Syria Opposition Says Hizbullah Fighters Massing in Qusayr: We Don't Want Nusra-Hizbullah Confrontation
Syrian regime forces are massing in the countryside of Qusayr city near Homs, backed by Hizbullah groups, in a bid to storm into the “strategic” Tal Qadesh area, a Syrian opposition member claimed on Thursday, urging Lebanon to stop “Hizbullah's interference in Syrian affairs.”
“Major reinforcements for Hizbullah and the Syrian army are massing in the western countryside of Homs and shelling with multiple rocket launchers and MiG warplanes intensified today in preparation for storming into the area and controlling Tal Qadesh,” Mouayed Ghizlan, member of the general secretariat of the opposition National Council, told CNNArabic.
Ghizlan said the Tal Qadesh hill sits at an elevation of more than 200 meters above sea level, noting that it contained fortified positions for the regime's army which recently fell into the hands of the rebel Free Syrian Army.
If the regime manages to regain the area, “it will be able to target any point between Homs and the Lebanese border,” Ghizlan added.
The Syrian dissident said the area's residents confirmed the presence of Hizbullah members after they “saw them with their naked eyes” in the vicinity of Tal Qadesh, which is inhabited by 5,000 people.
Ghizlan added that several FSA brigades have headed to the area from Qusayr and Homs, noting that “they will face difficulties in repelling the assault due to the length of the 4-kilometer frontier and their lack of medium- and heavy-caliber weapons.”
Addressing Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, Ghizlan said: “We welcome everyone who believes in the Syrian people's freedom and call on him to prevent Hizbullah's members from interfering in Syrian affairs and invading Syrian territory, and every effort in this regard will eventually help restore Lebanon's sovereignty, which was usurped by Hizbullah, in addition to strengthening ties between the two peoples.”
Asked about the stance of the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front on the battles in the area, Ghizlan estimated that hundreds of Nusra fighters were deployed in the region, saying they will likely show up and confirm their presence.
“We are not looking forward to a confrontation between al-Nusra Front and Hizbullah and we also don't want to endorse the international stances on the Front, which has been labeled as terrorist. We rather say that we salute anyone who fights on our side against the regime while stressing our national constants and seeking the rise of a new Syria that embraces everyone,” Ghizlan added.
A bomb allegedly signed by al-Nusra and directed against Hizbullah was found Wednesday in Hay al-Sellom area in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Slogans against Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hizbullah were written on it.
“May Bashar Fall. Death to Hizbullah. Al-Nusra Front.”
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