Syria Update: Splitting Jobar from Zamalka (Part 8)

Syria Update: Splitting Jobar from Zamalka (Part 8)
November 16, 2013


The long-awaited storming of the high-rise buildings in Jobar neighborhood of Damascus City was followed by the Syrian army assault troops moving deeper into the militants’ defense positions, separating them away from their defense lines in Zamalka. Securing their positions in the area immediately adjacent to the newly recaptured strategic high-rise buildings, the Syrian army soldiers began their decisive battle for control of the city’s South Ring Road.

Now, the militant fire coming from the nearby buildings of the residential area posed the main threat to the Syrian army troops. Syrian army battle tanks were actively engaging enemy in that direction by methodically delivering preemptive strikes against militant positions there.

Simultaneously, the tanks were providing armor and fire cover to the infantrymen on the move to their respective points of entry. Multiple underground passageways made that area particularly dangerous by connecting the remaining militant-held residential district houses into one heavily fortified defense area. The tanks’ mission was to provide suppressive fire against the enemy and prevent the militants from opening fire on the Syrian army troops. All the while, the infantrymen were relaying target data to the tanks.

Syrian soldier: “Aim the barrel beneath the red cask. Good for you! Good for you! Hero!”

The tanks’ crewmembers were certainly taking risk by staying on in one spot for so long, as an anti-tank missile could come from Zamalka direction at any moment. However, they had to do so in order to provide cover to their comrades.

While one of the tanks was firing, another one was covering the reload.

Syrian soldier: “Repeat fire once more! See, those barricades over there? Strike there! Go on! Fire!”

The leader tank started moving forward. It approached the building close up and fired off.

Syrian soldier: “Come on, Wasim! Hurry up! Stop! Take a bit to the right! Strike! Do not let them pop out! Wasim, are you all right? Then, move it to the right! Stop! Fire!”

Infantry reinforcement group moved out to support the assaulting troops.

Syrian soldier: “Repeat fire, once more! You did hit the barricade, right on. Repeat fire so they don’t go away! Fire!”

Having fulfilled its mission, one of the tanks began to roll out, leaving the battlefield. However, the moment the infantrymen had spotted some militant movement, the tank rolled in again, moving forward.

One infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) arrived bringing ammunition and equipment to the soldiers, who were busy securing the area.

During those 20 seconds that we were rushing across 80 meters of open space towards one of those high-rise buildings, it was strangely incredible how easy it was to do. Shortly before that, several Syrian army soldiers had been killed in order to get there. Now, it took us just 20 seconds to get inside this high-rise building.

As soon as they got inside the building, the SAA soldiers started fortifying their positions, in case the militants launched a counter attack.

“That is the tunnel that connected these two buildings. Most probably, there is also an underground passageway, leading to al-Arabie.”

Syrian soldier: “Go ahead, Hussein! They are sitting around in that house.”

The soldiers were overwhelmed with joy because of such a rapid assault.

Inside the building, there are traces of the militants’ having being there shortly before – an improvised kitchen place, 2-meter-deep barricades, and their observation point.

Syrian soldier: “Move forward and a little to the left! Crash down that three-storied house! They are in there.”

Two- and three-storied houses in this residential area have now become a major source of enemy threat to all of us. One of the tanks moved out to provide cover. A four-round salvo by the tank had transformed the local skyline. Now, from under that brick heap, nobody would be able to shoot at us.

We moved along. Following alongside the troops, I finally approached the area, where the hidden entrance to the tunnel, running from this high-rise building, had been located earlier.

Syrian soldier: “There is an underground passageway here that leads to Zamalka. It has a passage out of the tunnel half way through, to strike in the back. Be careful. It is very dangerous here. Film it fast and we must get away from here. Just pop out the camera alone, that’s all.

For safety reasons, I could film just the entrance to the tunnel. The area around it was said to have been turned into a minefield by the militants. It was very dangerous to be there at that moment and Syrian army soldiers were eager to take me away from that spot.

As an additional reminder of the dangerous character of the place there, several burned-out carcasses of armored vehicles were standing stuck nearby. Some of those heavy vehicles were said to have belonged to the militants, who used to brag by posting videos with them.

Syrian army troops continued securing the area in and around the high-rise buildings by fortifying their defense positions. Meanwhile, some of the infantrymen began entering the houses of the residential area and they needed tank fire support. The tanks promptly moved forward.

SAA Logistic Services did know their business well, too. An IFV delivering food supplies along with the ammunition had proved the age-old axiom that you cannot keep you soldiers hungry.

Militant sniper power from Zamalka, still kept areas between the high-rise buildings under enemy control. However, we had to cross that open space in order to get on to the other side of the street. We decided to sprint-cover that distance by rushing across the street all together at once thus making militant sniper’s task of picking a target somewhat more complex. One of the tanks fired a cover shot, which also played the role of the firestart pistol signal to us. Syrian army Captain proved his excellent fitness, as usual.

Meanwhile, the leading assault troops were already fighting deeper inside the residential area. The infantrymen moved on to support the offensive.

Inside this high-rise building, the ground was strewn with casings of ammunition, including hand-held 90 mm M79 OSA anti-tank rocket launchers and Molotov cocktails, used by the militants.

Unfortunately, a landmine that had been planted by the militants killed several SAA soldiers. Two soldiers died. Five more were wounded.

After mortar shelling the militants’ defenses, the Syrian army soldiers took me away from the frontline positions. Shortly after that, SAA sappers detonated several landmines, planted in the area by the militants.

This operation, which was aimed at separating the militant defense lines in Jobar from the militants’ defense area in Zamalka, is over. The active phase of the high-rise buildings assault by the SAA troops had lasted only 40 minutes. Despite their vows, the militants were unable to put up any credible military resistance. Next step, the Syrian army will be cutting militant defense lines in Jobara neighborhood in order to wipe out the remaining militant groups there.



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