Patrick Lang

23 hours ago | 2459 Comments

I have been examining the topography of the areas now held by the R+6 and IS in eastern Syria. There are not very good maps for this but the ones available on Google Earth and Google Maps are good enough. They show topographic terrain and the back roads.

I agree with TTG that the Tiger Forces Group under Suheil (the Stonewall of Syria) will be committed on the main axis of advance.  Other axes will be used to fix the IS fighters in position making it nearly impossible for them to maneuver against the main axis of advance.

Possible axes of advance:

1.  From possible positions east of al-tanf toward al bu kamal, and from al bu kamal north along the river road to deir al-zor.  This advance will be opposed by IS forces in position to defend al bu kamal and the road north where the road runs through population centers held by IS and presumably fortified by them.

2.  R+6 now hold the line of the ithria-rasafa highway.  There is the possibility of advance to the east from the rasafa area to the Euphrates River and thence south along the west bank to deir- al-zor.  This axis has the disadvantage of exposure of the left flank of the column and its line of supply to the SDF/YPG forces who at this point cannot be considered "friendly" by the R+6.

http://russia-insider.com/en/military/syrian-army-headed-deir-ez-zo...