On Saturday morning, Hezbollah – in coordination with the Syrian Arab Army’s 20th Brigade of the 1st Armored Division and the National Defense Forces (NDF) – launched another powerful assault on the rugged town of Jaroud Faleeta in order to capture the remaining territory under the control of the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” in the Qalamoun Mountains of western Syria.
Hezbollah and their allies targeted the second highest point in the Qalamoun Mountains at Tal Sadr Al-Bastan (2,601 meters above sea-level), where they stormed the southwestern perimeter of the hill, killing a confirmed 27 enemy combatants and wounding another 14 members from Jabhat Al-Nusra, while also destroying five of their armored vehicles that were mounted with a variety of anti-aircraft machine guns and doshkas.
After nearly two hours of non-stop fighting at Tal Sadr Al-Bastan, Hezbollah and their allies were able to assert full control of this steep hill that overlooks Jaroud ‘Arsaal, Jaroud Faleeta, and southern Jarajeer; this rugged area is located 2km north of the highest point in the Qalamoun Mountains at Tal Al-Moussa.
With the second highest point in the Qalamoun Mountains under their control, Hezbollah and the Syrian Armed Forces look to sweep the remaining pockets of resistance under Al-Nusra control; however, despite the latter’s success in western Syria, their counter-parts from the Lebanese Armed Forces have yet to combat the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) that are entrenched in northern part of the ‘Arsaal District.
If the Lebanese Armed Forces remain stagnate in their fight against the terrorist groups situated in the ‘Arsaal District of the Beqa’a Governorate, the Syrian-Lebanese border will continue to be in danger of armed combatants from Jabhat Al-Nusra and ISIS infiltrating into Syria from Lebanon.
