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Source: http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/rebel-gains-show-regimes-reliance-on-foreign-forces
Syrian Rebel Gains Show Regime's Reliance on Foreign Forces
(National-Abu Dhabi) Hassan Hassan - 40 days after Syrian rebels agreed to a cessation of hostilities deal with the regime, battles erupted in at least five different regions throughout the country. In southern Aleppo, Jabhat Al Nusra took Al Eis village along with a strategic hilltop that overlooks the Aleppo-Damascus highway. Anti-government forces fought for more than seven hours, and Russian jets were not deployed to repel them. Moreover, most of the forces guarding the village and hilltop were foreign militias. Hizbullah reportedly announced the deaths of seven fighters. The Syrian regime continues to rely on those militias to conduct its war outside its heartlands. Iranian-backed militias also spearheaded the capture of Palmyra. The writer is a resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.