Syrian Rebel Army Fears Government Assault on Zabadani

The rebel Free Syrian Army, whose forces are present in Zabadani northeast of Damascus, fears a government offensive on the city after its forces withdrew several days ago, a spokesman said on Saturday.

Major Maher Nueimi told Agence France Presse by telephone from Turkey that the army had pulled back a few kilometers from the city near the Lebanese border "in what may have been a tactical retreat to prepare an attack."

"I am afraid the regime is making plans to do what it did in Hama and Rastan," he said, referring to army assaults against those cities in July and October respectively, to oust insurgent forces.

But Nueimi said the FSA does not have the capability of an all-out counter-strike and is concerned basically with defending the populace.

"The weapons we have do not allow for a confrontation with the regular army. We will continue with lightning strikes... and defensive ambushes to protect the civilians of Zabadani."

On Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights' Rami Abdel Rahman said "tanks and troop transports were on the outskirts" of Zabadani, which has become one of the anti-regime rebellion's strongholds.

He added that shelling of the city, which had been going on for six days, had diminished.

A harsh crackdown on anti-regime protests that erupted in March has killed more than 5,400 civilians, the United Nations has estimated.

In reaction, many soldiers have deserted and joined the FSA, which claims to have 40,000 fighters, and clashes with loyalist troops have killed dozens.