The Syrian Arab Army’s 63rd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized and Hezbollah have advanced deep inside the resort-city of Al-Zabadani over the last five days, capturing the majority of the western district from the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and their allies from Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
On Thursday morning, the joint forces of the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade and the Lebanese Resistance overwhelmed the militants of Jabha Al-Nusra and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham at the Al-Zahra Castle, killing 19 confirmed enemy combatants before they were able to assert full-control over this site in the western district of Al-Zabdani.
Following their capture of the Al-Zahra Castle, the joint Hezbollah and SAA forces pushed east towards Al-Barada Street, where they were able to capture a number of buildings, including the Al-Jissr Bakery and the Abu ‘Ali Kanaan Villa before nightfall on Thursday night.
South of the Al-Zahra Castle, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) – have taken control of the Al-Masarah Roundabout and the Al-Bardeh Mosque after a series of fierce firefights with the Free Syrian Army and Liwaa Suqour Al-Zabadani near Al-Barada Street.
In the east district, the Syrian Armed Forces have advanced further north on Gamal ‘Abdel-Nasser Street, where they are finally approaching the strategic Al-Zabadani Bus Station.
While there is still a lot of fighting left to go, Hezbollah and the Syrian Armed Forces have made remarkable progress over the last five days of this offensive; if they can capture the Al-Zabadani Bus Station in the east district, they will have successfully cutoff any possible escape route for the Islamist forces.
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