SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
'Victory is near,' Syria's Assad tells troops
Damascus, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2018
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told his troops on Wednesday they were close to winning the country's seven-year war after inflicting a succession of defeats on rebels.

Early last year, government forces held just 17 percent of national territory but a series of blistering offensives has since forced the rebels out of many of their strongholds, putting Assad's government back in control of nearly two-thirds of the country.

"Our date with victory is near," Assad wrote in an open letter to the rank and file.

"They (the rebels) were ultimately forced to leave -- humiliated, rolled back, their tails between their legs -- after you gave them a taste of bitter defeat."

Much of the territory was recaptured without any ground fighting as the rebels reluctantly agreed to leave their bombed out enclaves in Russian-protected convoys.

The army has been bolstered in its offenisves by Russian air strikes, Iranian military advisers and militiamen from Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Government troops are now moppinging up the remaining rebel pockets in the south, and last week Assad promised a similar offensive against the rebels' last major stronghold -- Idlib province in the northwest.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Bearings Used in Space Technologies: Engineering for the Final Frontier
Orbex advances as UK contender in ESA launcher competition
K2 Space validates satellite systems in orbit and fires record-breaking thruster

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Ultrasound triggers nuclear decay anomaly hinting at flexible space-time
AI system accelerates aircraft concept design using language models
Autonomous sub explores unexplored trench depths to reveal critical mineral clues

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
PLD Space selected as leading contender for ESA sovereign launch initiative
UK opens competitive bid for GBP 75 million orbital cleanup mission
Boeing wins major contract to deliver new generation strategic comms satellites

24/7 News Coverage
UK thermal satellite firm wins ESA contract to deliver real time climate and security insights
Glacier retreat could drive a surge in volcanic eruptions worldwide
Beyond male dominance in primates new study redefines gender power roles



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.