Qusayr Battle Pits Syria Rebels against Army, Hizbullah
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Fierce clashes pitted Syrian rebels against troops and fighters loyal to Hizbullah in several villages near Qusayr on the border with Lebanon on Tuesday, a watchdog said.
Meanwhile, a military source told AFP the army expects to seize the town of Qusayr, a rebel stronghold, "within days."
"The army is leading the campaign on the northern and eastern fronts, and Hizbullah is leading the fight on the southern and western fronts," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"The army is advancing in the Qusayr region, and the capture of the city is just days away, at most," the military source said on condition of anonymity.
"The aim is to cleanse the region of terrorists in order to guarantee the safe return of residents" who fled fighting in the area, the source added, using the regime term for rebels.
But Abdel Rahman said the rebels' "fierce resistance" to the onslaught would make the army's advance difficult.
Rebel "morale is high. They are willing to fight to the death to defend their villages and their city," he said.
The Observatory and the opposition say the army is backed by elite fighters from Hizbullah, a staunch backer of President Bashar Assad's regime.
Hizbullah says those fighting are Lebanese party members who have lived in Syrian border villages for decades and are defending themselves against "rebel attacks".
On Monday, a Hizbullah official described the group's actions as "a national and moral duty in the defense of the Lebanese in border villages".
Hizbullah's involvement in Syria's spiraling conflict has been condemned by the Syrian opposition, which views it as a "declaration of war," and by Lebanese opponents of the Shiite movement, who fear Lebanon may be dragged into Syria's conflict.
For more than a week, rebels have fired shells hitting the eastern Lebanese Hermel region, a Hizbullah bastion, in what they say is retaliation for strikes by the group.
On Tuesday, two new mortar rounds hit the city of Hermel, causing light damage to a house.
23 April 2013, 16:43
43
I love how you are trying to criticize the FSA for supposedly being foreign fighters when you are OK with hizbocrap sending its young me to defend ASSad...hypocrisy at its best..
23 April 2013, 17:45
33
Oh I see, so it's ok for hezb to be there because ASSad asked them? So much for resistance, and the claims that they do not operate in other countries and that their only enemy is Israel and that we have a Lebanese state where a Lebanese political party is sending mercenaries to defend another party in ANOTHER country! Do you read your post before you post it?
23 April 2013, 15:11
34
This is gonna come further into Lebanon at this rate. Ignorant hate breeds ignorant hate, this goes for both sides.
23 April 2013, 17:48
32
you did not take it into account, and what will be next, hizbocrap will attack internal groups that sympathize with the revolution? What will happen next is the FSA will start to operate in Lebanon and no one will be to blame except for hizbocrap fighting in Syria....
23 April 2013, 15:24
33
this is good training for the hizb terrorist.
we can only wait for whats gonna happen with lebanon.
this lowlife scum are gonna be the end for lebanon. but again, they are the reason lebanon is liberated so they have the first right to destroy it again! tfoo 3lajkon hizb el shaitan.
23 April 2013, 15:45
00
The Syrian regime, or as gabbaguybo calls it, the ASSad regime, does not have a few days on its hands because, according to gabbaguybo, and Nostrabenzona seconds him, the regime is once again about to collapse WITHIN HOURS this time! And when this happens, gabbaguybo had told me personally that he will reveal his real identity and go to Damascus on foot to welcome cheikh Saad al-Haribi Telteyn al-Marajil at the airport there. Honestly, I am so excited it's unbelievable. I am counting the seconds!!!
23 April 2013, 16:23
24
I didn't know that Nabatiye natives also had homes in Qusayr. More idiot comments.
23 April 2013, 16:41
32
nasrocrap is saying that the fighters are from the border villages. Nabatiye is not a border village. Take your own advice and think...
23 April 2013, 17:47
32
but you were up in arms when the group from the North also went to defend the millions of citizens of Syria (not just little villages supposedly) that is also called hypocrisy... and you also get upset when fighters from around the world are also going to defend the Syrian people from a ruthless dictator...
23 April 2013, 18:36
23
the aim of hezbis are not to defend syrian villages but to keep an influence on the region between lebanon and irak so arms can freely flow into lebanon for their party. if the region east of lebanon is controlled by the rebels then hezbis are cut... that is what it is all about. some think hezbis have a noble cause but it is just plain hypocrisy to feed their sheep followers....
23 April 2013, 22:18
00
this only shows that you understand NOTHING at all poor FT..... no wonder from an aouni.
23 April 2013, 19:34
00
يعني هلاء صار حزب الشيطان بدو يعلمنا انو سوار سوريا ارهابين؟ والله عجيب. طيب النظام السوري ضد الدين وايران دوله دينيه والحزب كمان. كيف التؤ هودي؟ انا كرهت كل الاديان كرمال اللبنانين و احزابن. شي بيقرف لمن بشوف شو عميكتب اكتر الشباب!
ياعيبشوم و ياحرام. ديعان هالبلد فينا. بدكن مليون سنه لحتا تصيرو بشر. شي بيبكى. طبعا مع احترامي للاقليه الصامطه. ا اوم فوت نام
23 April 2013, 19:47
03
but hezbis will not keep it in syria if they see that bashar is losing... they will bring chaos to lebanon too only to keep their arms and power over the country....
24 April 2013, 06:13
00
Correct HA has been involved in the Syrian war for long time(i.e. this is why the pilgrims are still kidnapped), as Bashar said yesterday he does not understand the Lebanese disassociation policy because fire will reach Lebanon if he is under fire. If the nerve to the brain are paralyzed and HA can't get ammunition via Qusayr any longer how can they survive?
There is no doubt Al-Qaeda and extremists are pouring and taking advantage of the conflict in Syria between the ruthless and poor people. for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
