Report: Hezbollah to cease offensive action in Syria
Ynetnews/Roi Kais/September 23/15/ Lebanese media outlet quotes diplomats claiming Hezbollah will only act defensively in Syria after fight for Al-Zabadani ends. While Syria, Russia and Iran solidify their military relationships, embattled President Bashar Assad may be about to lose another key ally in his fight against rebel groups including the Islamic State, according to Lebanese reports on Monday. Hezbollah has been actively involved in Syria’s civil war with troops on the ground fighting for the Assad regime, but the organization has informed the Syrian government that it will no longer take part in offensive military action, according to diplomatic sources who spoke to the Daily Star. According to the report, Hezbollah is now expected to participate only in defensive actions after a battle currently being fought for the city of Al-Zabadani, some 45 kilometers from Damascus, is completed. Even with the direct support of Iran and Russia, losing Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities would be a serious blow to the Assad regime, which has suffered a string of losses for the past several months as government forces have found themselves on the back foot against the Islamic State and other rebels. Current assessments suggest that Hezbollah is less than likely to entirely abandon the Syrian government, but perhaps Russia’s increased involvement was, in part, meant to coincide with Hezbollah’s decreased activity. Russia has established a forward air base near the northern city of Latakia where the US claims 28 Sukhoi fighter jets have been deployed. A ceasefire was declared in Al-Zabadani and three other cities in the area between rebels and government forces. A similar agreement was reached in the area last month, but didn’t hold. Meanwhile, Hezbollah appears to be dealing with internal struggles. Kuwaiti news source Al Rai reported Tuesday morning that the organization arrested one of its members accused of spying for a Western nation. According to the report, the individual worked at a Hezbollah-run hospital in Beirut.Hezbollah was said to be investigating the amount of damage done by the infiltration. No official sources confirmed the report, but the arrested individual was said to be privy to sensitive information including the details of wounded and dead fighters in the organization.
Israel wary as Russia, Iran expand Syrian presence
Ynetnews/September 23/15/Russia rapidly expanding base in Syria; Israeli, Russian chiefs of staff agree to create coordinating committee after Netanyahu, Putin discuss need to avoid military “misunderstandings”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in order to set up a system to prevent any clashes between the Russian and Israeli armies in the region, as Moscow continues to send troops to its growing base on Latakiya, and as American sources report that Russia has placed 28 fighter jets and a bomber at another base. Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot later met his Russian counterpart and the two agreed to create a committee to plan coordination. According to an American source, the number of Russian fighter planes in Syria has gone up this last weekend from four to 28. It was also reported on Monday that Russian drones had begun being used in Syria. The growing Russian air presence and use of drones led to the need to quickly reach agreements aimed at avoiding confrontations in the sky, added American sources. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Russia and Iran have increased their coordination in Syria in hopes of protecting Bashar Assad’s hold on Syria’s coastal region. According to sources in the US and the Middle East, Iranian and Russian diplomats and generals have held a number of meetings in Moscow in recent months. One of these alleged secret meetings involved Quds Force commander Qasem Soleiman, who reportedly met Putin this month. An American defense source said the Pentagon believes Soleimani’s purported visit was “very important”. The Kremlin denied the visit, and Washington claimed it occurred and was a breach of a UN travel ban. Besides Russians, posts in Latakiya also house Iranian advisers and soldiers, as well as Hezbollah fighters. Putin, said European and American sources, is exploiting the Syrian conflict to increase his country’s influence in the Middle East. Tehran, meanwhile, wants to maintain Syrian control over areas close to the Lebanese border in order to secure arms supplies to Hezbollah. Syrian rebels have recently made important territorial advances, and Russia and Iran have increased their involvement accordingly. One option for the Russo-Iranian-Syrian alliance is action around Palmyra, which was conquered by ISIS. Putin described the Russian presence in Syria as a counterattack, and an attempt to retake Palmyra would help justify his intervention. Another option is an attack against the Nusra Front in Idlib province.”Their first major attack will show us what they intend,” said a Lebanese military expert. Ron Ben-Yishai contributed to this repor