RNA - The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) backed by Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces (NDF) have begun operations in the imperative city of Al-Zabadani on the Lebanese-Syrian border, targeting multiple militant installments and hideouts around this area in the western part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate.
According to Al-Masdar News, operations began on Saturday morning, when contingents from the SAA and NDF broke-through a Liwaa Suqour Al-Zabadani (Falcons of Zabadani Brigades) barricade, killing a number of militants and capturing a checkpoint in the southeast perimeter of Al-Zabadani; this was the first SAA offensive in the city in over 6 months.
Following the SAA’s capture of the checkpoint in southeast Al-Zabadani, a Hezbollah contingent conducted a large-scale assault on Al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Al-Nusra) militants that were entrenched near the Al-Zabadani Garbage Dump in the western part of the city that resulted in the death of a significant amount of fighters from the latter.
Firefights continued through Sunday morning before the Al-Nusra Front was overwhelmed by the Hezbollah firepower; this area was secured around 11 A.M.
Also in west Al-Zabadani, the SAA continued its success inside the city by taking control of an Al-Nusra Front barrier that protected the latter’s command-and-control center.
Fierce firefights are still ongoing in west Al-Zabadani, as the SAA, NDF and Hezbollah relentlessly target the Al-Nusra Front and Liwaa Suqour Al-Zabadani.
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