Air Strikes by VKS & SyAAF, 15 June 2017 - UPDATED
The night from 14 to 15 June was very quiet: not a single air strike was launched and even Hama’s ‘early morning helicopter’ was left out…
The night from 14 to 15 June was very quiet: not a single air strike was launched and even Hama’s ‘early morning helicopter’ was left out. Instead, the first registered movement was a helicopter that took off from Kweres at 07.23 in south-eastern direction. At 08.29, a Su-24 launched from Tiyas AB.
At 11.00 a helicopter was sighted underway from Damascus in southern direction, signalling the start of a slightly very intensive period. Shayrat then launched one Su-22 at 11.27, Tiyas another Su-24 at 11.43 (both went in northern direction), and a ‘Russian aircraft’ was sighted while passing at high altitude above Houla. One Su-24 then took off from as-Sien AB at 12.16hrs. More take-offs followed at 12.31 (one Russian from Hmemmem AB), at 12.32 (another Russian from Hmemmem AB), 12.38 (Russian reconnaissance aircraft passed above Jishr ash-Shughour), and 13.02 (one Russian aircraft underway in southern direction), 13.05 (one helicopter from Almazza in direction of Dera’a), 13.23 (another helicopter in direction of Dera’a), 13.23 (one Su-22 from Tiyas in northern direction), 13.26 (another Russian from Hmemmem AB in south-eastern direction), 13.34–13.51 (two MiG-23s, an unknown fighter-bomber, and a helicopter in direction of Dera’a), 13.53 (MiG-21 in direction of Dera’a), and 13.55 (MiG-23 in direction of Dera’a).
At 13.56, Tiyas launched one Su-22 in eastern direction; at 14.01, a MiG-23 was observed while approaching Dera’a, and at least two UAVs were airborne over that area, too.
At 14.07, a Russian aircraft passed high above Houla on the way in south-eastern direction, and this was followed by another around 14.38. Meanwhile, another helicopter bombed Dera’a around 14.10.
Tiyas launched one Su-22 at 14.45, a Su-24 at 15.07, Hmemmem launched a (Russian) helicopter at 15.16, Tiyas then added another Su-24 at 15.24, and one Su-22 at 15.49, while Kweres launched one L-39 at 15.50, and a Su-22 at 16.04. an unknown fighter-bomber (probably MiG-23BN) was launched from Dmeyr at 16.07, and a Su-22 from the same base at 16.14. Up to four of Assadist fighter-jets in question have bombed Jobar, in eastern Damascus.
At 17.00, a single Russian fighter-bomber overflew Houla in south-eastern direction, and this signalled a kind of a new wave: Tiyas then launched one Su-24 at 17.17, Dmeyr a MiG-23 at 17.27, Kweres one L-39 at 17.29, Shayrat one Su-22 at 17.29, as-Sien a single MiG-23 at 18.13, Tiyas one Su-22 at 18.17, Dmeyr followed with a Su-22 at 18.28, Nassiriyah with a MiG-23 at 18.35 (this went away in northern direction), and Dmeyr another fighter-bomber at 18.40.
Evening- and then night-activity began with a single L-39 from Kweres at 20.11, and went on with another at 20.25, then four helicopters from Almazza (launched between 20.50 and 21.10: two of these have bombed the village of Eyeb, east of Sanamayn), one Russian fighter-bomber from Hmemmem AB at 22.04, another helicopter from Almazza at 22.24, one VKS fighter bomber from Hmemmem AB at 22.40, a Su-24 from Tiyas at 23.16, one helicopter from Almazza at 23.23, one Russian fighter bomber from Hmemmem at 23.23, and ended with a take-off of a helicopter from Almazza at 23.34. All the helicopters in question operated over the Dera’a area.
Overall, this was the most intensive day of air strikes since early May this year.
Totals
VKS
fighter-bombers: 11
helicopters: 2
UAVs: 3
recce:
SyAAF
unknown fighter-bombers: 2
L-39s: 5
helicopters: 14
MiG-21s: 1
MiG-23s: 8
Su-22s: 11
Su-24s: 7
***
UPDATE №1
While there is still no confirmation for take-offs from Marj Ruhayyil since Usoud ash-Sharqiya’s BM-21-strike on this air base, on 14 June 2017, during which destruction of six helicopters was claimed, pro-regime sources claim that five helicopters took off from this air base today. As can be seen above, there is no confirmation for this.
UPDATE №2
There was some argumentation about the number of BM-21s deployed during this attack: the insurgent side was reporting up to 300, indicating massive destruction of Marj Ruhayyil AB. Assadist side belittled such reports, stressing only 20 were deployed.
Well, the video of that attack posted here is showing at least BM-21-launchers: each seems to have fired its full load of 40 rockets. That would make for a total of 120 — and, if aimed properly, these could surely deliver a massive blow.
UPDATE №3
An important update on the rocketing of Marj Ruhayyil AB by the FSyA, which took place on this day. Namely, some Lebanese Assad-fan reports:
-> (1) The backed #US rats targeted Bali AB aka. Marj Rahil south of #Damascus two times with the Bm-21s
-> (2) the first attack occurred last week; result of the attack minor damage. They fired from Al Lijah area #DaraaCS
-> (3) the second attack occurred last night They used three MRLSs this time and fired from the #SyrianDesert The attack resulted some damage.
-> (4) today the #RuAF and the #SyAAF with a joint operation, managed to destroy two of the MRLSs , decreasing the number of the grads to two.
-> (5) The remaining MRLSs are located in #DaraaCS and in some bunker west of #AlTnaf each location contains one Bm-21.
-> (6) those MRLSs are bought by #Saudis from #Bulgaria The Kamaz Trucks are ex. #SAA captured by #ISIS near Tishreen power plant then by #FSA
So, because of ‘minor damage’ to Marj Ruhayyil, Assadists and the Russians have staged a hunt for the BM-21s in question? …and that’s also the reason for de-facto end of helicopter ops from Marj Ruhayyil…?
‘Sure’. (:D)
Well, at least some of all the Russian sorties of the last few days — those transiting via Houla in direction of Dera’a — are now explained.
UPDATE №4
Assadist sources claim the destruction of two ‘Jordanian-operated’ Selex ES Falco UAVs by their MiG-23MLDs on 14 and 15 June 2017. Along photographs published by insurgents, the latter of the two should’ve been shot down by an R-23R air-to-air missile.