Battles raged in Qusayr between fighters from the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah and the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), as activists reported the killing of at least 10 Hezbollah members.
Sources told Al Arabiya early Sunday morning that Hezbollah fighters are reportedly heading to Qusayr, located in the central Homs province.
The town is a strategic boon to the rebels, AFP said. The opposition uses it as a base from which to block the main road from Damascus to the coast, impeding military movement and supply chains.
Bashar al-Assad’s forces, backed by Hezbollah fighters, continue to battle the rebels in order to gain full control over the city.
Qusayr is very close to the Lebanese-Syrian border.
According to Al Arabiya, a battalion of opposition fighters had earlier set a trap along the banks of the Assi river on the Syrian side of the Lebanese border. The battle saw the deaths of at least 10 Hezbollah fighters and wounded dozens more as they attempted to enter Syrian territory.
Activists told AFP on Saturday that Qusayr is surrounded by government forces on three sides, and approximately 25,000 residents are believed to still be in the city.
A military source told AFP last week that the Syrian army dropped leaflets over Qusayr warning civilians to leave before an attack is launched on the rebels who are allegedly holding the town and won’t surrender.
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