Syria Update: Securing the South Ring Road

Syria Update: Securing the South Ring Road
November 22, 2013


After completing the initial stage of the operation, aimed at separating the militants’ defense lines in Jobar from the militant defense area in Zamalka, Syrian army proceeded securing the area immediately adjacent to the strategic high-rise buildings, which had been recaptured the day before.

Situated to the southeast of Damascus city, that important position, overseeing the city’s South Ring Road, was used by the army troops to move deeper into the surrounding area in order to cut encircled militant defense lines in Jobar neighborhood and subsequently wipe out the remaining militant groups there.

Today, the primary mission of the Syrian army is to push the terrorists away from the South Ring Road. Syrian army troops used their newly secured firing points to suppress any movement detected in the houses of the residential sprawl.

One of the militants’ snipers was trying to detect our position and continued firing upon our building, across all the levels.

We followed the Syrian army commanding officers to visit the infantrymen, who had taken their positions in the very thick of the predominantly residential sprawl. The outer walls of the disfigured dwelling houses were bearing the marks of destruction and multiple bullet holes, a vivid testimony to the level of intensity of the ongoing urban warfare down here.

When inside, one of the Syrian army officers remarked, passing by a couple of thin metal bars that were propping the ceiling: “We used them to reinforce the ceiling to make sure it does not collapse because of the mortars shells”. “See, all that was built by the militants; we have seized it and used, afterwards”, he added, pointing at the massive loads of sandbags, piled up alongside the walls and partitions of the heavily fortified rooms of what used to be a dwelling house.

Not so long ago, one had to speak in whisper around here in order to make sure that the militants did not open fire at the sound of your voice. But even today, one had to be careful. Militant snipers, positioned in neighboring Zamalka, were still controlling open spaces between the houses in this area.

We were making our way through heaps of rubble and chunks of broken concrete. It was hard to believe that some time ago that was someone else’s home.
The commanding officers had arrived in person to observe the directions of the planned attack, which would be carried out by the Syrian battle tanks. They were discussing their future actions with the infantrymen.

“Easy, easy, easy! The militants are close!” Stepping carefully amid the concrete rubble and covering open spaces in leaps, the senior commanding officers moved on along with one of the infantry leaders, trying to come as close as possible to the frontline. The officer was speaking in hardly audible low voice, “What is it that you need to be done here?” The infantry leader replied in soft voice, reinforcing his whispered request with impassioned hand gestures, “It is necessary that the tank destroys this position. They have a barricade over there. It has to be brought down. They are afraid of tanks. We will use that moment then and launch the offensive”.

The day before, these high-rise buildings were in control of Al-Nusra Front militants. Today, the Syrian army troops were using them to fire upon the terrorists, who had taken their positions in the houses of the residential area nearby. I followed the SAA Captain to get to the elevated position used for reconnaissance purpose. When we had arrived, I could not get rid of a strange sensation as if I was the target on a firing range. There was not a single corner there that could not be seen from at least one direction where the militant positions were situated. Besides, the partitions there were useless as a cover from a sniper bullet. However, the SAA commanding officers were not paying any attention to such trifles as they were working on their future assault plans. A thoroughly planned attack would save soldiers’ lives.

The four-storied building across from our position was still in control of the militants. Down in the residential sector, the SAA troops were mere meters away from the militants there.

The militants had strung out carpets across certain alleyways to conceal their movements from the SAA troops. The Captain was giving out target data now and Syrian army machine-gunners were firing at the nearby structures trying to disrupt the militants’ communications.
The SAA battle tanks were the first to move in.

Captain: “Move closer. To the left. A little bit further. Further. Move forward. Forward, again. Stop. Take to left, to the left!”

The SAA soldiers reported a militant firing point in. Target data was relayed to the tank crewmembers followed by a strike by the tank.

Captain: “Friendly forces are to the right. The militants are to the left. Fire upon the first house. Fire upon that house. I see movement there. Fire at them.” The tank fired a shot. “Good, good for you!”

Captain: “The tanks are rolling back. That is it. Come back! The second tank, put up the smoke screen. Now! Get the smoke screen, second tank! That is it! We are moving out. Out!”

Having carried out their mission, the tanks were moving out of the battle area. The infantry units secured eight houses, thus taking hold of yet another frontline of the militants’ defenses.




Contributors: Andrey Filatov, Victor Kuznetsov, Igor Nadyrshin, Marat Musin.
ANNA-News, Damascus.