Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Beirut, SANA – Secretary General of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said that the battle of al-Qalamoun is a major victory on the ground and a great and very significant military achievement, as terrorists there suffered a resounding defeat and were chased out of all engagement zones.
In a televised speech broadcast on Saturday, Nasrallah said that military experts can elaborate on the significance of this achievement on military and technical levels, particularly since the battle took place in mountainous terrain spreading in an area 30 km long and 10 km wide.
He said that the battle in al-Qalamoun has been going on for days between the Syrian Arab Army, Syrian popular forces, and the Lebanese resistance on one side, and terrorist organizations including Jabhet al-Nusra and ISIS on the other side.
Nasrallah explained the direct results of this ongoing battle being a resounding defeat for armed groups that were chased out of engagement zones, with around 300 square kilometers being reclaimed from these groups whose armed presence has been completed obliterated in this area in addition to inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment on them.
He noted that the battlefield extends across the wilderness of al-Qalamoun range in Syria and a large part of the Eastern Lebanon Mountain Range, encompassing hills, mountains, valleys, and rough terrain, with several vital sites, particularly on heights overlooking Syrian and Lebanese towns, in addition to several training camps for armed groups, workshops for manufacturing car bombs, rallying points, weapon and ammo caches, command rooms, and most importantly crossing points used for transporting weapons and gunmen from Ersal to al-Qalamoun and then to al-Zabadani and other areas in Damascus Countryside.
Nasrallah said that the battle included several violent clashes that caused terrorists to flee in defeat after sustaining heavy losses, and not retreat or evacuate without fighting as some media outlets claimed, adding that the battle has resulted in isolating al-Zabadani area from the rest of the gunmen in al-Qalamoun and Ersal, cutting off supply lines to terrorists in Damascus Countryside.
He stressed that this victory provides more protection and safety for Syrian towns in al-Qalamoun from the attacks of armed groups, as well as the road between Homs and Damascus and several towns in Lebanon, adding that victory cannot be fully achieved as long as there are any terrorists in Ersal and part of al-Qalamoun.
Hezbollah’s Secretary General noted that the direct results of the battle also include better geographical advantage through controlling heights that allow the Syrian Arab Army and the Lebanese resistance to survey wide areas which are now within the range of their firepower, thereby limiting terrorists’ movement.
On the number of martyrs, Nasrallah refuted claims by some Lebanese and Arab media outlets that back armed groups which exaggerated the number of martyrs, affirming that only 13 martyrs have fallen so far from Hezbollah and 7 martyrs have fallen from the Syrian Arab Army.
He went on to note that the battle of al-Qalamoun was preceded by a campaign of media intimidation and a barrage of threats, in addition to attempts to create disputes between the Lebanese resistance and the Lebanese Army, adding that some political forces in Lebanon and affiliated media outlets, not to mention Arab channels, that defended armed groups in Ersal and al-Qalamoun viciously via media, political, and psychological warfare, with these groups trying to deny the achievements everyone could witness firsthand on the ground.
Nasrallah wondered if the people who attacked Ersal, occupied Lebanese army posts, abducted and murdered Lebanese soldiers and officers, and employed car bombs are rebels as some claim, or if they are murderous and criminal terrorists.
He said that the Lebanese people have the right to look forward to a day when they can live without any terrorists in their land, and that this day will come.
Nasrallah also warned against the danger posed by the takfiri project which threatens the entire nation, stressing that this project seeks to weaken and fragment the nation and liquidate the Palestinian cause.
He also reiterated his condemnation of the Saudi-U.S. aggression on Yemen and its people which is being overlooked by the world, asserting that this aggression failed to achieve its goals, and it only resulted in death of civilians and the destruction of homes and religious sites.
Hazem Sabbagh
