Air Strikes by VKS & SyAAF, 8 June 2017

Considering the latest spate of incidents with US- and US-supported forces in Syria, one would expect slightly more activity by Assadists…

Considering the latest spate of incidents with US- and US-supported forces in Syria, one would expect slightly more activity by Assadists and the Russians yesterday. Instead, they foremost flew recce.

Shortly after midnight, at least two UAVs were airborne over the Jishr ash-Shughour area. Russians then launched two fighter-bombers at 02.28 and 02.37, one at 03.27, while Hama launched one L-39 at 02.48, and then its ‘early morning helicopter’ at 03.03.

Tiyas went into action at 09.14 by scrambling a single Su-22. Shayrat did the same at 10.27, while the Russians launched one helicopter from Hmemmem AB at 10.30.

At least the Su-22s in question should have attacked US-supported FSyA troops west of Tanf border crossing to Iraq:

The same area should have been attacked by two UCAVs too (if truth, this would be the first confirmation that the Iranians can now use weapons from their UAVs), both of which were claimed as shot down: one by the FSyA over Zaqaf, the other by the USAF (Photos of the wreckage of one of two claimed) — and the USA flew their third air strike on Assadists and IRGC forces west of Tanf.

Then there was a stop in all ops (like if somebody waited for the US reaction to the provocation above), interrupted only at 13.22, when one helicopter took off from as-Safira. At 13.59, a single L-39 launched from Kweres AB. These ‘air strikes’, seem to have hit the Daesh in Dibsi Faraj, in eastern Aleppo.

Two UAVs were active over Dera’a around 14.00hrs, and then three helicopters launched from Damascus area in that direction, while Kweres launched another L-39 in eastern direction around 14.11hrs. Two additional helicopters took off from Marj Ruhayyl in direction of Dera’a at 14.12, and two others at 14.40, while Tiyas meanwhile launched one Su-22 in north-eastern direction, at 14.21.

While another UAV was observed over Dera’a at 14.45, the Russian reconnaissance aircraft was noticed above Sarqib at 15.15.

Tiyas launched one Su-22 at 16.25, and then five UAVs and the Russian reconnaissance aircraft were observed over NE Lattakia and the Jishr ash-Shughour area. Two VKS fighter-bombers launched from Hmemmem AB at 17.13hrs: it is possible that these prompted reports

about another ‘Russian air strike on Daesh’. The SOHR reported an air strike on Mayaden and death of some Daesh there, but reliability of that source is meanwhile rather questionable.

The Russian recce aircraft returned over Sarqib by 17.30, by when this area was under monitoring of at least two additional UAVs, too.

At 18.56, Marj Ruhayyl launched two additional helicopters in direction of Dera’a; these were followed by two additional examples that took off at 19.07 and 19.09. Their attacks were monitored by at least two new UAVs. Meanwhile (around 19.02) an UAV was reportedly active over Jebel Kurdi (NE Lattakia), and two helicopters were reportedly active over southern Idlib.

Evening activity included a L-39 that launched from Shayrat at 21.22, and one from Tiyas at 23.56.

Overall: Assadists, the IRGC and the Russians all remain preoccupied with all other sorts of opposition — just not the Daesh.

Totals

VKS

fighter-bombers: 5

helicopters: 3

UAVs (including those operated by the IRGC): 13

reconnaissance: 2

SyAAF

L-39s: 5

helicopters: 11

MiG-21s: 0

MiG-23s: 0

Su-22s: 2

Su-24s: 0