Rare Video Shows A Surface-To-Air Missile Fired By The Syrian Opposition

Recently a new Youtube channel has been created for a group calling themselves the Martyr Issam Saleh Air Defense Battalion, part of the Farouq Brigade, one of the major armed groups in Syria.  What's very interesting about this channel is the amount of MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense Systems) on display

Above we see two examples of what I believe are SA-16 MANPADS, and one SA-7.  What we also have is a rare example of a MANPADS being fired in Syria, and while the quality of the video is too poor to be 100% certain I believe this is a SA-16 being fired

While it's unclear if the missile successfully reached it's target it does provide rare evidence of MANPADS being used by the Syrian opposition.

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You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com

Updates On The Opposition Syrian National Army And Syrian Army

Back on August 8th the activists THE_47th reported on a number of changes to the structure of the Free Syrian Army, creating a new Syrian National Army, details of which can be found here.  Today he's Tweeted some updates about the situation with the Syrian National Army, and the current situation in the Syrian Army:


I've just had a one hour conversation with my source, and I have new information on the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Army.

As highlighted in my August 8th Tweets the major push to put all fighting factions that make up the opposition under the Syrian National Army is under implementation.  Yesterday's announcement of the creation of the Syrian National Army under the command of Major General Mohammed Hussein Haj Ali is big.  The Syrian National Army now commands major FSA factions across all Syrian Governorates, including, but not limited to

• Attawheed (the largest in Aleppo)
• Ansar Al Sham (Damascus)
• All of Deraa (All of Horan Valley)
• Most of Latakia (inc Costal Turkmen Brigade) 

Over the next few days (expected on Thursday) the Syrian National Army will announced it's new structure and what it encompasses (brigades and leadership).

Negotiations with the Al Farouq Brigade(s) have failed.  They still want to follow the command of the Syrian Military Coucil of Middle Syria (Mantika Al Wusta).  Al Farouq Brigade of Homs has become like a successful franchise, arming and training franchisee brigades in Rastan, Qusoor, and elsewhere in Homs.

Talks with FSA factions fighting in Idlib are ongoing, and are a little tough.  Given their track record it is hard to convince them to train.  Also, Idlib FSA factions usually have different financiers, so they can't be enticed to join the Syrian National Army via financial motives.  The FSA factions in Idlib have been operating autonimously since the beginning, and have the best track record against the Syrian Army since the beginning of the revolution.

In the mean time, the FSA confirm they have MANPADS, as I have confirmed before.  But you know how it is, it's better to say you don't have any for more to come.

Then we come to Assad's forces; to sum up what my source said eloquently: They are fucked.  Assad forces land supply lines are like walking on thin ice, almost every convoy is attacked.  Tanks can't be moved, no air freight, etc.  That's why you see more and more jets dropping barrels filled with screwdrivers, metal shrapnel, and TNT.  Assad can no longer transport big bombs.

Troops from the 4th, 5th, 9th & 17th Division (estimated around 100k) can mostly not leave their bases.  They can only shell towns from their news base, and the majority of these troops haven't taken a break from their tours since deployment.

In short, Assad Army morale is at an all-time low, the latest loses (including jets and military bases) have increase defection, and they are slowly getting desperate.  The lack of supplies (along with new arms) is exactly why FSA brigades can take over whole military bases like Abu Aduhoor, Taftanaz, etc.

The new commander of the Syrian National Army is from Horan, Daraa, and is one of the reasons all the Daraa factions joined.

Make no mistake, unlike the animosity in between political factions of the Syrian Oppostion, ALL FSA factions agree amicably to disagree.

One more thing my source sounded very sure of, he has been told directly by representatives of regional powers that the refugee problem is becoming really serious.  My source was really sure that Turkey will establish a safe-zone if refugees exceeds 100,000, and I can see he's right because of Syrian Government rhetoric.  Assad met with the Red Cross chief and promised help, Bashar Jaafari was pleading for refugees to return, seems like they know something as well. Yesterday the information minister spent a good 30 minutes begging refugees to come back, pitching safety, honour, rebuilding, etc.

Update September 5th The Guardian has interviewed General Muhammed Hussein al-Haj Ali, commander of the Syrian National Army.

Related Articles

More High Level Defections Predicted In Syria
The Head Of The Investigation Into The Qubair Massacre Defects To The Syrian Opposition
Rastan's Al-Farouq Brigades Show Off Their Latest Loot - Tanks


You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com

Another Video Selection Of The Free Syrian Army's Weapons And Equipment

Here's the latest round up of weapons and equipment featured in FSA videos posted online.  Earlier posts can be found here, here ,and here.

AA guns and truck mounted heavy machine guns 
Not many new videos in this section, but it's interesting to note the ZU-23-2s being used to fire at ground level targets.

Aleppo - Truck mounted ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun

Unknown - Truck mounted ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun

Jarabulus, Aleppo - Truck mounted DShK

Mortars and rockets
A couple of interesting ones this time round, including a video showing a LAW rocket launcher, the supply of which was covered in a recent Reuters article, alongside what may be home made rockets. There's also an rare sighting of a more advanced anti-tank system.

Unknown - 9M14 Malyutka anti tank rockets

Talbisah, Homs - Mortar being fired at a shabiha base

Homs - Al-Farouq Brigade - Firing mortars at a shabiha base

Unknown location - Descendants of Khalid ibn al-Walid Battalion - What appears to be homemade missiles, and a LAW

Tanks and armoured cars
As before, the FSA appears to be capturing an ever increasing number of armoured vehicles, and as I reported earlier in the week we've seen the first example of a T-series tank being used in combat by the FSA.

Rastan - Al-Farouq Brigade - 3 T-62 tanks and one armoured car (more details here)

Rastan - Al-Farouq Brigade - One tank, possibly a T-62

Andan, Aleppo - Champions Andan - T-72 tank

Homs - Umar's Free Army Battalion - Battalion formation video with a T-72 tank

Midan, Damascus - Armoured car captured from security forces

Talbiseh, Homs - A mixture of six armoured cars and BMPs captured by the FSA

Ammo, guns and other equipment
Idlib - 4 DShK machines guns, 1 mortar, 60+ mortar shells, and a handful of RPG rockets

DIY
This week we see a return of an old favourite, and a use for all those destroyed and disabled BMPs

Aleppo - A large catapult being used to launch home made explosives

Unknown location - BMP cannon mounted on the back of a truck

You can contact the author on Twitter @Brown_Moses or email brownmoses@gmail.com