Syrian War Daily – 27th of November 2017

Hello and welcome to the 258th installment of the SWD. Since majority of the people voted for the addition of Afghanistan as a region, it can be found in today’s and future dailies under the Iraq region.

Military events/news are listed below by the governorates:

Aleppo:

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham repelled Syrian Arab Army’s attack on Hijara village, south of Khanaser. According to the HTS‘ commander Edi Abu Faisal, five SAA‘s soldiers were killed, three captured and one technical seized during the SAA‘s failed attack.

Raqqa:

Two Islamic State’s improvised explosive devices exploded in the city of Raqqa, causing casualties among the civilian population. One of the explosions killed two civilians as they were inspecting their house in Al-Dareea neighborhood, near Khalid ibn al-Walid school. The other explosion wounded two civilians in the city’s center.

Idlib:

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham started a wide anti-Al-Qaeda operation, arresting several figures and supporters of the group. Some of the notable arrested individuals include: Sami al-Aridi, Iyad al-Tubasi (Abu Jalibib al-Urduni), Sheikh Abu Hammam, and Sheikh Abu al-Qasim al-Urduni. Sheikh Abu al-Qasim al-Urduni is known for being the deputy of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the 1st Emir of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Hama:

Syrian Arab Army captured Al-Mustahira village from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Turkistan Islamic Party in the northeastern Hama.

Two children were killed when an unexploded ordnance exploded in one of the fields at the outskirts of Al-Lataminah. The unexploded ordnance was described as a remnant from the Syrian Arab Army’s shelling of the locality yesterday. The explosion occurred when the children tried to interact with the explosive device.

Situation in the northeastern Hama. Source: Emmanuel

Homs:

Syrian Arab Army’s artillery shelled Free Syrian Army’s positions in the city of Talbiseh, in the Northern Homs pocket. The shelling of Talbiseh killed two and wounded three Free Syrian Army’s fighters.

Islamic State’s SVBIED detonated at a Syrian Arab Army’s checkpoint near the eastern entrance to Al-Sukhnah. The explosion reportedly killed two soldiers and wounded several others.

Deir al-Zour:

Syrian Ministry of Defense reported the capture of Al-Ashara and confirmed the capture of several other localities from the Islamic State in the eastern Deir al-Zour. The Ministry of Defense also reported the capture of six tanks from the Islamic State and death of four IS’ figures; Abu Yousef al-Iraqi, Ibrahim Ramadan al-Sheikh, Abu Hudayfah al-Iraqi, and Mustafa Abdel Jabbar al-Saudi.

Civilians started returning to the town of Markada, three weeks after the Syrian Democratic Forces captured the town from the Islamic State. The civilians were allowed to return to their houses by the SDF, after the locality was completely cleared of the IS’ improvised explosive devices. At least 1000 individuals (200 families) returned to their homes in Markada.

Situation in the eastern part of Deir al-Zour. Source: Rr016

Damascus:

Syrian Arab Air Force conducted a dozen of air raids over the rebel-held parts of the East Ghouta. Director of the Information Office of the Syrian Civil Defense (The White Helmets), Abu Yamen said that nine people were killed and two wounded by two airstrikes on Madyara. Four airstrikes over Mesraba and Arbeen killed four civilians in two localities, according to Abu Yamen. Three civilians were reportedly wounded by airstrikes on Harasta.

Syrian Arab Army’s shelling of Douma reportedly killed five people and wounded 22 others, as well as caused material damage in the locality.

Islamic State’s sniper killed a fighter belonging to the Free Syrian Army’s Jaysh al-Ababil in Al-Tadamon neighborhood in the southern Damascus, according to the Amaq Agency.

Rebel “Daraa Martyrs Documentation Office” reported death of two Free Syrian Army’s fighters from Daraa, due to clashes with the Syrian Arab Army at the outskirts of Beit Jinn.

The city of Jaramana officially opened a street in the honor of the recently killed SAA‘s Major General Issam Zahreddine. The opening ceremony was attended by the current mayor of Jaramana, Nazif Sharafuddin and the former mayor, Tamer Kassam. The opened street is in the eastern part of Jaramana, in Al-Naseem neighborhood.

Iraq

Diyala:

Islamic State’s inghimasi (suicide fighters) launched an attack against Al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) positions in Al-Nahrawan area, south of Baqubah. According to the Amaq Agency, IS’ inghimasi killed 35 Al-Hashd al-Shaabi fighters.

Anbar:

Iraqi Joint Operations reported the capture of several villages from the Islamic State northeast of Rawa. Iraqi forces captured Al-Humaimah, Lihiji, Al-Baghailin, and Al-Watta villages spanning more than 740 square kilometers (285 square miles).

The commander of the Iraqi forces’ operation to clear Nineveh, Salah al-Deen and Anbar desertous areas from the Islamic State, Abdul Amir Rashid Yaar Allah announced the end of the first part of the second phase of the operation. The first part of the operation was the capture of the areas south of Al-Hadher and north of Rawa. During the first part of the operation, Iraqi forces captured 175 villages spanning 14100 square kilometers (5444 square miles) and destroyed five IS’ tanks and 18 SVBIEDs.

Baghdad:

Unknown gunmen assassinated Iraqi Army’s Captain Ahmed Salah al-Jarrah in front of his home in Al-Hurriya neighborhood of Baghdad.

Iraqi Security Forces in cooperation with the Drug Control Office in Al-Rusafa, arrested a group of individuals known for selling narcotics in Al-Rusafa district. During the apprehension of the individuals, security forces seized 141 various narcotic pills.

Afghanistan

Kunduz Province:

Director of the National Directorate of Security Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai, Minister of Interior Affairs Wais Ahmad Barmak, and the commander of the NATO-led Operation Resolute Support, General John William Nicholson Jr. arrived in Kunduz province today.

Baghlan Province:

Unknown gunmen reportedly killed a member of the US-UK funded Afghan Local Police and seized his weapon in Burka district.

Kabul Province:

Afghan Ministry of Defense stated that the Afghan National Security Forces, under the support of the artillery and the Afghan Air Force, launched nation-wide operations against the Taliban and IS forces. Operations were conducted in Nangarhar, Ghazni, Paktia, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Farah, Jowzjan, Faryab, Kunduz and Helmand provinces. Afghan Air Force conducted 11 regular and 15 special operations in support of the ANSF, targeting 20 hostile positions.

Nangarhar Province:

Taliban forces launched a raid against the Afghan National Police’s positions in Shawli Kala directorate, Surk Rod district. Taliban reportedly killed two policemen and destroyed a vehicle.

Afghan National Security Forces conducted operations in Nangarhar province and killed four Islamic State’s fighters,

Reports emerged about Taliban forces executing one of their commanders, Mouloui Shakur for allegedly having connections to the Islamic State. The execution took place in Sherzad district.

United States’ drone conducted a raid against the Islamic State’s position in Haska Meyna directorate, killing two IS’ fighters.

Logar Province:

Zabiullah Mujahid, the official spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) announced the capture of Khwaja Ismail checkpoint in Charkh district from the Afghan National Army. According to the Mujahid, seven ANA‘s soldiers were killed, including a commander, as well as several weapons seized. One Taliban fighter was killed in the attack.

Last night, Taliban forces launched an attack against the Afghan National Army’s positions in Waghjan area, Mohammad Agha district. Reports suggest that four soldiers were killed and five more wounded, as well as one tank and one vehicle destroyed.

Paktia Province:

Afghan National Security Forces conducted operations in Zurmat and Jaji (Ariub) districts, killing 15 and wounding eight Taliban fighters, destroying a vehicle, a motorcycle and several weapons and ammunition caches.

Farah Province:

Afghan National Security Forces killed two and wounded three Taliban fighters, as well as destroyed a vehicle in Bala Buluk district.

Paktika Province:

Infighting took place in Sharana, the capital of the province, between two groups of the Afghan National Police. The infighting started as a verbal dispute between a commander of a police battalion and the leader of the 1st Police Headquarters in Sharana. Three policemen were killed and 20 more wounded in the infighting.

CJTF-OIR:

Between the 24th and the 26th of November 2017 CJTF-OIR has conducted nine strikes in Syria. CJTF-OIR‘s main focus in Syria at the moment is Deir al-Zour-Albu Kamal region where they did two strikes supporting SDF‘s operations against IS destroying six IS vehicles and a headquarters.

Full report on CJTF-OIR strikes conducted in both Syria & Iraq can be found here.

Amaq Agency:

Other:

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