Just 24 hours after launching their full-scale offensive at the strategic resort-city of Al-Zabadani in the Western Mountains of Syria, the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division – in coordination with Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces (NDF) – have taken control of over 30 square kilometers of territory, while the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and their allies struggle to maintain their positions.
On Saturday morning, the soldiers from the 4th Mechanized Division steamrolled a joint Jabhat Al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and Liwaa Suqour Al-Zabadani (Zabadani Hawks Brigade) contingent at Qal’at Al-Tal, capturing this castle and its surrounding barriers in the West Hills of Al-Zabadani after a series of fierce clashes that included the participation of Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces and the Syrian Arab Air Force.
Following their capture of Qal’at Al-Tal, the Lebanese Resistance and the National Defense Forces took the offensive at Qal’at Al-Zahra and Bina’ Al-Kuwaiti in the small village of Al-Jami’yat, where they were able to impose full control over this area in the West Hills on the border of Al-Zabadani after engaging the militants of Jabhat Al-Nusra and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham in an intense firefight that lasted for over four hours on Saturday afternoon.
As a result of their advances in the aforementioned areas, the Lebanese Resistance and the Syrian Armed Forces were able to capture the entire village of Al-Jami’yat, killing 33 militants from Jabhat Al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and Liwaa Al-Suqour Al-Zabadani, while also destroying four of their armored vehicles.
Hezbollah and the Syrian Armed Forces have now advanced to the hills of Al-Madeeq and Mafraq Al-Hourat, where they are likely to encounter their fiercest resistance, as the militants from Jabhat Al-Nusra and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham are entrenched all around these rugged hills that envelop the city of Al-Zabadani.
