Report: Six Hizbullah Fighters Killed in Qusayr Battles
Fighters loyal to Hizbullah were killed on Saturday in battles near the Lebanese border around al-Qusayr, according to activists.
The Local Coordination Committees in Syria reported that six members of Hizbullah were killed in battles in Reef al-Qusayr in Homs.
Qusayr-based activist Hadi al-Abdallah identified the names of Hizbullah fighters.
The men according to al-Abdallah are: Haidar Mohammed Ayyoub, Hussein Hassan Barakat, two men from al-Saleh family, a man from al-Salhab family and a member of Tleis family.
The municipality of the sourthern town of Rab Thalatheen morned in a post on its website fighter Hussein Hassan, pointing out that his funeral was at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Also Bint Jbeil's municipality website mourned fighter Haidar Mohammed Ayyoub on its website, who “died while he was performing his jihadist duty.”
Hizbullah has announced several burials in past months, without elaborating on the circumstances of its members' deaths.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the opposition say the army is backed by elite fighters from Hizbullah, a staunch backer of Assad's regime.
Hizbullah's involvement in Syria's spiraling conflict has been condemned by the Syrian opposition, which views it as a "declaration of war," and by the March 14 alliance in Lebanon.
Much of the heaviest fighting has raged near the Lebanese border around al-Qusayr.
Since it began in March 2011, Syria's conflict has fueled local tensions between the communities in Lebanon, with bouts of street fighting and kidnappings.
Hizbullah had previously denied taking part in the civil war. But top Hizbullah official Nabil Qaouq said Monday that his group is "performing a national duty" toward Lebanese Shiites living in Syrian border towns and villages by supporting the "popular committees."
The Local Coordination Committees in Syria said that the opposition rebels were killed in Saturday's regime forces shelling on Homs.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/81073 |