A Commander of the Assad Support Coalition Reports on Hezbollah and Syrian Army Operations in Border Areas of Lebanon

A commander of the coalition of armed groups supporting the Syrian President stated to Reuters that the Syrian army and Hezbollah militants from Lebanon have launched operations to 'cleanse' border areas in Lebanon. According to this military official, the target of the operation, which began on July 21, is the militants of the 'Jabhat al-Nusra' group, who are present in the Arsal region and the adjacent city of the same name in Lebanon, as well as in the Qalamoun mountains. Reuters reports that the Arsal areas, located between Syria and Lebanon, have also been a site for members of the group known as the Islamic State. Thousands of Syrian refugees also reside in the Arsal region. Al-Manar, a television network affiliated with Hezbollah, has also reported on the operation. Previously, Iranian media had stated that operations in these areas would soon be executed following the end of what has been described as a 'reconciliation deadline.' Reports indicate that the areas where the operation began on Friday cover approximately 300 square kilometers of Lebanese territory. The Jabhat al-Nusra group is recognized as a branch of al-Qaeda. Last year, this group claimed to have separated from al-Qaeda and changed its name. It is now known as the Islamic coalition of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. Recently, the UAE Foreign Minister accused Qatar of steering Syrian protests towards extremism and domination by groups like Jabhat al-Nusra. Qatar has denied accusations of supporting terrorist groups and accused the UAE and Saudi Arabia of leading a plan to isolate four Arab countries against Doha. Hezbollah, which is recognized as a 'terrorist' group by some countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council, is one of the most significant Iranian-backed militia groups in the West Asia region. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri confirmed on Tuesday that the Lebanese army is conducting operations in the Arsal areas, but there is no coordination between them and the Syrian army. Hariri and his allies are known critics of Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian civil war. The Arsal areas were the scene of the most extensive battles resulting from the Syrian civil war in Lebanese territory in 2014, during the peak of the advances of Islamist groups. These areas are located in the Baalbek region of the Bekaa province in eastern Lebanon. Arsal is predominantly a Sunni city, which in 2016 had approximately three times its population in Syrian refugees.