HEZBOLLAH WITHDRAWING FIGHTERS FROM SYRIA: THE JANOUBIA REPORT

MESOP : “ … HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THAT THAT THE SURPRISE UNLEASED BY RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN… IS THE MAIN FACTOR THAT FLIPPED THE WAR PLAN FOR HEZBOLLAH FROM ATTACK TO PULLING OUT.”

AL-JANOUBIA SAID HUNDREDS OF THE PARTY’S COMBATANTS HAD RETURNED TO LEBANON – NOW-MEDIA BEIRUT – 15/03/2016

BEIRUT – HEZBOLLAH HAS BEGUN TO WITHDRAW FIGHTERS FROM SYRIA FOLLOWING RUSSIA’S SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT WAS DRAWING DOWN ITS MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE WAR-TORN COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO A POPULAR ANTI-HEZBOLLAH ONLINE OUTLET.

“Hundreds of Hezbollah members who have been fighting in Syria have started since yesterday afternoon to return to their homes in [Beirut’s] Dahiyeh,” Janoubia claimed Monday evening.The news website—which recently was the target of a menacing social media campaign waged by Hezbollah supporters—added that the Shiite party’s combatants were returning “suddenly and without previous warning.”

Janoubia said their information was confirmed by “sources close to the party,” who only a week ago had told the outlet that Hezbollah was mobilizing its troops to resume an offensive on the town of Zabadani, which has been subject to a tenuous truce since late September 2015.“However, it seems that that the surprise unleased by Russian President Vladimir Putin… is the main factor that flipped the war plan for Hezbollah from attack to pulling out,” the article alleged. Janoubia’s short report was published shortly after Putin dropped a political bombshell on Russian TV with his announcement that the he ordered the withdrawal of the “main part” of Russia’s military force in Syria.

The following morning, Russia’s Defense Ministry said that the first batch of the country’s warplanes had already left Hmeimim airbase in Latakia, Moscow’s main base of operations in Syria since its military intervention began on September 30, 2015. Hezbollah has yet to make any official statement in reaction to the shock Russian withdrawal, while the Syrian regime insists the move was coordinated between Assad and Putin.

NOW’s English news desk editor Albin Szakola (@AlbinSzakola) wrote this report. Amin Nasr translated Arabic-language source material.

Hezbollah fighters. (AFP/Mahmoud Zayyat)

However, it seems that that the surprise unleased by Russian President Vladimir Putin… is the main factor that flipped the war plan for Hezbollah from attack to pulling out. www.mesop.de