Qamishli | Today in Syria

On Saturday:
- In Daraa, 18 rebels died in fighting against government forces around al-Harrah.
- In Homs, a rebel and a child were killed by airstrikes on Talbise.
- in Latakia: 6 rebels and 12 soldiers died in fighting around Dorin.
On Sunday:
- In Rif Dimashq:
  - At least 8 rebels died in fighting around the Air Force Intellicence Branch in Harasta.
  - 6 people died from airstrikes on Irbeen.
- In Idlib:
  - 2 people were killed by barrel bombs dropped on Saraqeb.
  - 5 people were killed, including a child, and 14 were injured by rebel shelling on Idlib city.
  - 5 people, including 3 children, were killed and 5 people were injured by airstrikes on the town of al-Dana.
- In Aleppo:
  - At least 32 soldiers and militiamen, including Shias from Iran and Afghanistan, died in fights against rebels around the villages of Handarat (north of Aleppo) and Sifat (northeast of the Aleppo Central Prison.
  - Heavy fighting occurred around Mashtnur Hill between the Islamic State and the YPG as the IS attempts to gain control of the hill, which overlooks Kobani.
    - 2 IS fighters conducted vehicle-borne suicide attacks on the hill.
  - Arin Mirkan, a female YPG member blew herself up with a grenade in a suicide attack against the IS on the eastern front of Kobani after she ran out of ammo.
  - The YPG fighting the IS around Kobani:
- In Deir Ez Zor, fighting occured between the Islamic State and government forces around the government-controlled al-Huwayqa neighborhood.
- In Daraa, at least 19 soldiers and 5 rebels died in continued fighting around Tel al-Harrah in which rebels captured the hill, which is the highest in Daraa and which has a dominating position of the surrounding countryside.
  - Fighting for the hill:
  - Soldiers killed in the fighting:
  - A soldier who was playing dead:
  - Positions that were captured:
  - There were a large amount of TOW missiles used during the battle:
  - Vehicles and ammo captured by rebels:
  - Al-Harrah:
  - An airstrike on al-Harrah after rebels captured the town:
- Jabhat al-Nusra lost at least 16 fighters after launching an offensive against Hezbollah along eastern Lebanon. 10 Hezbollah fighters were killed.
  - JaN attacked 10 Hezbollah bases close to the Syrian border but were pushed back after Hezbollah reinforcements were called in.
  - The Lebanese Armed Forces were not involved in the fighting.
  - JaN fighting:
  - JaN fighters who were killed:
Over the weekend and today coalition airstrikes continued.
- In al-Hasakah:
  - 30 Islamic State fighters were killed by strikes on al-Shaddadi and its surrounding area.
  - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 16 IS prisoners were able to escape from prison after airstrikes on al-Shaddadi on Friday. 4 of the prisoners are confirmed to have made it safely away, while the fate of 12 others is still unknown.
- In Deir Ez Zor coalition airstrikes targeted Islamic State positions in Ayn Ali, al-Mayadin, al-Qureyyi, al-Sor, al-Shmeteyyi, and Ayn Ali.
- In Aleppo, 9 airstrikes hit IS positions around Kobani over the weekend. 4 hit IS positions today.
- In al-Raqqa, airstrikes hit around the al-Tabqa Airbase
- In al-Hasakah, 4 airstrikes hit around Mt. Abdulaziz
Fighting around Kobani in Aleppo has continued. The current situation is very unclear. Lots of people have been saying all day that the Islamic State has entered the city, but they have been saying that every day for the last 10 days, and I have yet to see any evidence to back it up.
- The Turkish military has been using tear gas to try and keep people from crossing the border to help the YPG. Journalists have also been kept away from the border.
- The Islamic State captured Mishtenur Hill from the YPG, just south of Kobani, which had seen heavy fighting over the weekend.
- 20 IS fighters were killed in an ambush as they tried to infiltrate into the eastern part of the city.
- The YPG began evacuating the last of the civilians still inside the city.
- The IS captured a building just outside of the southeast corner of the city:
- IS flags near southeastern Kobani.
  
  General Hulusi Acar, the commander of Turkish land forces, inspecting Turkish posiions at the border.
  
  Turkish tanks along the border near Kobani.
  
  Turkish tanks along the Syrian border.
  
  Smoke rising from Kobani.
  
  An explosion during fighting around Kobani.
  
  A shrine near Kobani that was destroyed by the IS.
  
  A statement from the Kobani government.
  
  Smoke rising east of Kobani.
Salih Muslim, the leader of the PYD, has gone to Ankara to meet with Turkish officials. Turkey reportedly has demanded that the PYD stop cooperating with Assad if they want Turkish help, but the PYD rejected the terms.

Fighting around Handarat and Sifat in Aleppo has continued as government forces attempt to cut off the last rebel supply line into the city.
- Rebels fighting:
- Harakat Hazm using TOW missiles:
  - SAA soldiers in Handarat.
Rebels firing on government positions in Aleppo:
Rebels detonate a building in Aleppo:
Rebels firing on government positions in Aziza in Aleppo:
Rebels celebrating Eid in Aleppo:
Fighting around Judayyah in Daraa between rebels and government forces has continued.
- Rebels captured the town of Zimrin and the nearby al-A’laf and al-Reba’i checkpoints.
- Rebels entered Judayyah.
- Zimrin:
- Rebels kill an army officer as he tries to retreat from Zimrin while they’re filming a victory statement:
Rebels the village of Um Awsaj in Daraa:
- A barrier near the village:
Yesterday rebels captured Tel al-Harrah in Daraa, the tallest hill in the province.
- Rebels have been advancing in offensives in Daraa and Quneitra as they try to approach Western Ghouta in southern Damascus.
- An explanation of the spy facility that was located on the hill: http://spioenkop.blogspot.be/2014/10/captured-russian-spy-facility-reveals.html
- Retreating government forces are fired on:
- Weapons and ammo captured by rebels:
- A video from al-Harrah:
- Rebels clearing mines from around the town:
6 civilians, including a child and 2 women, were killed by airstrikes on Numer in Daraa.
10 barrel bombs were dropped on the city of Inkhel in Daraa.
Artillery captured by rebels from Tal Kroum in Quneitra:
The US said that the missile attacks against the Khorasan group failed.
- The group was targeted on the opening day of coalition airstrikes in Syria, resulting in 60 deaths from Jabhat al-Nusra and 14 civilians.
- The group is apparently an al-Qaeda branch working in Syria to plan external attacks against Western targets, although it was not mentioned until a week before the strikes and European Intelligence says that they were not briefed on the group.
- The group was stated by the US as being the deciding factor in conducting airstrikes in Syria, although most of them have targeted the Islamic State.
- The US said “many suspected leaders and members of the Khorasan Group” escaped, taking high-tech explosives with them that are mean for use against civilian aviation.
The Syrian government has raised the price of diesel from 60 pounds/liter to 80, and the price of gasoline from 120 pounds/liter to 140.
Joe Biden, the US Vice President, apologized to the United Arab Emirates and Turkey for remarks in which he said US allies have backed extremist groups, such as the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, in order to wage a Sunni-Shia proxy war.
30 YPG and al-Asayesh fighters died after 3 car bombs hit 2 of their checkpoints in al-Misherfa, to the west of al-Hasakah.
- There were also casualties from Sutoro, a Christian militia.
- One of the car bombs targeted a YPG training camp in the village.
- No one has claimed credit for the attack, although the Islamic State is being blamed.
8 people were arrested by the YPG in a village south of al-Qamishli in al-Hasakah and taken to an unknown location.
A video by the Islamic State of Eid celebrations in ar-Raqqa:
Government forces captured the al-Dukhaniyya neighborhood of Damascus: http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.501735&lon=36.338042&z=17&m=b
The SAA captured Zamalka Square in Eastern Ghouta.
A rebel TOW strike against a 57mm AA gun near Barudah in Latakia: http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.666187&lon=36.118155&z=15&m=b
4 people, including a child and 2 women, were killed by airstrikes on Khan al-Soboul in Idlib.
A Reuters article about the Free Police: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/04/us-mideast-crisis-aleppo-police-idUKKCN0HS1TW20141004

Jabhat al-Nusra distributes Eid gifts.

A tunnel discovered by government forces in Jobar.

A tunnel discovered by government forces in Jobar.

Syrian children express solidarity with Allen Henning, the British aid worker who was beheaded by the IS.

Syrian children express solidarity with Allen Henning, the British aid worker who was beheaded by the IS.