ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

FILE PHOTO On March 27, Syrian government forces launched a military operation against the ISIS terrorist group in the northeastern part of the Sweida province. The Syrian Arab Army and the National Defense Forces reprotedly captured Al Masiydah, Al Asfar, Al-Saqiyah, Al-Janinah and Shinwan and other sites in the area. AlMasdarNews reported that the Syrian military had gained control over about 300km2. However, this still has to be confirmed. Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army and allied elements continued own advance against ISIS terrorists in the same area, recapturing the villages of Shunwan, Beir Al Awra, Beir Al Qunyat, Rajm, Al Dawla and Al Asfar. This “pro-opposition” map shows the military situation in northeastern Sweida (It does not show the recent government gains): Click to see the full-size map

A media activist, M. Dozê , released photos from the Tabqa Airbase that had been captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the ISIS terrorist group in the province of Raqqah. Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image

On March 27, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) further advanced against ISIS terrorists in the countryside of the ancient city of Palmyra. According to Hezbollah’s media wing in Syria, the SAA and the NDF captured the Marbat Antar Mountain, the Dhalil mountain and the Hid Mountain north and northwest of Palmyra. At the same time, government forces don’t develop a large advance in the direction of the Arak town east of Palmyra. However, clashes in are ongoing for control over checkpoints in the area. Click to see the full-size map

FILE IMAGE The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) reportedly recaptured another village – Kafr Amim – from the joint militant forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the northern countryside of Hama. According to reports, the SAA and the NDF launched an advance in the area earlier today and since then were able to break up Jaysh al-Izza and Abnaa al-Sham defenses successfully and to regain some points south of Maardeh. In general, Jaysh al-Izza and Abnaa al-Sham fighters are less motivated than their counterparts from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The advance followed the liberation of Maazraf from militants earlier today . The advance in Maazraf was officially confirmed by the Syrian Defense Ministry . Click to see the full-size map. Source: @v4st0/Twitter

By Patrick Buchanan Devin Nunes just set the cat down among the pigeons. Two days after FBI Director James Comey assured us there was no truth to President Trump’s tweet about being wiretapped by Barack Obama, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Trump may have had more than just a small point. The U.S. intelligence community, says Nunes, during surveillance of legitimate targets, picked up the names of Trump transition officials during surveillance of targets, "unmasked" their identity, and spread their names around, virtually assuring they would be leaked. If true, this has the look and smell of a conspiracy to sabotage the Trump presidency, before it began. Comey readily confirmed there was no evidence to back up the Trump tweet. But when it came to electronic surveillance of Trump and his campaign, Comey, somehow, could not comment on that. Which raises the question: What is the real scandal here? Is it that Russians hacked the DNC and John Podesta’s emai

FILE IMAGE. Source: @RozanaFM/Twitter The ISIS-linked media outlet “Amaq” reported that the Tabqa dam north of Raqqa is on the verge collapse after US airstrikes that took place last evening and this morning. A statement by Amaq The organization claimed that a US airstrike targeted the electricity station that is part of the dam. As a result the dam went out of service and all of the dam’s gates shut automatically. The water level is increasing. According to ISIS, maintenance crews are unable to reach the electric station because of intense artillery strikes. A source among the dam workers informed Al-Mayadeen Channel that the dam was indeed closed because of damage suffered from airstrikes. Spokesman for the SDF denied reports about airstrikes in the area. 13 h Lizzie Phelan   @LizziePhelan 1. SDF spox Tilal Silo: International coalition didn't strike  # Tabqa  dam, no damage to it. Air drops of fighters were made to avoid this...  Follow Lizzie Phe

Iraqi security forces (ISF) declared control over the Badush Dam west of Mosul. Separately, ISF continued its operations against ISIS at the eastern bank of the Tigris liberating Al-Urouba and Sina’a districts. Fierce clashes continued in the Rajm al-Hadid district in western Mosul where ISIS allegedy destroyed two Iraqi armored bulldozer. ISIS terrorists also downed an ISF drone over Al-Siha district. The Iraqi Federal Police shelled the remaining district under ISIS control in western Mosul with mortar shells. At least 4,800 civilians have been killed since the launch of the Mosul offensive according to the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR). Click to see the full-size map From its side, ISIS claimed to have launched an attack on the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) south of the Tal Afar Airport. However, the terrorist group has achieved no gains so far. ISIS also launched an attack in the vicinity of the Ain Al-Baydah village near Shirqat south of Mosul.  Fo

On March 26, members of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist organization launched a new attack on the loyalist stronghold of Qamhana in Northern Hama trying to capture it for the second time after their first assault resulted in a failure. Unfortunately for terrorists, the second assault failed again resulting in no gains as predicted by SouthFront earlier . There are 1,000 Tiger fighters from the town’s local population defending the home city. Violent clashes continue in Breidij, al-Mugheer, Kafr Nabbudah front, al-Bana, and Tal al-Sakura villages where units from the Syrian Armed Forces supported by local fighters are repelling several waves of assaults by HTS-led forces. The Syrian Army artillery took no break as it bombarded insurgent positions and fortifications on Ma’arzaf front. As a result, a large influx of killed and injured rebels flooded into the rebel field hospitals in Kafar Zita, according to local sources. HTS targeted a civilian building in Mahardeh with 23mm ca