Hezbollah Becoming the Guerrilla Arm of Syrian Government Forces

On June 2, thousands of Hezbollah fighters were gathered around the Syrian city of Aleppo, preparing to attack. Syrian rebels have held Aleppo since the summer of 2012, but Hezbollah fighters, standing beside Syrian forces, seemed prepared to take it back.

According to The Washington Post, this public alignment with the Syrian army shows that Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah is making good on his pledge to back Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to victory. This also sends a message to the rebel forces that as Syrian troops fight, Hezbollah is prepared to amass as a “guerrilla force wherever required.”

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says the influx of Hezbollah fighters, together with “the supply of weapons from Russia and Iran,” has “helped turned the tide in favor of Assad’s government.”

Speaking on June 1, an unnamed Hezbollah commander said: “The Aleppo battle has started on a very small scale; we’ve only just entered the game. We’re going to go after strong holds where they think they are safe. 

“They are going to fall like dominoes,” he declared.