What’s changed in Syrian army’s action?

Russia’a entrance to Syrian «chess board» influenced all players without exception which led to significant change of governnmental forces’ tactics.

Taking into account endless terrorist reinforcements proliferating through neighbouring state borders — first of all through the Turkish border — Syrian armed forces could do nothing more but maintain their positions before Russia's entrance. Armoured vehicles employment did not give governmental forces any strategical advantages being leveld out by vast antimech supplies to terrorists’; the antimech supplied to the terrorists are mostly american-made.

The mostly used is TOW complex — it is not modern but quite effective against tanks and other armoured vehicles of the Syrian Arab Army.

Russia’s and its airborne strategic presence allowed to improve Syrian armed forces tactics significantly adjusting it to the current circumstances. Just like new high-precision reconnaissance and targeted assets allow Syrian military to employ new, more effective tactis to smash terrorists. Coordination of unmanned aviation assets, which were recently provided to SAA, with artillery allowed the latter to enhance its fire capacity and precision. Tanks are much less «blind» now.

SAA advance is launched after artillery and airstrikes as well as afte  spec op aimed at filed commanders liquidation, sabotage attacks against terorists’ infrastructure: communication and command systems, adminstration and supplies systems. Informational and propaganda events usually precede Syrian army liberating the territories occuppied by terrorists. All of this due to precision weapons and distant reconnaissance combined with psychologic activities including informing residents of the forthcoming activiy which allows them to leave advance zone.

In this context separate terrorists could be allowed to mix up with the civilians to leave impact area — strategic «humanitarian» projects are more important than tactical efficiency. In this case civilians’ safety comes first.

Increased amount of control over operative situation in combat zone allows to employ wide range of tactical options. Sometimes after the Syrian armed forced occuppied some town they make semblance of retreat to provoke terrorists to active actions or attack attempt.

All terrorists’ movements are being tracked. In case they are bunched up in some area they are hit with precision airstrike or artillery strike.

Groups trying to regain Atshan and Sukaik to the north of Hama were destroyed just like that as well as the group attempted to regain Jub al-Ahmar in the mountains to the north of Latakia governorate.

As for big towns they are being isolated by controlling dominant hills and road junctions.

However these tactics is better for flat terrain. In the mountains Syrian army advantages in reconaissance and fire support significantly decline. That is why governmental forces generally have a stake in fishing the terrorists out to the plains to destroy them or at least push back into Turkey or other neighbouring countries.

There are still certain problems: Turkey has recently limited terrorists movements and even started to mine some sectors on the Turkish-Syrian border to prevent terrorists from returning to Turkey.

In general the tactics of the SAA is approaching to smart confrontation between independent state and terror groups backed by foreign forces.

SAA opposes reconaissance enhanced capabilities to those traditionally strong points of the terrorists ilke secrecy, abcense of consolidated command center and lavish weapons supplies. General changes on Syrian fronts allow hitting masked and moving targets without exposing land forces.

It is generally believed that the entire positive dynamics will yield results in the nearest time by the new Syrian territories liberation.

Ibrahim Abu, Syrian military expert, exclusively for «Russian Spring».