Largely unbeknownst to the West, a critical battle for what is left of Aleppo (see pictures), once Syria's largest city, is raging between rebel forces and Assad's crumbling army, which in recent months has been reinforced with "crack" Iranian Quds troops. Notwithstanding Russian bombing runs, the Iranian expeditionary force suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the rebels several weeks ago, and Putin has rushed T-90 tanks with Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor to Assad's 4th Mechanized Division to change the tide of battle.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is boosting supplies, including advanced anti-tank missiles, to the rebels. Moreover, after a Turkish F-16 downed a Russian Su-24 tactical bomber which strayed into Turkish air space (the Su-24 didn't stand a chance) and Erdogan refused to apologize, Turkey has also been increasing supplies to the rebels.
Can Russian T-90s withstand American-made TOWs? Stay tuned. Although Israel doesn't have a dog in this fight, it has a lot to learn from the outcome.
[Was Gen. Qassem Suleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds force, severely wounded in the battle for Aleppo? As reported yesterday by the National Council of Resistance of Iran:
"According to reports from inside the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Qassem Suleimani, the notorious commander of the terrorist Qods Force, has suffered severe shrapnel wounds, including in the head, while at Aleppo’s southern front two weeks ago.
Qassem Suleimani’s vehicle that was there for him to oversee an operation by the revolutionary guards and a number of hired forces was targeted by the Free Syrian Army severely injuring Suleimani.
. . . .
The IRGC counterintelligence section has imposed severe restrictions to prevent any leakage of information of Soleimani being wounded and has ordered all hospital personnel to refrain from answering any questions in this regard. The Iranian regime is worried that the news on Soleimani’s injury would cause a complete collapse of moral of the IRGC forces and the militias in Syria. Even now, the revolutionary guards are quite frightened and anxious due to the large number of casualties they have suffered in the past couple of months in Syria."
If true (Fars News is saying that it's not the case), it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.]
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