The Battle of Qalamoun: One of the most strategic spots in Syria has erupted in major battle between

[EmperorScorpious]

[quote]Britel outskirts, Bekaa, Lebanon - On one of the roads leading back into Britel, a large town nestled at the foot of Lebanon's eastern mountain range, small Hezbollah convoys drove past; some fighters raised their hands in a victory sign, while others carried military equipment.

The convoy demonstrated the significance of Hezbollah's battle to secure control of the area. Last Thursday, clashes intensified between Hezbollah and Syrian army forces on one side, and on the other, a number of armed groups, including Syrian opposition fighters and al-Qaeda's Syria branch, al-Nusra Front. Syrian army forces alongside Hezbollah successfully pushed these groups further into the Syrian side of the Qalamoun mountain range, reclaiming several key positions.

For the last several months, skirmishes have unfolded as Syrian opposition groups holed up in the mountain range launched attacks on Hezbollah and Lebanese army fixed positions, as the opposition fighters attempted to test out the strength of their positions.

Last week, the battle entered a new phase, with Hezbollah and the Syrian army launching offensive military operations inside the Syrian territory of Qalamoun in an effort to push the rebels out. [B]As of Monday, Hezbollah and the Syrian army have been able to recapture several strategic hilltops, forcing the opposition fighters to flee and abandon their bases.[/B]

Due to the geography of Qalamoun - which is approximately 1,000 square kilometres of mountainous terrain - it has been increasingly difficult for the media to verify accurate death tolls on both sides, instead relying on the media arms of the fighting forces.

[B]Opposition fighters in al-Nusra Front and the newly created Jaysh al-Fatah coalition claimed to have killed over 40 Hezbollah fighters, but Hezbollah's media has put the number at much lower[/B], saying it has lost four fighters. Meanwhile, Hezbollah's Al Manar TV channel claims the group has killed over 20 Nusra Front and affiliated fighters since Thursday.

[B]Qalamoun is of strategic importance for both sides. The armed groups that have been holed up in the area for months aim to take control of strategic posts to gain access to key routes into Lebanon, in an effort to replenish dwindling supplies.[/B]

For the Syrian government, [B]the mountain range is key in connecting Damascus to Homs and the rest of the Syrian coast. While this objective is important for Hezbollah, they also have other goals, including securing the supply routes in and out of Syria and preventing armed groups from infiltrating Lebanon, especially the Hezbollah stronghold of Bekaa.[/B]

As a result, Hezbollah not only sees the Qalamoun battle as a priority for its survival,[B] but also sees itself as the first line of defence against a threat facing the entire country.[/B]

"We are not speaking of an assumed threat; we are speaking of a real aggression that exists every hour, every day, every night," Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said in a recent speech, referring to Qalamoun.[B] Armed groups have launched continuous attacks inside Lebanese territories while also holding dozens of Lebanese soldiers and police officers hostage, "so we need a permanent solution", he added.[/B]

"The state is incapable of dealing with this. If it was, it would've done so by now," Nasrallah said, noting Hezbollah would address the situation. While Hezbollah would not announce any official position or strategy, "when the operation begins, it will speak for itself. It will impose itself and everyone will know it has begun".[/quote]

[url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/150511085809867.html[/url]

tl;dr: This area connects Assad to both Lebanon and the coastline. If the rebel groups gain superior control of the area, we can see Hezbollah cut off from Assad and possibly the road to the fall of Damascus. But on the other hand, we could see jihadi groups spilling into Lebanon. The jihadi groups are Sunni, whereas Hezbollah is a Shia organization/paramilitary.

This will probably be one of the most important battles of the war.

[t]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/SyriaRifDimasq.PNG[/t]

[t]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Al-Nabk_District.png[/t]

[Sableye]

Should we fly a red white and blue painted b-52 over there? It just seems like we are not being hated enough and these are all like huge anti-us groups (except maybe the FSA)

It does seem like all sides are willing to throw so much at this one region that it'll be a quagmire instead of a decisive victory, so it'll probably be partly open for Assad and partly open for lebanon

[Joey Skylynx]

Assad is going to maintain control of this area. As of the moment, most FSA units are using nitrocellulose and homebrew cordite powered weapons in order to fight, Al Nursa has no powerhold in most towns outside of rural communities, and Hezbollah is fighting for Assad.
We will see some heavy use of chemical weapons though. Mark my word.

[CrossTownNews]

[QUOTE=Sableye;47707124]Should we fly a red white and blue painted b-52 over there? It just seems like we are not being hated enough and these are all like huge anti-us groups (except maybe the FSA)

It does seem like all sides are willing to throw so much at this one region that it'll be a quagmire instead of a decisive victory, so it'll probably be partly open for Assad and partly open for lebanon[/QUOTE]

The FSA doesn't exist.

[EmperorScorpious]

[url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/hezbollah-syria-qalamoun-gains-150513152132369.html]So far, Assad and Hezbollah are winning, with Assad's government openly thanking Hezbollah (which apparently thus far have neither acknowledged or denied their aid) for seizing the highest mountain in the offensive.[/url]