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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Rebels reportedly cut Qalamoun highway |
| 2015-05-09 |
| [EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Syrian rebels have reportedly cut the international highway running through the embattled Qalamoun region south to Damascus. "Rebels seized control over [a section] of the international highway in Qalamoun between Qaldoun and Maalula," Al-Arabiya reported Friday morning. The Saudi-owned station added that the armed opposition groups had seized control of the area after launching a wide-scale offensive on several points near Jayroud, a town to the east of the Homs-Damascus roadway. Meanwhile, ...back at the chili cook-off, Chuck and Manuel's rivalry was entering a new and more dangerous phase... a local media activist said that the regime had fired flares over the area of fighting, while a picture on the opposition Qalamoun Media Center Facebook page purported to show the flares lighting up the night sky. Taym al-Qalamouni wrote on Facebook that the action was conducted by "eastern Qalamoun rebels" without elaborating further. The pro-regime Sama Syria news outlet, in turn, reported that forces of Evil had conducted an attack along the highway and killed civilians. "Three civilians died after forces of Evil entered the Homs-Damascus highway between Nabk and the Maaloula Bridge and shot up random." Leb's pro-Damascus Al-Binaa newspaper carried the same story Friday morning. There was no independent verification of the reported highway cutting, which occurred some 20 kilometers east of growing battles between a coalition of Syrian rebels and Hezbollah on the western slopes of the Qalamoun Mountains along the Lebanese border. On Thursday, Hezbollah pushed back Army of Conquest-Qalamoun coalition fighters from a number of hills overlooking the regime-controlled border town of Assal al-Ward. The party has reportedly lost dozens of fighters, including two field commanders, in the fierce fighting which is expected to escalate as Hezbollah ramps up its preparations to launch a major military campaign in the region. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman on Thursday told AFP that Hezbollah's current operations could be considered "a battle with slow advances, not a big military operation." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 The highway is the main route from Damascus to the Syrian coast and cutting it is a big blow to the regime. The main attack was expected from the mountains to the west, but has come from the east. The rebels learning coordination pays off. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2015-05-09 01:24 |
| #1 This Qualmun kerfluffel is shaping up nicely. I have fiery cinnamon candy instead of Barbs snack-o-death. Also: yo Barb you out there? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2015-05-09 01:10 |