Surreal Battlefield Conditions: Libyan Rebels Wear Roller Blades During Firefights And Fighting In Flooded Streets

Every country is different and it all depends on how intense the conflicts been. Libya for example is now on really a second civil war between pro-government, anti-government and radical Islamists. Since Gaddafi fell so fast and all the militias pretty much just hunkered down and it was relatively peaceful for awhile, i dont think the groups put much effort into training. A lot of the rebels during the take down of Gaddafi were actually just normal civilians.

Syrias a total clusterfuck but there are well trained and experienced units on almost every side now. Every side has training camps set up now and tactics seem to be improving on each side. However, you gotta remember all the videos posted by every different group fighting are pretty much their own propaganda. They put what they think is cool, so hip firing MGs always has to be in there. In some of the longer nicely produced videos from Islamist groups they usually show pre-battle meetings where a commander is going over the area with like google maps and things like that. Also, we never really know where the enemies are. Some if it could be legit suppressive fire but most is garbage. But a lot of videos coming out syria show fighters just using small holes in tall buildings to shot out of so if you dont have any heavy weapons you gotta mess that building up somehow.

When the syrian conflict really heated up and turned into a civil until recently the SAA had been pretty much using soviet doctrine they had trained on for so long. They pretty much relied on armor to spear head everything. Lots of shelling, GRADs, airstrikes, barrel bombs whatever too. What their strategy lacked was good infantry tactics along side them. They lost a lot of armor in urban environments because of this. ATGMs have helped the rebels a lot. Oh and their leadership and officers aren't the greatest. More recently it seems the NDF and help from hezbollah and IRGC have been able to tip things in the favor of the government in some places. These groups have kinda added a new dynamic to Assads forces in decently trained infantry fighting a more hybrid warfare style, less reliance on armor.

I see Iraq pushing ISIS out in the not so distance future. Kurds, Shia militias and the ISF will be able to push them out, they have more than enough manpower. It will just take time. ISF has some good units in their special forces, some shia militias are being trained by Iran and the Kurds are getting training from Europe. The real problem is when they push ISIS out and then basically are left over with militas or armies for basically every religious sect. The kurds with peshmerga, Shia militias, christian militias, yazidis, assyrians, armed sunni groups fighting ISIS. It will be a real test if Iraq can stay together. I dont think Syria will ever see peace as long as Assad is still president, to much death and hatred already.

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