(Asharq Al-Awsat-UK) Syrian Shiite sources have revealed the presence of "Hizbullah training centers in [Lebanon's] Bekaa Valley to train young Syrian Shiites, paying them salaries to fight in Syria." Syrian opposition figures confirmed that there are 1,500 Hizbullah elements in Syria, and the same number of Iranians assisting the Syrian regime, but said talk of 5,000 elements is an exaggeration. Syrian Shiites have confirmed the presence of Hizbullah in Shiite-inhabited areas of Syria, in addition to its clear contribution to the protection of the famous Sayyidah Zaynab shrine in the suburbs of Damascus. Fahad al-Masri, a Free Syrian Army spokesman, said that "approximately two weeks ago, Hizbullah sent dozens of its elements to Mount Qalamoun." He also pointed out that Hizbullah operatives are deployed in Zabadani and Homs, and in the Christian town of Dabla alongside the regime's Shabiha forces.
2013-01-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive