Syrian forces, Hezbollah advance in Qalamoun region

The Syrian government forces backed by the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group made a new progress on Friday against the al-Qaida-affiliated militants in a mountainous region close to the Lebanese territories, according to the official SANA news agency.

"A unit of the Syrian army in cooperation with the Lebanese resistance" recaptured four towns in Qalamoun region, as part of the wide-scale offensive the Syrian troops and Hezbollah launched on Thursday to paralyze the defense of the Nusra Front and likeminded militants in that rugged region, in the northern countryside of the capital Damascus and along the borderline with Lebanon, the report said.

SANA's report was the first to overtly acknowledge the participation of Hezbollah in the battle. The report referred to the Shiite group as the "Lebanese resistance."

On Thursday, the Syrian army Hezbollah resumed full control of Assal al-Ward barrens in Qalamoun, according to the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV.

As part of a broad offensive, Syrian forces and Lebanese Hezbollah have thwarted an offensive by the Nusra Front and other rebel groups in the region, the reports said.

Earlier this week, the Nusra Front said it, allied with other jihadists, launched a large-scale offensive in Qalamoun to strip positions of the government forces and Hezbollah.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah's Secretary General Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah said that "Hezbollah would launch an operation in the Qalamoun region against Islamist rebels who are trying to enter the Lebanese territory."

Nasrallah said al-Qaida-linked militants in Qalamoun area constantly seek to take over Hezbollah positions, occupy Lebanese territories, and attack Lebanese soldiers and civilians.

Hezbollah has been fighting alongside the troops of President Bashar al-Assad against an array of jihadist groups in several hotspots across the country. Endit