Syrian troops supported by Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah are on the verge of capturing a rebel-held village at the foot of Mt. Hermon, just seven miles from the border with Israel, The Times of Israel reported Wednesday.
Rebels in the village of Mugr al Meer report that they are being attacked by “heavy bombardments and artillery fire” from Syrian troops and their Iran-backed allies. The Syrian army reports that it has surrounded the village at the foot of Mt. Hermon, which “commands the Golan Heights.”
The rebels in the village have reportedly been given 72 hours to surrender or face defeat.
Ibrahim al-Jebawi, a Free Syrian Army (FSA) official who is familiar with the situation told Reuters, “They were given 72 hours to surrender with fighters to go to Idlib or those who want to stay have to reach a settlement.”
According to Hadashot news, Assad’s forces and Hezbollah are considering an assault on the last significant rebel-held area in the region, Beit Jinn.
Rebel forces – including both members of the FSA and al Qaeda-affiliated fighters – are vastly outnumbered by the Syrian army and Shiite militias.
The rebels still hold some parts of Quneitra on the Golan Heights.
Addressing the threat to Israel’s north, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to establish a presence in Syria, telling graduates of the IDF’s pilot training, “We will not allow Iranian military forces to establish bases in Syria in order to attack us and we will act to prevent the manufacture of precise and deadly weapons aimed at us.”
Read more at The Tower.
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