Hezbollah forces, Syria army encircle terrorists in Qalamoun heights

Fighters of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah and the Syrian army have made significant gains in their battle against Takfiri terrorists operating in the Lebanese-Syrian border region.

Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported Saturday that Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters managed to take control of the Sadr al-Bustan hilltop, capturing the outskirts of the border town of Flitah in the Syrian side of the mountainous region of Qalamoun.

Syrian sources, including the official SANA news agency, also confirmed the takeover of the strategic heights, saying that the militants are now surrounded in a “very limited geographical area.”

Hezbollah advances near Arsal

The new gains by the allied forces came as Hezbollah fighters continued battling the terrorists south and north of the Lebanese border town of Arsal, with Manar saying that Hezbollah fighters took control of Hawd al-Tishrini, a strategic hill in the area earlier in the day. Capturing the hilltop gives the resistance fighters a more robust control over three major valleys that are currently under the control of militants.

Hezbollah has taken control of some major hilltops and positions south and southwest of Arsal over the past two days. The report by Manar said fighters of the group on Friday took control of the entire al-Rahwah valley, forcing the militants to retreat into Wadi al-Khayl on the outskirts of Arsal.

Clock ticking

With the new victories in Qalamoun and Arsal, the clock has begun ticking for al-Nusra Front terrorists on the Lebanese-Syrian border. The terrorist are now further pushed into areas under the control of the Takfiri ISIL militants in the region. The Nusra militants now have only three options: surrendering to Hezbollah; sneaking into ISIL-held areas, which could lead to clashes due to the hostility and rivalry between the two terrorist groups; or launching an attack on Arsal.

The joint forces of Hezbollah and the Syrian army have retaken hundreds of kilometers of territory from militants in their battle in Qalamoun, making the full liberation of the mountainous region even more likely.

The mountainous region, which straddles the Lebanese-Syrian border, was previously used by the Nusra militants for transferring weapons and ammunition into Syria, where they have been involved in terrorist activities.

Hezbollah has managed to kill hundreds of Nusra militants, including some of their notorious commanders. The resistance group has also destroyed many militant hideouts, factories they used for making booby-trapped cars and their arms depots.

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