Syria Update: Pressing the militants away...

Syria Update: Pressing the militants deep into the blocks away from the roads. (Part 2)
(translation)

Another day of fighting in Syria was marked with attempts to oust the main forces of Al-Qaeda’s Al Nusra Front combatants deeper into Jobar neighborhood of Damascus and further away from The 6th Tishreen Highway thus driving the militants even further away from Damascus downtown.

Syrian army tanks entered the battle first. They began with engaging the disclosed militants’ positions with crossfire from both flanks. After having suppressed the enemy’s fire, the tanks provided fire cover for the infantry troops moving out. After the troops had secured their position, the tanks started moving forward to provide fire support to the troops on the ground.

The head tank had suddenly hit a shaped charge explosive device, which is a kind of an armor piercing landmines used against tanks and armored personnel carriers. The heavy 30 seconds of wait ensued when one does not know what happened. That was a wait equal to several hours. Fortunately, the tank commander and gunner were seen a bit later to be alive and running away from the tank. They managed to get out of the burning tank and dodge the enemy sniper and machine gun fire.

The tank was left with its first gear stuck on and continued moving forward towards the militants’ positions. The other tanks followed the damaged tank risking to be ambushed by enemy fire but hoping that the first tank’s driver was alive but wounded and could not get out. They covered the damaged tank from getting finished off by the terrorist grenade launchers.

The left flank tank also moved out to save the driver of the damaged tank. The militants were watching the troops movements all of this time waiting for a moment to hit.

Recovery vehicle also moved closer to the tank engulfed in flames. The recovery vehicle’s driver managed to hook the damaged tank up, in spite of the imminent danger of being hit by a sniper bullet. He tried to tow the tank away but the tank’s transmission was blocked so it would not even move.

It became apparent that the 20 year old driver inside the tank was killed. The other tanks’ crewmembers had done everything possible to save their friend. Hassan, the damaged tank’s driver, was young in his 20 but he had come under enemy fire in his tank many times before. He would always keep his composure. He was known to be a peaceful and brave man.

Having waited until one of the tanks showed up alone on the road within the range of fire the militants fired an RPG missile at it. The tank’s reactive armor saved it from any damage and the tank promptly returned fire, as the tank’s crewmembers had spotted the firing mark.

As soon as the tanks had left the alley, the militants crept out on to their positions and the Syrian army snipers and machine gunners at this moment had their own job to do shooting off the bandits. A little later, one of the Syrian army tanks moved on to suppress the enemy positions again.

In the course of that day, several RPG missiles hit the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles engaged in the battle but all of the vehicles remained in the ranks upon being hit.


Contributors: Marat Musin, Vasily Pavlov, Igor Nadyrshin, Victor Kuznetsov, Andrey Filatov.

ANNA-News.