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Syrian Forces and Hezbollah Fighters Press Assault in Key Town Syrian Forces and Hezbollah Fighters Press Assault in Key Town
(36 minutes later)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — In another day of fierce fighting in the strategic Syrian town of Qusayr, government forces backed by fighters from the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah continued their offensive on Tuesday against anti-government rebels who have long held the town amid conflicting reports about the progress of the fighting. BEIRUT, Lebanon — In another day of fierce fighting in the strategic Syrian town of Qusayr, government forces backed by fighters from the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah continued their offensive on Tuesday against anti-government rebels who have long held the town. There were conflicting reports about the progress of the fighting.
Warplanes launched airstrikes Tuesday morning on Qusayr, in the central province of Homs, as clashes raging between rebels and Hezbollah fighters left two rebels dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a watchdog group based in Britain with contacts in Syria. Warplanes mounted airstrikes on the town Tuesday morning, and government forces fired mortar shells as clashes intensified on the outskirts of the city, according to opposition activists. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a watchdog group based in Britain with contacts in Syria, said at least two rebel fighters were killed.
Government forces also lobbed mortar shells at Qusayr as clashes intensified on the outskirts of the citiy, according to the Local Coordination Committees, a network of activists tracking the fighting. Official Syrian and Hezbollah news outlets said the government offensive was making rapid headway in retaking Qusayr, a strategically situated town in Homs province, near the Lebanese border. The Syrian state news agency, SANA, said government troops had expanded their control from the eastern part of town into the center and north, destroying tunnels, weapons and explosive devicesy. The agency said a commander of Al Nusra Front, the extremist rebel group that the United States says is a terrorist organization, was killed in the fighting.
Official Syrian and Hezbollah news media have portrayed the government offensive to retake the city as progressing quickly, while rebels say they are holding out against better-armed forces. But the rebels said they were holding their ground in the town against the better-armed onslaught, and would fight on. “The men are still standing strong on all fronts,” said Ammar, an activist in Qusayr reached through Skype. “Their morale is very high and, God willing, military reinforcements from the Free Army should arrive soon.”
The Syrian state news agency, SANA, said Tuesday that army units had killed rebels in the northern and central districts of Qusayr, destroying tunnels, weapons and explosive devices as it moved in from the eastern section that the government said it seized on Monday. The agency said a commander of Al Nusra Front, the extremist rebel group labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, had been killed. Ammar was dismissive of the Syrian government’s claims that its troops were gaining ground. “Yes, they’ve been holding large swaths of Homs for a while now,” he said. “They are in control there, but they haven’t made any real advances in Qusayr.”
Rebels said they would fight on. “The men are still standing strong on all fronts,” said Ammar, an activist in Qusayr reached through Skype. “Their morale is very high and, God willing, military reinforcements from the Free Army should arrive soon.” He added that the rebels learned through an informant on Monday that Hezbollah fighters had decided to shift their tactics. Instead of trying to fight like conventional troops alongside the army, he said, the Hezbollah fighters now plan to infiltrate in small groups through back alleys at the edge of town and wage the guerrilla warfare for which they have been trained.
He played down the recent gains announced by the Syrian government. “Yes, they’ve been holding large swaths of Homs for a while now,” he said. “They are in control there, but they haven’t made any real advances in Qusayr.” “But Hezbollah is still backed by the regime’s warplanes,” Amman said. “Now we have to wait and see who holds out for a longer period of time.”
The activist added that rebels learned Monday, through an informant, that Hezbollah fighters had decided to shift tactics and infiltrate the outskirts of the town through alleyways to turn the battle into a more traditional guerrilla war, for which they have been trained. The combat of the last three days, including nearly continuous artillery shelling from the army, has claimed scores of civilian lives, he said, estimating the toll at 64 civilians killed and more than 500 wounded. “We have no way of rescuing them right now,” he said. His estimates could not be independently verified.
“But Hezbollah is still backed by the regime’s warplanes,” he said. “Now we have to wait and see who holds out for a longer period of time.” The fierce fighting in Qusayr pits mainly Alawite and Shiite fighters on the side of President Bashar al-Assad against rebels who are mostly Sunnis, further sharpening the sectarian schisms that have plagued Syria since a peaceful uprising turned into an armed rebellion. And there were reports of violence spilling over Syria’s western and southern borders.
The violence in the past three days, coupled with continuous artillery shelling by regime forces, has claimed scores of civilian lives, according to the activist. He said 64 civilians had died and more than 500 had been wounded. “We have no way of rescuing them right now,” he said. The Lebanese port city of Tripoli has been suffering some of the hottest clashes between Alawite and Sunni militants that have been seen there in months, Lebanese news outlets reported. Four people were killed there on Tuesday, after two civilians and two soldiers were killed on Monday, the reports said.
The fighting in Qusayr came amid reports of violence spilling over Syria’s western and southern borders. SANA said on Tuesday that the army had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle that entered Syrian territory near the Golan Heights. Quoting the army’s general command, the agency said the vehicle had crossed the Golan cease-fire line near the village of Bir Ajam and that Israelis had fired two rockets into Syria, causing no casualties. Syrian rebels near Qusayr and Hezbollah fighters just across the border in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon have also traded artillery fire in recent days, accusing each other of endangering civilians with the imprecise weapons.
And SANA said on Tuesday that the Syrian army had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle that entered Syrian territory near the Golan Heights. Quoting the army’s general command, the agency said the vehicle had crossed the Golan cease-fire line near the village of Bir Ajam and that Israelis had fired two rockets into Syria, causing no casualties.
SANA said that the alleged incursion was meant to raise the “collapsed morale” of rebels after blows they suffered in Qusayr. It was the second time in two days that Syrian state media, aiming to bolster its case that Syria’s opposition is allied with Israel, claimed it had evidence of Israel aiding the rebels. On Monday, state media showed pictures of what it said was an Israeli jeep found in Qusayr but it appeared to be an old vehicle that experts said could have been supplied to Israeli-allied militias in south Lebanon years ago.SANA said that the alleged incursion was meant to raise the “collapsed morale” of rebels after blows they suffered in Qusayr. It was the second time in two days that Syrian state media, aiming to bolster its case that Syria’s opposition is allied with Israel, claimed it had evidence of Israel aiding the rebels. On Monday, state media showed pictures of what it said was an Israeli jeep found in Qusayr but it appeared to be an old vehicle that experts said could have been supplied to Israeli-allied militias in south Lebanon years ago.
Capt. Eytan Buchman, a spokesman for the Israeli military, denied the Syrian version, saying, “This is taking things way out of proportion.”Capt. Eytan Buchman, a spokesman for the Israeli military, denied the Syrian version, saying, “This is taking things way out of proportion.”
Captain Buchman said an Israeli military Jeep on routine patrol in the central Golan Heights had been hit from the Syrian side overnight, and had responded. “There was an Israeli jeep in Israeli territory,” he said. “Syrians opened fire, we returned fire. The jeep was lightly damaged and we confirmed a direct hit on the Syrian target.”Captain Buchman said an Israeli military Jeep on routine patrol in the central Golan Heights had been hit from the Syrian side overnight, and had responded. “There was an Israeli jeep in Israeli territory,” he said. “Syrians opened fire, we returned fire. The jeep was lightly damaged and we confirmed a direct hit on the Syrian target.”
The Israeli military has struck Syrian targets near the cease-fire line about half a dozen times in recent months, after incidents in which it asserted that Syrian forces had intentionally targeted Israel. It has also counted more than two dozen incidents of stray rounds from internal Syrian battles landing in the Israeli-controlled Golan. Captain Buchman noted that there had also been reports in Syria on Monday about an Israeli vehicle being hit and said they were untrue.The Israeli military has struck Syrian targets near the cease-fire line about half a dozen times in recent months, after incidents in which it asserted that Syrian forces had intentionally targeted Israel. It has also counted more than two dozen incidents of stray rounds from internal Syrian battles landing in the Israeli-controlled Golan. Captain Buchman noted that there had also been reports in Syria on Monday about an Israeli vehicle being hit and said they were untrue.
The chief of the Israeli Defense Forces general staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, told Army Radio that Israel “will not allow the area of the Golan Heights to turn into an easy target for Syrian attacks.” Saying that Israel had “had enough,” General Gantz added: “I am not a belligerent man, but we have to be prepared to defend ourselves. All in all, the situation in the Golan Heights is increasingly unstable.”The chief of the Israeli Defense Forces general staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, told Army Radio that Israel “will not allow the area of the Golan Heights to turn into an easy target for Syrian attacks.” Saying that Israel had “had enough,” General Gantz added: “I am not a belligerent man, but we have to be prepared to defend ourselves. All in all, the situation in the Golan Heights is increasingly unstable.”
Syrian rebels near Qusayr and Hezbollah fighters just across the border in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon have also traded artillery fire in recent days, accusing each other of endangering civilians with the imprecise weapons. As Hezbollah’s role in supporting government forces in Syria has become more pronounced, the admiration that many Syrians once felt for the militant group has turned to disillusionment.
The fierce fighting in Qusayr pits mainly Alawite and Shiite fighters on the government side against the largely Sunni rebels, further sharpening the sectarian schisms that have plagued Syria since a peaceful uprising turned into an armed rebellion. “I wasn’t expecting that from them,” said Qassem Tilawi, a commander in the Free Syrian Army who is fighting to unseat Mr. Assad.
As Hezbollah’s role in supporting government forces has become more pronounced, the admiration that many Syrians once felt for the militant group has turned to disillusionment. Diana Rifai, a 23-year-old woman living in Beirut who volunteers at a camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, said around 100 Syrian families from Qusayr had sought refuge in the northern Lebanese area of Wadi Khaled during the past three days, many of them with injuries. She called the situation “devastating,” saying that while some refugees were being taken in by Lebanese families, others were staying “in unfinished buildings or in storage rooms.”
Diana Rifai, a 23-year-old woman living in Beirut who volunteers at a camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanon said around 100 Syrian families from Qusayr had sought refuge in the northern Lebanese area of Wadi Khaled during the past three days. Ms. Rifai said that among the refugees, she had encountered a 4-year-old boy named Bashar who said he was ashamed to have the same given name as President Assad and had decided to call himself Mohammed instead.
“Many have injuries, too,” she said, calling the situation “devastating.”
“Something unbelievable, honestly," she said. "I saw them in Wadi Khaled, either in unfinished buildings or in storage rooms.”
She added that some had been taken in by Lebanese families.
During her relief work, Ms. Rifai encountered a 4-year-old boy named Bashar, the given name of the embattled president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. The child told her that, ashamed of his name, he took it upon himself to change it to Mohammed.
Qassem Tilawi, a commander in the Free Syrian Army fighting to unseat Mr. Assad also voiced his disappointment about Hezbollah’s role in Syria.
“I wasn’t expecting that from them,” he said.

Hania Mourtada and  Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon,  Hala Droubi from Dubai, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem.

Hania Mourtada and  Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon,  Hala Droubi from Dubai, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem.