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Hezbollah, Syrian army want rebels to leave Zabadani “without weapons”, says opposition | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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A handout picture made available by Syrian Arab news agency SANA shows Syrian army soldiers during a artillery operations in Al-Zabadani area in western rural Damascus, Syria, on 9 July 2015. (EPA/SANA HANDOUT)


Hezbollah, Syrian army want rebels to leave Zabadani “without weapons”, says opposition

by | Jul 25, 2015 | Middle East |

Hezbollah, Syrian army want rebels to leave Zabadani “without weapons”, says opposition

A handout picture made available by Syrian Arab news agency SANA shows Syrian army soldiers during a artillery operations in Al-Zabadani area in western rural Damascus, Syria, on 9 July 2015. (EPA/SANA HANDOUT)

A handout picture made available by Syrian Arab news agency SANA shows Syrian army soldiers during a artillery operations in Al-Zabadani area in western rural Damascus, Syria, on 9 July 2015. (EPA/SANA HANDOUT)

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters have in recent days stepped up attacks on the rebel-held Al-Zabadani in an effort to force opposition fighters to accept a deal that would see them leave the border city without their weapons, Asharq Al-Awsat has learned.

“Hezbollah is pushing in the direction of a settlement that would allow fighters to leave the city of Zabadani without their weapons,” a Syrian opposition official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Zabadani, about 30 miles (45 kilometres) northwest of the capital Damascus, has been for weeks the target of a fierce campaign by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and members of the Lebanese militia.

The capture of the city would consolidate government control over the Qalamoun area between Lebanon and Syria.

“The militia has stepped up attacks on the rebel-held city since Wednesday after capturing Zabadani valley and blowing up a tunnel used by the rebels for supplies,” the official said.

This comes after reports that Ahrar Al-Sham, a hardline Islamist group who controls parts of Zabadani, were in talks with international sides to secure “a safe exit” for its militants following weeks of heavy bombardment.

But the source denied such claims, adding that Hezbollah is “pushing for a similar settlement.”

He said: “But we cannot count on Hezbollah as it will break its promises.”

“If an agreement was reached over rebels’ withdrawal from the city, their likely destination would be northern Syria where Ahrar Al-Sham enjoys strong influence,” he added.

Activists from the city said rebels had made “limited progress” against government forces, capturing two positions on the road to the village of Serghaya.

Meanwhile, aides to UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura will discuss the situation in Zabadani with 11 rebel factions, including Ahrar Al-Sham, in Istanbul on Saturday, German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) has reported.

The DPA quoted an unnamed Syrian opposition official as saying that de Mistura will be represented by his deputy Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy.

Representatives of the rebel factions participating in the meeting will brief de Mistura’s deputy about massacres committed by the Syrian army in Zabadani and urge him to include the details in the report that the envoy is expected to submit to the UN by the end of July.

More than 230,000 people have been killed and more than 1 million wounded since the Syrian crisis started in 2011.