The Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” has reached the point of desperation at the Qalamoun Mountains in western Syrian, as the militant force has lost 85 percent of the territory they controlled two weeks ago to the Syrian Arab Army’s 1st Armored Division, National Defense Forces, and Hezbollah.
Jabhat Al-Nusra’s main supply route from Jaroud ‘Arsal to Ras Al-Marra was captured by Hezbollah on Thursday; this has forced the militant group to transfer their combatants from the Jaroud front at the eastern front of the Qalamoun Mountains to their positions in the Jubbah Heights at the western flank.
As a result of the concentration of their forces to the western flank, Jabhat Al-Nusra launched a counter-offensive at the southern perimeter of Ras Al-Marra, where they pushed back the National Defense Forces from the Lebanese border-crossing to the strategic hill of Tal Al-Moussa, which overlooks Jaroud ‘Arsal.
Following their initial success, the militants from Jabhat Al-Nusra stormed Hezbollah’s positions at Tal Al-Moussa, where they sought to capture the mountain-top from the possession of the Lebanese Resistance; however, this assault was repelled by Hezbollah, despite Opposition social media activists claims of its recapture.
Hezbollah responded with a powerful assault of their own to counter the Jabhat Al-Nusra attack at Tal Al-Moussa; this resulted in the death of over two dozen enemy combatants from Jabhat Al-Nusra and their eventual withdrawal from this imperative mountain-top on the Lebanese border.
The counter-assault by Hezbollah near Ras Al-Marra produced significant losses for Jabhat Al-Nusra, as the Lebanese Resistance forces pushed the enemy combatants towards their main supply route, resulting in bloody clashes before nightfall on Saturday – Jabhat Al-Nusra is holding on for dear life due to Hezbollah’s encirclement of their positions.
