Daily Mail: The Army of Islam: Militant group battling ISIS and the Syrian regime show their might in 'graduation ceremony' featuring 1,700 soldiers and a fleet of armoured tanks
* Jaysh Al-Islam fights against government soldiers in Syrian city of Damascus
* Made up of around '60 rebel factions', it also opposes Islamist groups like ISIS
* Held the 'largest military parade witnessed' since start of the Syrian revolution
* Saudi Arabia is 'funding the group with millions of dollars in arms and training'
A militant group which opposes both ISIS and the Syrian regime has released a striking video showing off 1,700 troops, fleet of armoured tanks and special forces soldiers in an impressive military parade.
These men form a small part of Jaysh Al-Islam - or Army of Islam - who reportedly command as many as 25,000 loyal fighters following the merger of up to 60 rebel factions inside Syria.
Dozens of masked special units show off a range of skills including close-range combat in what the group claims is the 'largest military parade witnessed' since the dawn of the Syrian revolution in 2011.
WNU Editor: This is a stunning video (the full video is here) .... and these rebel groups are having an impact .... Syrian army pushed back in north by new militant coalition (IHS Jane's 360). No surprise that predictions are now growing that the Syrian government in this part of Syria is under threat .... Syrian opposition success in Idlib province likely to threaten Aleppo, Latakia, and Assad's hold on power (IHS Jane's 360).
If one were to watch this without any context they could probably be fooled to think this is the military of a nameless middle-eastern nation...
ReplyDeleteA graduation ceremony? Tank crewmen with proper headgear? The same uniform and kit worn by all of its troops?
This is not the ragtag rebel group that mixed and matched different uniforms, guns, vehicles, etc. etc.... this is a professional group.
Yes it is Anon, but there are still things that bother me. One, is it wooden rifles that the dance team is using? Also just the look of the personnel in general doesn't impress me and it seems we get a lot of mister big shot talking. Oh well, it's probably me just being cranky.
ReplyDeleteUniversalizing the kits of 1700 individuals to pawn off the image that tens of thousands look and function the same way is not hard. I am not sure what that rifle dance was either. No functional purposes whatsoever. Looks a step above small, incohesive units maneuvering around syria firing AKM's blindly behind a wall though.
ReplyDeleteThinking about it a little more, it comes to me that this is a pr shot to show the guys back in DC what they're spending their money on. Of course it is then passed on to the American people (the ultimate paymasters) to reassure them.
ReplyDeleteGood point James. The U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc. .... they want to see what their money is soing.
ReplyDeleteI keep expecting them
ReplyDeleteto pull a Castro: marching
units in front of reporters
and then secretly having
them run through the woods
to join the end of the line
to again march past the
reporters.
ofs
OFS Heh!
ReplyDeleteWNU: Of course the postscript reads: "We're making great progress, but we need more money."