...a Syria jihadi group made up of Islamists and salafists, not that there's that much difference, formed into a brigade. They make up the main element of the Islamic Front but they don't profess adoration of al-Qaeda and they've been fighting (mainly for survival) against the Islamic State. Their leadership was wiped out at a single blow by a suicide kaboom at a crowded basement meeting in September, 2014...
Islamic movement on Tuesday has seized control of two checkpoint in Zabadani region, an advance came as Syrian regime army and its allied Hezbollah militia waging a major offensive on the border city with Leb started on Saturday.
In statement posted online, Ahrar al-Sham said it lauched a surprise attack on military bases situated on the enclaves of the embattled town of Zabadani which has been facing a fierce aerial and ground shelling for the fourth day.
The Islamist group said it had controlled al-Shallah and al-Qanater checkpoints, killing 10 army soldiers including two senior officers.
Also, Ahrar al-Sham said it had repelled an attack by Hezbollah near al-Zahra village, leaving 7 Hezbollah fighters killed, according ot the statement.
The regime army, backed by Hezbollah militia, has long sought to wrest control of Zabadani from the rebels who have held it since 2012, a year after the start of the Syrian revolution.
The offensive began on Saturday and was preceded by several days of aerial and artillery bombing of outposts held by a coalition of mainly Sunni Moslem jihadist fighters defending the city.
The Syrian army, aided by Hezbollah, last March captured the western mountains overlooking Zabadani but rebels who control the eastern hilltops have used rocket launchers to hit army and Hezbollah posts.
The latest offensive is part of Syrian
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
's effort to shore up his control over western Syria.
The capture of the city would secure a safe arms and troops corridor for Hezbollah, whose military role inside Syria has been growing steadily since the start of the conflict.
The area around the once popular resort city was part of a major supply route for weapons sent by Syria to Hezbollah before the 2011 outbreak of the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 230,000 people.