the publication of the audio recording as fact and refrains from commenting, given the fact that the meetings held in a closed format are not subject to comment, as they were not subject to until now,” the commentary said.
According to the conversation, Lukashenko does not agree with Sargsyan’s assertion that seven districts will “bare” the borders of Artsakh and leave its 150,000-population face to face with Azerbaijan. Therefore, real security mechanisms are needed.
The Belarusian leader offers the CSTO as an organization to take responsibility.
“For example, we must send certain peacekeeping forces there,” he said.
But at the same time, he doubted that having received the regions, the President of Azerbaijan will start a war.
“Your position is weak. I will not give up seven districts, because then you will immediately start fighting against me. And if you do not start,” he told Sargsyan.
In response, the back-then Armenian leader answered:
“Of course, what does it mean if he doesn’t start? And if he does? Alexander Grigorievich, why just give it away, I don’t understand.”
And this is when Lukashenko says Aliyev is ready to pay Armenia 5 billion (dollars) in the first stage. The President of Armenia says that he is ready to give Aliyev 6 billion, and let him give up these regions.
Also, according to the President of Armenia, he cannot give these seven regions, since the blood of five thousand Armenian soldiers has been shed there.
“So what? We’ve lost 30 million, but we are not at war with the Germans,” Lukashenko said.
But even here Sargsyan does not remain in debt: “We didn’t lose fewer people here. Only for Belarus, 30 thousand (Armenians) died.”
The posture of Pashinyan and his allies is quite different than that of the previous Armenian leadership. Corruption and scandals aside, they were at least not traitorous to the Armenian population.
Regardless of everything Sargsyan at least had political backbone to keep his country intact. Pashinyan mismanaged forces, and capitulated after entirely failing in his leadership role.
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southfront--2020-12-10--Map Update: Military Situation In Nagorno-Karabakh On December 10, 2020

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh : • On December 9 @ @ @ @ @ from Yerevan to Stepanakert by buses with the assistance of Russian peacekeepers ; • As @ @ @ @ @ than 36500 people have returned to Karabakh with the assistance of Russian peacekeepers ; • @ @ @ @ @ Russia reported that more than 70 hectares of land and about 23 kilometers of roads @ @ @ @ @ IEDs and 4,500 explosive objects were found and destroyed ; • As of December 10 @ @ @ @ @ at Stepanakert Airport provided assistance to 368 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh ; • On December 9 @ @ @ @ @ and another one received injures while they were demining the area of Kalbajar .
MORE @ @ @ @ @ “ Yerevan , Zangezur , Sevan Are Our Historical Lands ” : Azerbaijani-Turkish Victory Parade @ @ @ @ @ Armenia • Two Azerbaijani Troops Were Killed And Another One Was Injured In Mine Explosion @ @ @ @ @ Video )

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh:
On December 9, 649 displaced persons returned from Yerevan to Stepanakert by buses with the assistance of Russian peacekeepers;
As of December 10, more than 36500 people have returned to Karabakh with the assistance of Russian peacekeepers;
As of December 10, Russia reported that more than 70 hectares of land and about 23 kilometers of roads were cleared from mines and IEDs and 4,500 explosive objects were found and destroyed;
As of December 10, Russian military medics deployed at Stepanakert Airport provided assistance to 368 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh;
On December 9, two Azerbaijan sappers died and another one received injures while they were demining the area of Kalbajar.
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southfront--2020-12-10--“Yerevan, Zangezur, Sevan Are Our Historical Lands”: Azerbaijani-Turkish Victory Parade Spells Dark

“Yerevan, Zangezur, Sevan Are Our Historical Lands”: Azerbaijani-Turkish Victory Parade Spells Dark Times Incoming For Armenia

On December 10th , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gifted Azerbaijan with the great honor of hosting him as a special guest at Baku ’ s “ Victory Parade ” .
As of mid-day , on December 10th , there is a live feed of the event , with speeches from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev , and Erdogan himself .
President Aliyev , in his speech was cited as having said that “ Yerevan , Zangezur , Sevan are our historical lands ” .
This follows a report shown on Turkish television that Zangezur is also within reach , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , from the preliminary reports following statements by Azerbaijani and the Turkish president , Armenia should likely prepare for a new war immediately .
Returning to Erdogan ’ s visit , Sharq Newspaper ’ s Editor in Chief Akif Asirli said that after the arrival of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus 102 years ago , military cooperation between the two countries in the 44-day war is another example in the modern history of Turkey and Azerbaijan .
He also said that Azerbaijanis felt Turkey ’ s full support during the 44-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great share in our victory .
President Ilham Aliyev also said in a statement that this is our joint victory.
” He emphasized that with the victory , an important step was taken for the unity of the Turkic world .
Anadolu Agency , Turkey ’ s state outlet , is also grasping at straws , citing just random citizens who claim that the Victory Parade will be turned into a “ festival ” because “ Great Ottoman older brother ” Erdogan is in attendance .
Turkey ’ s President Recep Tayyip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a two-day visit .
In his address to the Azerbaijani people he praised Ismail Enver Pasha .
It should be reminded that Enver Pasha is one of the organizers of the 1915 Armenian Genocide .
Erdogan also issued a complain about Western militarism , forgetting that Ankara is one of the founding NATO states and a part of that same militarism .
He was welcomed at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport by Azerbaijan ’ s Vice President Yagub Eyyubov , Deputy Foreign Minister Ramiz Hasanov and Turkey ’ s Ambassador to Baku @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ilham Aliyev for dinner along with the first ladies .
The Turkish president is accompanied by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu , presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin , Communications Director Fahrettin Altun , and ruling party spokesman Omer Celik among others .
In Armenia , protests are on-going and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan refuses to give up power .
Police have detained 29 persons , holding protest at the government building .
Protesters had blocked a road , and police went to disperse them , as a video showed .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation in Armenia ” as the National Assembly approved his government ’ s budget for next year calling for further sizable increases in public spending and tax revenue .
The budget commits the government to spending 1.88 trillion drams ( almost $ 4 billion ) , up by 14 percent from its expenditures projected for this year .
In particular , spending on social program is to rise by 10 percent , to 489 billion drams .
The budget calls for sharper increases in government funds allocated to education and healthcare .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 111 billion drams respectively .
By contrast , Armenia ’ s defense budget will be virtually flat in 2020 at just over 301 billion drams ( $ 634 million ) , a fact deplored by some opposition politicians and other critics of the government .
The latter has pledged to strengthen the Armenian military through more efficient governance and its ongoing fight against corruption .
Still , the unprecedented quantities of weapons and ammunition led to a loss in the war for Nagorno-Karabakh .
The National Assembly at the first hearing adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constitutional Law on Political Parties and related laws .
The draft is aimed to facilitate the process of registration and establishment of political parties and to make political parties more accountable and transparent and ideological .
He also offered more excuses not to give up power , in answers to opposition questions .
He answered ahe question of the head of the NA “ Bright Armenia ” faction Edmon Marukyan , that the former RA presidents , parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political forces , the leaders of the Armenian Church , intellectuals demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pashinyan , the forces listed by Marukyan suggest creating anarchy or puppet power in Armenia .
According to him , during the year that the opposition is talking about , all possible mechanisms of election fraud will be restored .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Renewed Protests In Armenia As Nikol “ The Basement ” Pashinyan Shrugs Off Deadline To Resign

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On December 10th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gifted Azerbaijan with the great honor of hosting him as a special guest at Baku’s “Victory Parade”.
As of mid-day, on December 10th, there is a live feed of the event, with speeches from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Erdogan himself.
President Aliyev, in his speech was cited as having said that “Yerevan, Zangezur, Sevan are our historical lands”. This follows a report shown on Turkish television that Zangezur is also within reach, while there is chaos in Armenia.
In all, from the preliminary reports following statements by Azerbaijani and the Turkish president, Armenia should likely prepare for a new war immediately.
Returning to Erdogan’s visit, Sharq Newspaper’s Editor in Chief Akif Asirli said that after the arrival of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus 102 years ago, military cooperation between the two countries in the 44-day war is another example in the modern history of Turkey and Azerbaijan.
He also said that Azerbaijanis felt Turkey’s full support during the 44-day conflict, saying “Turkey also has a great share in our victory. President Ilham Aliyev also said in a statement that this is our joint victory.”
“This is also the victory of the Turkic world. We saw that national spirit, born in Canakkale 107 years ago, in Shusha,” he added.
He emphasized that with the victory, an important step was taken for the unity of the Turkic world.
“Turkish flags are also flying everywhere today. Azerbaijan has seen who was a friend and who was an enemy. Erdogan will come to his homeland. His visit will turn the ceremony into a feast for Azerbaijan.”
Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s state outlet, is also grasping at straws, citing just random citizens who claim that the Victory Parade will be turned into a “festival” because “Great Ottoman older brother” Erdogan is in attendance.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan on December 9th on a two-day visit.
In his address to the Azerbaijani people he praised Ismail Enver Pasha.
“May the soul of Enver Pasha be blessed today.”
It should be reminded that Enver Pasha is one of the organizers of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
Erdogan also issued a complain about Western militarism, forgetting that Ankara is one of the founding NATO states and a part of that same militarism.
He was welcomed at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport by Azerbaijan’s Vice President Yagub Eyyubov, Deputy Foreign Minister Ramiz Hasanov and Turkey’s Ambassador to Baku Erkan Ozoral.
Erdogan met his counterpart Ilham Aliyev for dinner along with the first ladies.
The Turkish president is accompanied by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and ruling party spokesman Omer Celik among others.
In Armenia, protests are on-going and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan refuses to give up power.
Police have detained 29 persons, holding protest at the government building.
Protesters had blocked a road, and police went to disperse them, as a video showed.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian put “an optimistic spin on the economic situation in Armenia” as the National Assembly approved his government’s budget for next year calling for further sizable increases in public spending and tax revenue.
“We are doing well,” Pashinian said amid strong opposition criticism of the spending bill passed by 69 votes to 37.
The budget commits the government to spending 1.88 trillion drams (almost $4 billion), up by 14 percent from its expenditures projected for this year.
In particular, spending on social program is to rise by 10 percent, to 489 billion drams. The budget calls for sharper increases in government funds allocated to education and healthcare. They are projected to total 163 billion drams and 111 billion drams respectively.
By contrast, Armenia’s defense budget will be virtually flat in 2020 at just over 301 billion drams ($634 million), a fact deplored by some opposition politicians and other critics of the government. The latter has pledged to strengthen the Armenian military through more efficient governance and its ongoing fight against corruption.
“Since May 2018 Armenia has acquired unprecedented, for the recent past, quantities of weapons and ammunition,” Pashinian said in this regard. He did not shed light on those acquisitions.
Still, the unprecedented quantities of weapons and ammunition led to a loss in the war for Nagorno-Karabakh.
The National Assembly at the first hearing adopted draft packages on amendments and supplements to the constitutional Law on Political Parties and related laws. The draft is aimed to facilitate the process of registration and establishment of political parties and to make political parties more accountable and transparent and ideological.
He also offered more excuses not to give up power, in answers to opposition questions.
He answered ahe question of the head of the NA “Bright Armenia” faction Edmon Marukyan, that the former RA presidents, parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political forces, the leaders of the Armenian Church, intellectuals demand his resignation, countered:
“And why don’t you and the parliamentary forces demand early parliamentary elections?, why do those political forces and the representatives of the elite constantly offer scenarios that have one goal? to leave the people out of the process, moreover, irreversibly”.
According to Pashinyan, the forces listed by Marukyan suggest creating anarchy or puppet power in Armenia.
“They nominate a candidate for the post of Prime Minister who does not have the support of the people, who has no support in the parliament, who has no prospect of gaining the support of the people, because it is stipulated that the candidate must not run in the elections at all. Therefore, if a change takes place in these conditions, and a prime minister is appointed who has no support, no source of legitimacy, on whom will he rely, to whom will that power belong? Of course, the government will belong to the forces that brought him to that status”, Pashinyan said.
According to him, during the year that the opposition is talking about, all possible mechanisms of election fraud will be restored.
“90% of those people who demand resignation today are people who have been demanding resignation since June 2018. Now you say war, but if you look back and remember what was before the war, you will see that the message and the composition have not changed. But my question is – why they do not demand early parliamentary elections, including you” said the Prime Minister.
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southfront--2020-12-10--Militant Activity In Jammu And Kashmir Increasing Amid Rumors Of Deployment Of Turkish Proxies

In recent months , there ’ s been a reported increase in militant activity and attacks according to India .
This is allegedly a result due to the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan .
New Delhi claims that “ Pakistan-based terrorist groups ” are preparing for a major push on Jammu and Kashmir .
On November 19th , Indian security forces recovered communications devices from four killed Jaish-e-Mohammed ( JeM ) members at Ban toll plaza .
“ Pakistan-based terrorist groups have become especially active after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and have been preparing for a major drive in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports .
The reports add that terrorist group Lashar-e-Tayyeba ( LeT ) is mobilizing cadre from its Chelabandi camp in Muzaffarabad to fresh locations in Neelum Valley across the Line of Control ( LoC ) between India and Pakistan .
The Hizbul Mujahideen is training nearly 400 cadre at a newly constructed facility in forest area of Oghi in Khyber-Paktunkhwa ( KPK ) .
The Al Badr group is exploring ways to infiltrate into India from Bangladesh after security forces have turned the heat on infiltration across LoC in Kashmir.
” These reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militants were killed by Indian security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on December 9th .
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Tikken area of Pulwama district in the early hours of December 9th following information about presence of militants there , a police official said .
And to exacerbate the situation further , there are reports that after Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh , Turkey is planning on deploying militants to Jammu and Kashmir .
The Syrian Hawar News Agency ( ANHA ) said on November 9 that Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the AJK , where they will fight as mercenaries against India .
“ Turkish intelligence instructed the mercenaries of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade to prepare a list of 100 mercenaries , who will undergo a training course in the Turkish city of Mersin in preparation for deployment in Kashmir where they will fight against India , ” the ANHA said , citing sources familiar with the matter .
According to the ANHA , the Turkish intelligence promised the mercenaries a monthly salary of up to $ 3,000 during the deployment in Kashmir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syrian mercenaries in Kashmir were denied by the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan and the president of the AJK .
Regardless , if even a part of this is true , it could be possible that an escalation is possible in Jammu and Kashmir , between Pakistan and India , with two countries with quite significant arsenals .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • After Libya & Karabakh , Turkey Is Preparing To Ship Its Syrian Proxies To Kashmir – Reports • Indian Forces Reportedly Stop Infiltration Attempt In Jammu And , Kill Three

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In recent months, there’s been a reported increase in militant activity and attacks according to India.
This is allegedly a result due to the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan. New Delhi claims that “Pakistan-based terrorist groups” are preparing for a major push on Jammu and Kashmir.
On November 19th, Indian security forces recovered communications devices from four killed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) members at Ban toll plaza.
“Pakistan-based terrorist groups have become especially active after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and have been preparing for a major drive in Jammu and Kashmir, according to intelligence reports. The reports add that terrorist group Lashar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) is mobilizing cadre from its Chelabandi camp in Muzaffarabad to fresh locations in Neelum Valley across the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan. The Hizbul Mujahideen is training nearly 400 cadre at a newly constructed facility in forest area of Oghi in Khyber-Paktunkhwa (KPK). The Al Badr group is exploring ways to infiltrate into India from Bangladesh after security forces have turned the heat on infiltration across LoC in Kashmir.”
These reports took place just days before three suspected militants were killed by Indian security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on December 9th.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Tikken area of Pulwama district in the early hours of December 9th following information about presence of militants there, a police official said.
Initial reports were of 2 killed militants.
Two terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Jammu &Kashimir's #Pulwama disrict. pic.twitter.com/WWY2hrx9cd — TEAM BHARAT (@TeamBharat_) December 9, 2020
And to exacerbate the situation further, there are reports that after Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey is planning on deploying militants to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Syrian Hawar News Agency (ANHA) said on November 9 that Turkey is preparing to deploy Syrian militants in the AJK, where they will fight as mercenaries against India.
“Turkish intelligence instructed the mercenaries of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade to prepare a list of 100 mercenaries, who will undergo a training course in the Turkish city of Mersin in preparation for deployment in Kashmir where they will fight against India,” the ANHA said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the ANHA, the Turkish intelligence promised the mercenaries a monthly salary of up to $3,000 during the deployment in Kashmir.
The reports on the deployment of Syrian mercenaries in Kashmir were denied by the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan and the president of the AJK.
“India’s propaganda is rubbish and a crude attempt to undercut Turkey’s political and diplomatic support for Kashmiris struggling against Indian oppression and tyranny. It won’t happen,” said AJK President Sardar Masood Khan.
Regardless, if even a part of this is true, it could be possible that an escalation is possible in Jammu and Kashmir, between Pakistan and India, with two countries with quite significant arsenals.
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