ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

A Syrian Democratic Forces female fighter stands with her weapon east of Raqqa city, Syria March 26, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said On April 18, 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the establishment of the Raqqa Civil City Council. They made this announcement on a meeting in Ayn Issa village north of Raqqa. According to Kurdish officials, the Raqqa Civil Council includes representatives of Kurdish and Arab tribes from Raqqa province. The council is fully under the control of the Kurdish self-administration, in which the Kurds are an absolute majority. In the official statement, “the participants decided to establish a Civil Council that will ensure the administration of the province after liberation through its specialized committees in the field of social justice, services, security, protection, education, health, media, youth and women. And they elected Sheikh Mahmoud al-Bursan and Miss Leila Mustafa for the joint presidency along with three deputies”. After its f

FILE IMAGE Turkish sources spoke of the imminent launch of a new operation in northern Syria directed this time against the Kudish PKK and YPG in the Afrin area north of Aleppo. According to Turkish sources, the first goal of the operation will be Tel Rif’at town in the north-eastern Aleppo countryside, and Meng air base, and will later include the northern areas of Afrin. Several media reports claimed that the number of Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters who will participate in the upcoming Turkish operation is 20,000. Previous reports suggested that the number will be 7,000 which makes more sense as 20,000 seems to be an exaggerated figure. However, media outlets have not provided any real sources for these numbers. On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu in Istanbul. According to unconfirmed reports, the two sides might have talked about the upcoming military operation in north Aleppo in addition to the S-400 deal. Tho

Just days before Trump’s meeting with the Chinese president in Hamburg later this week for the G-20 summit, the Trump administration sent a guided-missile destroyer near Triton Island in the South China Sea,  Bloomberg reported , a move “which may cause concern ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart.” According to an anonymous official cited by Bloomberg, the U.S. Navy sent the destroyer USS Stethem within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of Triton Island on Sunday, passing through the contested waters on the basis of “innocent passage.” The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem It was the second such operation conducted by the US during Donald Trump’s presidency. On May 24, the US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Dewey, came within 12 miles of the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, another disputed archipelago that lies in the southern part of the South China Sea. At that time, the Chinese Defense Ministry also sent

Pro-government forces, led by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Tiger Forces, have fully expelled ISIS terrorists from the area east of the Khanasir-Ithriyah road. Initially, the Tiger Forces took control over the entire Ithriyah-Resafa road, including the Habbari oil field and nearby points. Then, after a series of firefights with ISIS terrorists, government troops cleared the remaining ISIS-held pocket in eastern Aleppo. With this advance, the SAA shortened the frontline with ISIS in the area and got a useful supply line to its strong point of Resafa. In the current situation, government forces will likely develop momentum against ISIS terrorists east of Salamiyah. If the SAA and its allies secure the road between Salamiyah and Palmyra, they will further shorten the frontline and repel any possible ISIS counter-attack on the Tiyas Airbase that may threaten the supply lines of government forces operating against ISIS east of Palmyra. Faylaq Al-Rahman has followed the White House’s advi

Click to see the full-size image According to unconfirmed reports, the Syrian military has received a unknown number of Russian-made BMPT Terminator combat vehicles. The vehicles will be allegedly used during the upcoming advance on Deir Ezzor. If confirmed, this will be the first usage of the Russian-made armoured vehicle in a combat environment. A BMPT Terminator combat vehicle allegedly received by the Syrian military: Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image

Winds of Change The famous “Assad curse” has a corollary that states whoever says “Poroshenko must stay” is likewise not long for this political world. After all, the forcible regime change in Ukraine was part and parcel of the same strategy that has driven the wars in Libya, Syria, and elsewhere. Therefore if Western leaders who are responsible for these conflicts are being ousted, not only is it not good news for the jihadis in Syria, it also means the Ukrainian neo-nazis’ days are likewise drawing to a close. Poroshenko’s recent trips to United States and France were likely calculated to gauge the level of support his administration can still count on in the changed political environment. While we, as members of the public, are not privy to what was said behind closed doors, the external indicators are that Poroshenko has not received what he came for. The meeting with Trump was extremely brief, took place during a break during Trump’s briefing with other senior administra

Lebanese army soldiers. Al-Akhbar/Marwan Tahtah On Saturday, the Lebanese Military Intelligence arrested Ahmed Khaled Diab, known as “Ahmed Abu al-Seek” in the vicinity of Arsal town. Abu al-Seek is a member of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and was involved in the attack on the Lebanese Army forces in Mahaniat Arsal in 2014. Abu al-Seek confessed that he had participated in the killing of the colonel in the Lebanese Army, Noureddine al-Jamal. Moreover, Palestinian forces in Ein al-Hilweh camp handed over to the Lebanese Army the terrorist, Khaled Masaad, known as “Al-Sayyid”. Al-Sayyid is accused of plotting a series of terrorist attacks during the holy month of Ramadan in the cities of Beirut and Sidon. The wanted terrorist was handed over to the Lebanese Army at the checkpoint of Al-Hilweh camp south of Sidon City. Meanwhile, the Hezbollah media wing in Syria announced that a group of Israeli Army troops along Merkava tanks, 5 Humvees and a military jeep penetrated the withdr

FILE IMAGE The Hezbollah media wing in Syria announced on Saturday that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) managed to secure the entire Al-Baath city in the Quneitra countryside and restore all areas that it had lost to terrorists. The army restored the last two points in western Al-Baath that had been under the control of Haya’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) militants and its allies in the Free Syrian Army (FSA), after violent clashes with them. Meanwhile, The Israeli military announced that a shell fired from the Syrian side landed in the Israeli-controlled territory. In turn, Israel conducted military strikes on the SAA near Naba’a Al-Fuar in Qaunitra countryside. During the HTS-led attack in the province, Israel had repeatedly claimed that its territory were targeted from Syria and had carried out several airstrikes on SAA defenses in Al-Baath. Initially, HTS and its allies in FSA in the operation room “Jaysh Muhammad” managed – with the support from the Israeli Air Force – to control