Syrian troops capture Qusayr, adjoining villages

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Syrian troops capture Qusayr, adjoining villages

Staff & Agencies

On Line: 07 June 2013 16:13
In Print: Saturday 08 June 2013

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Syrian soldiers stand on a truck full of aid supplies in Qusayr on June 5, 2013. (SANA photo)

Syrian troops, backed by Hezbollah fighters, pressed on with their offensive on Friday in the country's militant heartland, taking two small villages near strategic town Qusayr that was captured by the government this week.

Following Wednesday's capture of Qusayr, the Syrian Army appears to have turned their sights to driving rebels from the country's densely populated heartland, including the cities of Homs and Aleppo, The Associated Press reported.

Government forces faced little resistance on Friday as they took control of the central villages of Salhiyeh and Masoudiyeh, the state SANA news agency said.

The push brought President Bashar al-Assad's troops and their Hezbollah allies to the edge of al-Buwaida village, where rebels who withdrew from Qusayr took up positions and regrouped. On Thursday, the rebels also lost the nearby village of Dabaa.

Casualties from Friday's clashes were not immediately known but the past three weeks of fierce fighting have left dozens of rebels, troops and Hezbollah fighters dead.

Since joining the battle in Qusayr in full force in April, the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah has helped tip the balance of power to Assad's side, enabling the government to take most of the towns and villages near the border with Lebanon.

Syrian state TV reported on Friday that troops are chasing rebels in al-Buwaida.

Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah fighters entered Qusayr from several directions on May 19 after weeks of clashes with militants.

Qusayr has been an important center and supply route for the foreign-sponsored militants fighting against the Syrian government.

Syria has been gripped by a deadly unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed in the violence.

Damascus says the chaos in the country is being orchestrated from outside, and that the militants are supported by the West and its regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

Several international human rights organizations have said that the militants are committing war crimes.