Hezbollah, Iraqi forces prepared to help Syrian Army capture Baghdad-Damascus Highway

YemenExtra

M.A.

Over a period of ten days, hundreds of Hezbollah and Iraqi paramilitary fighters have poured into the southeastern countryside of Damascus, capturing positions alongside the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies.

The Iraqi paramilitaries, consisting of fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd Al-Sha’abi), greatly outnumber the Hezbollah forces in southern Syria and for good reason.

Similar to Hezbollah’s field operations along the Lebanese border from 2013-present, the Iraqi paramilitaries are determined to not only secure the Baghdad-Damascus Highway, but also, seal the border from any Daesh rebel forces.

Members of the Popular Mobilization Units have been inside of Syria for 15 months, with the initial forces deployed to Damascus (Sayyida Zaynab area), Aleppo, and Deir Ezzor.

The Popular Mobilization Units will now have much more responsibility inside Syria, as the government in Damascus hopes their participation will assist in eliminating the last remnants of Daesh inside the country, backed by the Saudi regime.