In border battle on tough terrain, Lebanon's Hezbollah gains new combat experience

Record ID: 904163

  • Title: In border battle on tough terrain, Lebanon's Hezbollah gains new combat experience
  • Date: 26th July 2017
  • Summary: JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIAN-LEBANESE BORDER (JULY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING IN THE AREA OF JUROUD ARSAL MOUNTAIN RANGE VARIOUS OF JUROUD ARSAL MOUNTAIN RANGE AIRPLANE FLYING ABOVE AIRSTRIKE/SMOKE RISING BEIRUT, LEBANON (JULY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE POLITICAL ANALYST, SALEM ZAHRAN, SAYING: ''Hezbollah has been fighting against geography. Hezbollah in Lebanon was used to forest and trees when fighting Israel, and in Qusair they fought in urban areas and in Tadmor they fought in a desert area. And this is the first time that Hezbollah fighters fight in a rocky terrain at a 2000 meter altitude. It was a fight against the geography of the area more than a fight against Nusra. (Reporter: how have they benefited?) They have benefited by gaining new experience in a new terrain and they have succeeded.'' JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIAN-LEBANESE BORDER (JULY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VIEW FROM HILLTOP TYRES AND ROCKS AT POSITION ABANDONED BY NUSRA FRONT FIGHTERS BULLET SHELLS ON THE GROUND BEIRUT, LEBANON (JULY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE POLITICAL ANALYST, SALEM ZAHRAN, SAYING: ''Hezbollah has gained control of the top positions and descended to the valleys, chasing these groups which have become surrounded in a small area in the Malahi valley and the operation is going to end in a few hours and the first phase of the campaign against Nusra will be done. Nusra basically has two choices now, either they die in the next few hours or they surrender to the Lebanese army.'' JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIAN-LEBANESE BORDER (JULY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS PLANTING LEBANON AND HEZBOLLAH FLAGS FIGHTER SALUTING FLAGS VARIOUS OF VEHICLES DRIVING SMOKE RISING FROM NEXT HILL FROM AIRSTRIKES BY SYRIAN MILITARY VARIOUS OF THE TERRAIN BEIRUT, LEBANON (JULY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE POLITICAL ANALYST, SALEM ZAHRAN, SAYING: ''Lebanon and Hezbollah have cut off the route of car bombs and the ability of these armed groups to attack Lebanon and now there are only sleeper cells capable of attacking, but there is no chance of them occupying any territory.'' JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIAN-LEBANESE BORDER (JULY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) MORE OF THE TERRAIN AND MOUNTAIN RANGE
  • Embargoed: 9th August 2017 16:25
  • Keywords: Lebanon Syria Hezbollah Juroud Arsal Syrian-Lebanese border Nusra Front
  • Location: JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIAN-LEBANESE BORDER AND BEIRUT, LEBANON
  • City: JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIAN-LEBANESE BORDER AND BEIRUT, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016RCTRGN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The barren, rocky hilltops that form Hezbollah's new front line with jihadists at the Syrian-Lebanese border were tough to capture and supply.
    The area near the Lebanese town of Arsal is the latest front for Hezbollah in its battle with militants to secure Lebanon's Syrian border, part of the wider role the Iran-backed group has played in support of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the six-year-long war in Syria.
    Since the operation began, Nusra Front has almost been vanquished, Hezbollah says, and the next target is a pocket of territory held by Islamic State militants.
    The battle has been hard fought, mainly because of terrain that was long an ideal base for Nusra Front - al Qaeda's al Qaeda's former Syria branch and now leader of Islamist alliance, Tahrir al-Sham - as well as for Islamic State militants and other insurgents.
    Hezbollah told Reuters the experience could prove useful in future battles and Salem Zahran, a Lebanese political analyst in Beirut, agreed.
    "This is the first time that Hezbollah fighters fight in a rocky terrain at a 2000 meter altitude. It was a fight against the geography of the area more than a fight against Nusra," Zahran said. "They have benefited by gaining new experience in a new terrain and they have succeeded,'' he added.
    Zahran also said he believed the offensive will soon be over.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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