How a 4-Hour Battle Between Russian Mercenaries and U.S. Commandos Unfolded in Syria

[Gerald]

WASHINGTON — The artillery barrage was so intense that the American commandos dived into foxholes for protection, emerging covered in flying dirt and debris to fire back at a column of tanks advancing under the heavy shelling. It was the opening salvo in a nearly four-hour assault in February by around 500 pro-Syrian government forces — including Russian mercenaries — that threatened to inflame already-simmering tensions between Washington and Moscow.

In the end, 200 to 300 of the attacking fighters were killed. The others retreated under merciless airstrikes from the United States, returning later to retrieve their battlefield dead. None of the Americans at the small outpost in eastern Syria — about 40 by the end of the firefight — were harmed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/w...ies-syria.html

A tough mission to ISIS and pro-Syrian government forces.

[Jimbuna]

Broken link.

[Gerald]

This is all I get,works out for me.https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/w...ies-syria.html

Maybe there are something mess in UK.

[Skybird]

Link works for me. Worrying development, although the risk for such a direct confrontaiton always was there.

The good thign about killing Russian mercenaries is that Russia cannot easily retaliate without admitting - by retaliating - that those mercs were more than just neutral mercs unlinked to the Kremlin and Russian defence ministry.

That the US seems to need giving away quite some info about its electronic capabilities and counter-jamming to Russian efforts to jam them into the ground, cannot be liked. The question is whether Syria is worth this loss of strategic intel. There is a reason why players folding in poker, fold their cards covered without revealing them.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Link works for me.

All sorted....damn fine ad blocker

[Rockstar]

Commanders of the rival militaries had long steered clear of the other by speaking through often-used deconfliction telephone lines. In the days leading up to the attack, and on opposite sides of the Euphrates River, Russia and the United States were backing separate offensives against the Islamic State in Syria’s oil-rich Deir al-Zour Province, which borders Iraq

C'mon now, It's never really has been about that has it? It's about regime change for, or against Assad and Iran.

IMO all this 'steering clear' just made it easier to jockey for a better position to carry out this attack on 40 U.S. soldiers. IMO if this pro-Assad attack was successful it would have most certainly persuaded our politicians to end any U.S. involvement over there. Frankly, I'm glad the attackers were decimated with such overwhelming firepower. Such a reaction sends a very powerful message. BIG SALUTE to all involved, just dont get cocky.


"Your primary weapons system now is your attitude, always be ready to fight and win, there is no room for complacency." - United States Secretary of Defense and former United States Marine Corps general James Mattis in his recent speech to the 2018 Air Force Academy graduating class.