Islam Times - Fighting Beaks out between SAA and SDF in West Raqqa

Islam Times - Intense clashes have broken out between the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the western countryside of Al-Raqqa as the SAA attempted to cross SDF front-lines in order to rescue their fallen pilot but they were turned away by the latter.

This escalated in fierce fighting that is currently ongoing between the two entities near the key town of Resafa in western Al-Raqqa.
The pilot that was shot down by the US coalition was identified as ‘Ali Fahd, an officer in the Syrian Air Force from the city of Salamiyah in the eastern countryside of the Hama Governorate.
More details to come…
Elsewhere, Syrian and Iraqi Forces have finally met face-to-face at the Syrian-Iraqi border for the first time and this marks a tremendous turning point in their common struggle against Daesh terrorists.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) met with Iraqi Army and units of Al Hashd Al Shabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU), in an area between Al Tanf border crossing and the town of Abu Kamal.
They have so far managed to regain approx. 25,000 square kilometers of land in the Syrian Desert close to the Iraqi and Jordanian borders and Syrian and Iraqi forces will continue to cooperate until security alongside the entire border area is fully restored.
One of the commanders of the PMU said that they are awaiting for the “zero hour” to attack Daesh in the Syrian city of Abu Kamal in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, stressing that the group will coordinate with Syrian Army and its alliesand that the next major battle will be in Deir Ezzor.
The Iraqi forces took control of Al Waleed border crossing as well as several other important sites and control at least 75 km of the border.
Earlier, the Syrian Army reached the border north of Al Tanf border crossing controlled by the US and its proxy terrorists.
The Syrian Army managed to cut off all “moderate rebel” supply routes, between Jordanian border and the town of Lajat in central Syria and also took control of Talila Natural Reserve, located in the eastern countryside of Palmyra. The Syrian forces were aided by the Russian Air Force and Hezbollah.

The Syrian Army confirmed that ceasefire agreements are still in power and that the army units will try to do everything in their power to secure their interests, especially in the newly liberated areas. Operations will continue in the coming days with intensified support and coordination with the Russian and Iraqi allies.
Meanwhile, a Syrian military expert, Brigadier General Muhammed Issa said that the idea of President Bashar Assad's ousting had been abandoned by the Syrians amid the army's recent advance.
He said: "The plan of Bashar Assad's overthrow is completely impossible as the Syrian army is now as strong as ever." He added that the Syrian people are happy about that, while militants fear it as they are no longer advancing on the battlefield.
Commenting on the situation in al-Tanf in southern Syria, he said that the US is fortifying their forces and rebel allies in this area in order to have a more meaningful word in the negotiations on the future of Syria.
He said that he believes that the US bombings are related to a gas pipeline from the Persian Gulf to Europe and Turkey.
"The US missile attack is nothing more than a statement of its position on the creation of a Daesh quasi-state, which should appear along the Syrian-Iraqi border up to Jordan. According to the plot, this formation should cut Syria from Iraq and Iran and turn it into an insignificant small state in the Middle East. And through the territory of this quasi-state, a gas pipeline from Qatar and Saudi Arabia to Turkey and Europe must be laid," the Syrian expert noted.
Despite several US coalition attacks on Syrian forces, the Pentagon admitted that it does not have the right to prevent Syria and its allies from being stationed in al-Tanf.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Arab Army announced that the US-led anti-terrorist coalition had brought down its aircraft in southern Raqqa countryside as it was carrying out military tasks fighting the Daesh terrorist organization.
The ministry said: “Our aircraft was downed at lunch time today near the [Syrian] city of Raqqa, when it was fulfilling its mission against Daesh,” and added that the US-led coalition was responsible for downing the aircraft.
The ministry noted that the coalition’s “actions are aimed at halting the Syrian army and its allies in the fight against terrorism, whereas our army and allies make great progress.” The pilot of the aircraft has not been found to date.
The full statement by the general command of the army and the armed forces, is as follows:

The international coalition was called on to target one of our fighter planes in the south Raqqa region during its execution is a combat mission against Daesh in the area leading to the crash and loss of the pilot.
This blatant attack confirms beyond doubt the fact that the American position in support of terrorism is the object of an attempt to influence the ability of the Syrian Arab army to have the sole power of its allies to combat terrorism throughout the country’s territory. This attack comes at a time when the Syrian Arab army and its allies are making clear progress in fighting the terrorist organization of Daesh.
It also confirms the coordination between the US and the Daesh terrorist organization, and exposes the malicious intent of the US in the management and investment of terrorism to achieve its objectives on behalf of Zionist project in the region.
The General Leadership of the army and the armed forces warned of the grave consequences of this blatant attack on their counter-terrorism efforts and confirmed that such attacks will not cause them to falter in their determination to continue the war against Daesh and associated groups in order to restore security and stability to the entire territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) confirmed that they have launched a mid-range ballistic missile attack on terrorist positions in the Syrian province of Deir-Ezzor in retaliation for terrorist attacks in Tehran. The ground-to-ground mid-range ballistic missiles were fired from the western Iranian provinces of Kermanshah and Kurdistan into the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor.
The IRGC said: “The spilling of any innocent blood will not go unanswered.”
They targeted the bases and headquarters of terrorists that Iran believes to be responsible for the Tehran attacks and the missiles have reportedly killed large numbers of terrorists and inflicted significant material damage.
The terrorists targeted the Iranian capital on June 7 in a twin attack, with four armed assailants attacking the country’s parliament while a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum. Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 18 people and injured 50 others.
Elsewhere, the North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency accused the US of conducting a campaign of state terrorism in Syria, adding that Washington was hampering the Syrian government’s attempts to preserve the territorial integrity of the country.
“Due to the terrorist actions under the guise of a government, the United States is in the way of the Syrian government [attempts] to preserve the territorial integrity of the country. It is like a stumbling block, while Yankees' missiles and bombs kill innocent people in different parts of the world,” the North Korean state media outlet stated.
Russia has been supporting Damascus in its fight against terrorism since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011. It has been conducting an anti-terror aerial operation against Islamists since 2015. Moscow also carries out regular humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria.
The United States claims to be engaged in the anti-terror fight in Syria where it leads an international coalition fighting against Daesh, which is outlawed in both Russia and Syria.
However, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) insisted that US military activity in Syria was becoming more and more outrageous every day. It insists that the US is "the key element of international terrorism” and “destroys peace and security in the world."
While the group’s activity is condoned by the national government in Iraq, its activity in Syria are not authorized by the UN Security Council or the government of President Bashar Assad.