Syrian regime 'preparing for final victory’ against rebellion

The regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad appears to believe final victory against the more than 5-year-long rebellion could be at hand, as its devastating offensive on rebel-held parts of Syria’s second largest city entered its second week on Tuesday.

This emerged as the Syrian army declared on Tuesday the formation of a new anti-terrorist commando force, calling on volunteers over the age of 18 to apply to join if interested in “achieving final victory against terrorism.” The regime declares all its opponents, who comprise rebels, former soldiers and jihadists, to be terrorists.

On the same day, Assad met with a Russian high-level delegation that discussed the reconstruction of Syria, promising to give Moscow preferential treatment in the contracts.

Feeling empowered by the major Russian military intervention, which joined intervention by Iran, Hizballah, and numerous nationalist and Shia religious militias alongside his forces, Assad has recently vowed to recapture every inch of Syria, a goal many believe remains well outside Damascus’ reach.

The announcement of the new commando force, dubbed the Fifth Corps, didn’t specify where the force would be deployed.

This comes a year after the Syrian armed forces announced the formation of the Fourth Corps, also an anti-terrorism force, soon after Russia began its military operations alongside the Syrian government.

After nearly six years of combat, the Syrian conscription-based armed forces has become overstretched and has increasingly relied on its regional allies that have boosted its numbers and capabilities. Iran, Iraq and Lebanon’s Hizbllah group have sent in hundreds of fighters who have fought alongside government troops, sometimes leading combat units, in decisive battles against armed opposition groups and extremist militants.

The announcement of the new commando force, dubbed the Fifth Corps, didn’t specify where the force would be deployed.

Russia’s military backing of the Syrian government, with intensive aerial bombings and long-range missiles fired from the Mediterranean, has dramatically turned the fortunes of the Syrian government — emboldening ground advances on multiple fronts, including in the besieged rebel-held parts of Aleppo city.

The Syrian army declaration read on State TV also comes as the pace of government warnings to the residents of the besieged rebel-held part of eastern Aleppo city rises.

Hundreds have been killed in East Aleppo by regime and Russian fire since operations, dubbed Dawn of Victory, began last week, while dozens have been killed in West Aleppo following rebel shelling.

On Tuesday, local health authorities and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said  containers of a chemical suspected to be chlorine were dropped on the east of the city on Tuesday, causing breathing difficulties for some residents.

Also on Tuesday, Syria’s president received a Russian delegation in Damascus, headed by the Russian deputy prime minister, in a show of close ties between the two governments in the face of international criticism.

The delegation discussed the reconstruction of Syria, with Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem confirming Russian companies had been offered priority in reconstruction contracts.

With input from AP