Hebzollah takes journalists to former Nusra positions

Record ID: 904567

  • Title: Hebzollah takes journalists to former Nusra positions
  • Date: 29th July 2017
  • Summary: JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIA-LEBANON BORDER (JULY 29, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS AND HEZBOLLAH MEMBERS GATHERED DURING A MEDIA TOUR ORGANISED BY HEZBOLLAH TO AREAS CAPTURED FROM NUSRA FRONT HEZBOLLAH AND LEBANESE FLAG NEAR ENTRANCE TO CAVE POSITION HEZBOLLAH SAYS IT CAPTURED FROM NUSRA FRONT CAVE ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF AMMUNITION IN THE CAVE VARIOUS OF WHAT HEZBOLLAH SAYS USED TO BE PRISON RUN BY NUSRA FRONT INSIDE CAVE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEZBOLLAH MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE, MOHAMMED AFIFI, SAYING: "Everyone knows the battle was extremely difficult, as you looked through the footage of (Hezbollah) military handout and this current tour. The terrain was very tough, fighting there was very hard, which means what was realised is important for several reasons including what I mentioned." VARIOUS OF DAMAGED VEHICLE, BELIEVED TO HAVE BELONGED TO NUSRA FRONT VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH VEHICLES VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH FIGHTER MONITORING THE AREA FROM THE BACK OF A VEHICLE / HEZBOLLAH FLAG ON IT VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH AND LEBANESE FLAG VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH ARMED VEHICLE VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS STANDING NEAR ARMED VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) POLITICAL ANALYST, GHASSAN JAWAD, SAYING: "The liberation of these areas will reflect positively on the security situation in Lebanon. We have an indication of the huge areas captured by the resistance (referring to Hezbollah) in record time and efficiency... As you can see, the military geography of the area is very tough, which means the resistance got a new victory." HEZBOLLAH MEMBERS MOVING IN VEHICLES DURING THE MEDIA TOUR VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH FIGHTER STANDING ON A WATCH TOWER VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS MONITORING THE AREA VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH FIGHTER HOLDING WEAPON (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) POLITICAL ANALYST, GHASSAN JAWAD, SAYING: "The Lebanese army will definitely be on a serious military operation, and it is now discussing its preparation, a large military operation against Islamic State to protect the Lebanese borders." VARIOUS OF HEZBOLLAH FIGHTER PLANTING LEBANESE AND THE GROUP'S FLAGS VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS' VEHICLES DURING HEZBOLLAH MEDIA TOUR VARIOUS OF MOUNTAINS IN ARSAL AS SEEN FROM JUROUD ARSAL
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2017 21:05
  • Keywords: Hezbollah Lebanon Juroud Arsal ceasefire Lebanese-Syrian border
  • Location: JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIA-LEBANON BORDER
  • City: JUROUD ARSAL, SYRIA-LEBANON BORDER
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016RRRGP3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Lebanon's Hezbollah on Saturday (July 29) took journalists on a tour to Juroud Arsal after a ceasefire took effect in the mountainous area of the Lebanese-Syrian border.
    The ceasefire took effect on Thursday, halting fighting in the area where Hezbollah launched its assault on Nusra Front militants on July 21.
    The barren, rocky hilltops that formed Hezbollah's newest front line with jihadists were tough to capture, the group's media representative said.
    A source familiar with negotiations, brokered by a Lebanese internal security agency, said the remaining Nusra Front fighters were willing to accept safe passage to Syria's rebel-held Idlib and talks were continuing to agree the route they would take.
    Hezbollah is demanding the release of five of its fighters held by Nusra Front in Syria as part of the deal, the source said.
    The Arsal region was the scene of one of the most serious spillovers of the Syrian civil war into Lebanon. The Nusra Front and Islamic State militants briefly overran the town, abducting dozens of Lebanese soldiers and policemen.
    The Nusra Front was al Qaeda's official wing in the Syrian war until last year when it formally severed ties with the global jihadist network and rebranded itself. It now fights as part of the Tahrir al-Sham Islamist alliance.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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