Stephen Lendman

On Friday, Syria’s military, along with allied forces, announced it reached Iraqi border areas northeast of al-Tanf - taking control after eliminating pockets of terrorist fighters in the area.

Commander of Russian forces in Syria General Sergey Surovikin said “(t)he offensive along the western bank of the Euphrates is gaining momentum in the northeast of the Aleppo province.”

“Units of the Syrian armed forces and people’s militia have driven out militants of ISIL from…Maskanah, Ramtan, Shatna and approached the city of Tabqa.”

“They have gained control of the Jira airport, which has strategic importance.” In the last month alone, Russian warplanes carried out 1,268 sorties, destroying 3,200 terrorist facilities.

Government forces are advancing in other areas, including the eastern Qalamoun mountains and strategic heights near Palmyra, expanding safe zones around the Damascus/Palmyra highway and Tiyas airbase.

Control over the Shaer gas field was established, along with Syria’s border with Jordan, a major accomplishment.

It closes off an avenue for US-backed terrorists to enter southern Syria through the Hashemite Kingdom, complicit with Washington’s aggression on the Syrian Arab Republic.

General Surovikin announced what happened, saying “(a)s part of the advance of the Syrian army and militia on Daesh’s positions, control over 105 kilometers of the Syrian-Jordanian border has been restored.”

“The efforts of government forces on establishing full control over the Syrian-Jordanian border and the border with Iraq continue.”

A day earlier article quoted Surovikin, saying US-led coalition forces are undermining anti-terrorism operations by “striking the Syrian military (and) allowing IS militants to leave encircled areas unhindered.”

“The coalition air forces and the (terrorists they support, masquerading as moderate rebels) blocked the way of the government forces, tasked with defeating (ISIS).”

“This is a violation of the sovereign right of Syria to protect it borders.” It’s a flagrant breach of international law.

Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are on the side of the angels, aiding Syrian forces combat terrorism - America and its rogue allies their enemies, supporting the scourge they claim to oppose.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at http://www.sjlendman.blogspot.com.