The Syrian Army and Hezbollah Storm Al-Zabadani

The Syrian Arab Army– backed by Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces (NDF) have begun operations in the imperative city of Al-Zabadani on the Lebanese-Syrian border, targeting multiple militant installments and hideouts around this area in the western part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate.

Operations began on Saturday morning, when contingents from the SAA and NDF broke-through a Liwaa Suqour Al-Zabadani (Falcons of Zabadani Brigades) barricade, killing a number of militants and capturing a checkpoint in the southeast perimeter of Al-Zabadani; this was the first SAA offensive in the city in over 6 months.

Following the SAA’s capture of the checkpoint in southeast Al-Zabadani, a Hezbollah contingent conducted a large-scale assault on Al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Al-Nusra) militants that were entrenched near the Al-Zabadani Garbage Dump in the western part of the city that resulted in the death of a significant amount of fighters from the latter. Firefights continued through Sunday morning before the Al-Nusra Front was overwhelmed by the Hezbollah firepower; this area was secured around 11 A.M.

Also in west Al-Zabadani, the SAA continued its success inside the city by taking control of an Al-Nusra Front barrier that protected the latter’s command-and-control center. Fierce firefights are still ongoing in west Al-Zabadani, as the SAA, NDF and Hezbollah relentlessly target the Al-Nusra Front and Liwaa Suqour Al-Zabadani.