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Syrian Army Gains Ground In Key Region

Syrian Army Gains Ground In Key Region

The Syrian Army looks to be gaining ground in a crucial battle against opposition forces which has significant strategic implications for both sides.

Government forces are fighting to retake control of the rebel-held town of Yabroud near the border with Lebanon. Yabroud is the last opposition stronghold in the mountainous Qalamoun region.

Whichever side controls Qalamoun can control the motorway from the capital Damascus to the city of Homs and then on to the coastal region of Latakia which is a government-held area.

Yabroud is three miles from the motorway, but has been used as a base from which to launch attacks, closing the road. If the opposition lost all control of the region, it would also be a heavy blow to their supply lines from Lebanon.

There have been at least 10 government airstrikes on Yabroud this week. Troops, backed by Hizbollah militia forces from Lebanon, have taken high ground near it and are advancing towards the town.

The fight for Qalamoun began last summer and a string of government victories followed, most notably with the capture of the town of Qusair. The offensive to take Yabroud began in December but, until this month, consisted mostly of manoeuvring and skirmishing.

Pro-Syrian government media outlets in both Syria and Lebanon say this week saw the start of a "a wide-scale military operation" and said that the village of Jraijir, near Yabroud had already fallen.

Refugees have begun to cross the border into Lebanon, putting further strain on that country.

The fact that Hizbollah, a Shia movement, is said to be in the vanguard of the assault exacerbates the tensions between the Sunni and Shia communities in Lebanon which have triggered instability there.

The fighting comes during the latest round of peace talks in Geneva but may not be related.

In many conflicts, as a peace deal nears, some combatants will launch all out assaults in the hope of gaining ground before the fighting stops.

However, all sides know that a deal is not near, and the strategic logic of controlling Qalamoun is not linked to the talks.

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