Syria - Fighting Rages in Deir Ezzor as Rebels Besiege Regime Positions 10-19-13 دير الزور : 19-10-2013 : اعنف الاشتباكات بين الحر والنظامي في قطاع المسمكة على اسوار المطار العسكري folllowing Syria News Analysis copied from http://iranian.com/posts/view/post/22820"2nd High Commander Killed in Deir Ezzor, Military Airport Under Attack FG3049 Open Posted 15 hours ago "It was only two days ago that Assad's military lost its top commander and a member of Assad's inner circlein Deir Ezzor. Today Hazim Al-Shaalam, commander to the National Defense Force has been critically wounded, reports Paradoxy. Fighting at the airport, led by ISSUS, is intense ( video below). When that falls, defenders elsewhere in the city cannot last long. The airport defenders include most trooops and pilots notorious for crimes against civilians so I doubt they will be offered the alternative of surrender. http://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2013/10/19/syria-deirezzor-johnyrocket69-fierce-firefight-at-the-military/ Yalla Souriya says the above video was apparently taken from west of the base and within range of of a nearby artillery base. Capturing the latter to ISSUS firepower down the road. Johnny Rocket offers this analysis of Syrian Army artillery forces: "SyAA arty can do massed fire, not so gud @ fixing & firing for effect & zip on Shoot & Scoot" to which Dave Tanaki responds, "they are trained in Russian scorched earth, haven't seen anything else out of them." I'd add that the entire regime strategy has pretty much been based on a scorched earth approach not very suited to an insurrection or to handling asymmetrical warfare. After Deir Ezzor has fallen I suspect most of the rebel force will move on to Palmyra, located near two major airbase and a huge supply base ISSUS hopes to grab. I think a smaller portiopn of victorious Deir Ezzor fighters will be dispatched to help finish up the battered 17th Division in Raqaa and seize Tabqa airport as well. Probably most fighters who remained with the 17th division instead of defecting are hard-core Alawites. I recall axious relatives back on the coast relatives demonstrating concerns about their fate. Incredible Video of Dead Regime Fighters: REGIME FORCES WERE COMPLETELY ANNIHILATED AT BATTLE FOR AL-SUKHNAH. Counting Al Safira, this is the second time this month the regime suffered such amazing casualties in a battle with the rebels. Noting this and considering the reports below, I cannot imagine the regime being succesful agains up to 40,000 rebels near Qalamoun if that figure is accurate. If it keeps losing fighters at this rate, it will be lucky to put together a platoon for offensive purposes. Al Sukhnah is almost half way between Deir Ezzor and Palmyra (Talmud). I don't think I've ever seen as many regime KIAs as in this video. A tsunami appears headed toward Palmyra and it will be even worse if Deir Ezzor falls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-XzUQh-TDo&feature;=youtube_gdata_player "

• published: 21 Oct 2013
• views: 351