| Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian civil war | ||||||||
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| Part ofForeign involvement in the Syrian civil war,Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict,Iran–Israel proxy conflict in theIran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war, and theSyrian civil war | ||||||||
 Military situation, as of December, 2024: (for a clickable version of the map without shaded areas, seehere | ||||||||
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
 HezbollahHezbollah militias:
Allied militias:  Lebanon(until 2024) | Supported by: Turkey United States (until 2018) Saudi Arabia (until 2018) Islamic Front (2012–2015)
 Qatar |  Islamic State | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
| 1,139–1,250 fighters killed by March 2018[7] 1,736 fighters killed by March 2023 (perSOHR)[8] | ||||||||
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Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian civil war has been substantial since the beginning of armed insurgency phase of theSyrian civil war in 2011, and evolved into active support forSyrian government forces and troop deployment from 2012 onwards. By 2014,Hezbollah was deployed acrossSyria.[9] Hezbollah has also been very active in preventingAl-Nusra Front andIslamic State penetration intoLebanon, being one of the most active forces in theSyrian civil war spillover in Lebanon. Hezbollah's involvement in Syria came to an end with thefall of the Assad regime as a result of arenewed rebel offensive in late 2024, leading toclashes between Hezbollah and the newSyrian transitional government.
In the past, Hezbollah has served a strategic arm ofIran in the region, playing a key role in theIran–Israel andIran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflicts. On a number of occasions, Hezbollah weapon convoys in Syria and Syrian-Lebanese border areas were attacked, presumably by theIsraeli military. Hezbollah convoys and militant camps have also been attacked by variousSyrian rebel factions.
Hezbollah's image in theArab world – especially in Syria and Lebanon – has been greatly tarnished due to its sectarian activities throughout the course of theSyrian civil war.[10] Major religious leaders and activists,Sunni andShia alike, have condemnedHezbollah, with many former supporters of Hezbollah becoming its fervent opponents for its stance in Syria. Shi'i clericSubhi al-Tufayli, the group's founder and principal architect during 1980s, fiercely denounced Hezbollah for abandoning its founding principles and accused it of serving the hegemonic ambitions ofIran andRussia.[11][12][13]
Hezbollah has long been an ally of theBa'ath government of Syria, ruled by theAl-Assad family. Hezbollah has helped the Ba'athist regime during theSyrian civil war in its fight against theSyrian opposition, which Hezbollah has described as a "plot to destroy its alliance with al-Assad against Israel".[14]Geneive Abdo opined that Hezbollah's support for al-Assad in the Syrian war has "transformed" it from a group with "support among the Sunni for defeating Israel in a battle in 2006" into a "strictly Shia paramilitary force".[15]
In August 2012, the United States sanctioned Hezbollah for its alleged role in the war.[16] General SecretaryHassan Nasrallah denied Hezbollah had been fighting on behalf of the Syrian government, stating on 12 October 2012 that "right from the start the Syrian opposition has been telling the media that Hezbollah sent 3,000 fighters to Syria, which we have denied".[17] However, according to the LebaneseDaily Star newspaper, Nasrallah said in the same speech that Hezbollah fighters helped the Syrian government "retain control of some 23 strategically located villages [in Syria] inhabited by Shiites of Lebanese citizenship". Nasrallah said that Hezbollah fighters died in Syria doing their "jihadist duties".[18]
In 2012, Hezbollah fighters crossed the border from Lebanon and took over eight villages in theAl-Qusayr District of Syria.[19] On 16–17 February 2013, Syrian opposition groups claimed that Hezbollah, backed by the Syrian military, attacked three neighboring Sunni villages controlled by theFree Syrian Army (FSA). An FSA spokesman said, "Hezbollah'sinvasion is the first of its kind in terms of organisation, planning and coordination with the Syrian regime'sair force". Hezbollah said three Lebanese Shiites, "acting in self-defense", were killed in the clashes with the FSA.[19][20] Lebanese security sources said that the three were Hezbollah members.[21] In response, the FSA allegedly attacked two Hezbollah positions on 21 February; one in Syria and one in Lebanon. Five days later, it said it destroyed a convoy carrying Hezbollah fighters and Syrian officers to Lebanon, killing all the passengers.[22]
The leaders of theMarch 14 alliance and other prominent Lebanese figures called on Hezbollah to end its involvement in Syria and said it is putting Lebanon at risk.[23]Subhi al-Tufayli, Hezbollah's former leader, said "Hezbollah should not be defending the criminal regime that kills its own people and that has never fired a shot in defense of the Palestinians". He said "those Hezbollah fighters who are killing children and terrorizing people and destroying houses in Syria will go to hell".[24] The Consultative Gathering, a group of Shia and Sunni leaders inBaalbek-Hermel, also called on Hezbollah not to "interfere" in Syria. They said, "Opening a front against the Syrian people and dragging Lebanon to war with the Syrian people is very dangerous and will have a negative impact on the relations between the two".[21]Walid Jumblatt, leader of theProgressive Socialist Party, also called on Hezbollah to end its involvement[23] and claimed that "Hezbollah is fighting inside Syria with orders from Iran".[25]According to theJewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, support for Hezbollah among the Syrian public has weakened since the involvement of Hezbollah and Iran in propping up the Assad regime during the civil war.[26]
According to the U.S., the Assad loyalist militia known asal-Jaysh al-Sha'bi was created and is maintained by Hezbollah and Iran'sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, both of whom provide it with money, weapons, training and advice.[27]
On 4 April 2013, Hezbollah with the Syrian armylaunched an offensive to retake part of Qusayr. Syrian Army forces with the help of Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces[28][29] captured Qusayr extinguishing final rebel resistance after two months of fighting.[30]
On 25 May 2013, Nasrallah announced that Hezbollah is fighting in theSyrian Civil War againstIslamic extremists and "pledged that his group will not allow Syrian militants to control areas that border Lebanon".[31] He confirmed that Hezbollah was fighting in the strategic Syrian town of Al-Qusayr on the same side asAssad's forces.[31] In the televised address, he said, "If Syria falls in the hands of America, Israel and thetakfiris, the people of our region will go into a dark period."[31] Syrian opposition'sNational Revolutionary Coation withdrew from the Geneva talks scheduled to be held on June; in denouncement of "Hezbollah and Iran's militia'sinvasion of Syria".[32]
On 26 May 2013, two rockets hit a Hezbollah area of Beirut injuring five people whilst another two rockets caused property damage to buildings in the al-Hermel district of Beirut. Syrian rebels have been blamed for the attack as they had promised to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in retaliation for their helping the Syrian army particularly in the border town ofAl-Qusayr. Syrian rebels have also shelled al-Hermel previously.[33][34]
On 28 May 2013,Free Syrian Army GeneralSalim Idris gave Hezbollah "24 hours to withdraw from Syria" or he may order FSA units to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.[35]
In early June 2013, Hezbollah committed some 2,000 fighters to thebattle in Aleppo, reportedly putting strain on the organisation. Hezbollah changed the rotation policy for its fighters from 7 days fighting followed by 7 days leave, to 20 days fighting followed by 7 days leave.[36] In June 2013,Egyptian PresidentMohamed Morsi officially demanded the enforcement of ano-fly zone in Syria and condemned Hezbollah by saying,
"We stand againstHezbollah in its aggression against theSyrian people. Hezbollah must leave Syria – these are serious words. There is no space or place for Hezbollah in Syria."[37]
In 2014, Hezbollah's involvement was steady and staunch in support of the Syrian government forces across Syria.[9]
In January 2015,Free Syrian Army groups andal-Qaeda'sal-Nusra Front launched an offensive against Hezbollah strongholds in theJayrud area in the westernQalamoun Mountains, near the Lebanese border. Media sources affiliated with the Syrian opposition report that the joint forces targeted a series of military checkpoints held by Hezbollah in the area surrounding the village of Flaita in Kalamoon. Heavy losses were reported in the ranks of the Syrian security forces and militants of Hezbollah, as the FSA rebels seized a number of heavy and light weapons as well as boxes of ammunition during the operation. At least three FSA fighters were killed. A military official of al-Nusra reported that the ISIS presence in the area has exceeded 700 men, amid fears of escalating violence between both groups.[38]
Israelí media claimed that given that Hezbollah's military involvement faced battles are with Muslims, Hezbollah had emphasized its readiness to wage war against Israel.[39]
In May 2015, Hezbollah forces launchesa new offensive in the Qalamoun region in Rif DImashq Governorate, supported by theSyrian Army[40][41][42] with the aim of clearingal-Nusra Front and otherSyrian opposition forces entrenched in the mountains of theQalamoun region.
Hezbollah began its participation in theSiege of Deir ez-Zor in 2016.[43]
In May, Hezbollah's top military commander in Syria,Mustafa Badreddine, was killed in murky circumstances near the Damascus International Airport.[44]
Hezbollah participated in theEast Aleppo offensive (January–April 2017)[45] and in theBattle of al-Bab against ISIL in February 2017.[45][46]
Hezbollah played a significant role in theDaraa offensive (February–June 2017), with several casualties.[47][48] In April, rebels reported that an SAA lieutenant Colonel was executed by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia over charges of ‘treason’ in al-Manshiya.[49]
In theMarch 2017 Israel–Syria incident, Israel took responsibility for an airstrike in Syria on a military site nearPalmyra that they said was targeting Hezbollah. The Syrian Arab Army reportedly launchedS-200 missiles at the Israeli jets, and Israel intercepted one S-200 missile with anArrow 2 missile.[50]
| April 2017 Rif Dimashq airstrike | |
|---|---|
| Part of Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian Civil War | |
| Planned by | Israeli Air Force (alleged) |
| Target | Arms depot carrying Iranian arms bound forHezbollah |
| Date | 27 April 2017 (2017-04-27) 03:20EEST (UTC+03:00) |
| Executed by | AllegedlyIsraeli Air Force |
| Outcome | Fuel tank and warehouses damaged |
| Casualties | 0 |
The April 2017 Rif Dimashq airstrike was an aerial attack on an arms depot belonging to theLebaneseShi'a militiaHezbollah. On 27 April 2017, Syria's state-run SANA news agency said that there was an explosion felt inDamascus International Airport at 3:42 am. No casualties were reported. The blast was reportedly felt 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away.[51] Israeli media said residents in the northern town ofSafed reported seeing two missiles being launched and explosions occurring afterwards. Witnesses said a total of five strikes occurred near the airport road. The missiles were so powerful that the impact was felt several kilometres away in the Damascus countryside.[citation needed] According toAl-Manar Television, theIsrael Air Force reportedly attacked an Iranian arms depot near theDamascus International Airport early Thursday morning. Various sources have mentioned that the attack was executed around 03:20EEST.[52] The spokesman for theIsrael Defense Forces declined to comment on the airstrike.[9][52] The Israeli Intelligence MinisterYisrael Katz hinted on possible responsibility for the explosion, tellingArmy Radio that "The incident in Syria corresponds completely with Israel's policy to act to prevent Iran's smuggling of advanced weapons via Syria to Hezbollah.[53] Two rebel sources told Reuters that "five strikes hit an ammunition depot used by Iran-backed militias." Iranian Defense MinisterHossein Dehghan toldRossiya-24 news channel thatIsrael "should be disarmed" for the sake of restoring peace and security in the region and that it had [pursued] nothing but war and bloodshed.[citation needed] Kremlin spokesmanDmitry Peskov called for all countries to refrain any kind of actions and respect of Syrian sovereignty in a press conference. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswomanMaria Zakharova later slammed the strikes by condemning it as an act of aggression against Syria.[54]
On 1 June 2017, it was reported on social media that 3 Hezbollah members, including a Lebanese Hezbollah Field Commander Abdel Hamid Mahmoud Shri (nicknamed Abu Mahdi), had been killed by FSA and ISIS in battles for control of the desert between Syria and Iraq.[55][56] The same month, Hezbollah participated in theDaraa offensive (June 2017).[57]
On 21 July 2017, Hezbollah and the Syrian army launched anoffensive againstTahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the area of Juroud Arsal, on the outskirts of the Lebanese town ofArsal, aiming to drive HTS fighters from their last foothold along the Syria-Lebanon border. The offensive was undertaken on two fronts: near Arsal and the Syrian town ofFleita, into a mountainous area where Islamist militants had taken shelter among camps for Syrian refugees.[58][59][60]
In the summer and autumn of 2017, Hezbollah played a major role in the pro-governmentCentral Syria campaign (2017).[61] In October, its al-Radhwan forces commander Ali al-Aa'shiq was reported to have been killed by ISIL, along with other Hezbollah fighters, in this campaign.[62]
In September 2017, a Hezbollah commander said the group has 10,000 fighters in southern Syria ready to confront Israel.[63]
In November 2017, Hezbollah spearheaded thepro-government capture ofAbu Kamal from ISIL.[64]
In November–December 2017, Hezbollah played a leading role in theBeit Jinn offensive against rebel forces close to the Golan.[65][66]
In June 2018, Israeli and Syrian opposition media reported that a senior Hezbollah field officer executed 23 Syrian soldiers from the9th Armoured Division after they refused to cross a bridge which was exposed to rebel fire, and was nicknamed the "Death Bridge", near the town of Hirbat Ghazala, north of the city of Daraa.[67]
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In early July, Hezbollah began to withdraw from Damascus suburbs and south Syria back to Lebanon.[68]
National interest and other Western analysis noted the role of Hezbollah in turning the tides of the Syrian Civil War in favour of the government. After the organization's role in Qusayr, Homs and Aleppo, the armed wing of the Lebanese Party gained political and military experience fighting in urban environments, and enlarged its alliance with Syria and Iran.[69]
Hezbollah's role has been critical in defeating Syrian rebels on behalf of the Syrian government and has grown stronger in the region.[70]
Hezbollah's military operations in Syria have been subject to widespread denunciation across theArab World. Its support in Lebanon has suffered a drastic dent, and opposition has also emerged from its Shia base inLebanon and beyond.[10] IraqiShi'ite clericMuqtada al-Sadr attackedHassan Nasrallah's policy for pursuing an Iranian agenda rooted in Shiasectarianism over aSunni-majority country. Sadrists had long been advocate of activism solely in Shia majority countries. An elderSadrist leader denounced Hezbollah, accusing it of "killing more Syrians than Israelis”.[11][81]
Influential clericYusuf al-Qaradawi, President of theInternational Union of Muslim scholars, condemned Hezbollah and Iran as enemies ofArabs in October 2012, stating:
"Iran is also our enemy, the enemy of the Arabs. Those killed in Syria have been killed by the Iranians, the Chinese, theRussians, and theSyrian army. The Iranians stand against the Arabs in order to establish aPersian Empire... The same applies to Hezbollah, which sends its men to fight in Syria, and come back in boxes”[82]
Following Hezbollah's2013 Qusayr offensive across the Lebanese-Syria border, Qaradawi denouncedHezbollah in even more harsh terms; describing it as "the party ofSatan" seeking toexterminateSunni Muslims in the behest ofKhomeinistIran. Qaradawi issued afatwa for all able-bodied Muslim men to defend the lands ofSyria from the aggressions ofBa'athist regime,Iran andHezbollah.[83][32][84]
Qaradawi's change of stance was welcomed by numerous Saudi scholars and intellectuals; including theGrand Mufti of Saudi Arabia,'Abd al-Azeez Aal al-Shaykh, who re-iterated his condemnation of Hezbollah as sectarian militants who dishonoured "the ties of kinship or covenant with the believers" by collaborating with enemies ofMuslims. TheAal sh-Shaykh urged all political leaders, activists and scholars of theMuslim World to raise awareness of Hezbollah activities in Syria and effectively combat it.[85][86]
Influential Shia clericSubhi al-Tufayli, founder and firstSecretary-General of Hezbollah during 1989–1991, has slammed the militant group for its role inSyrian civil war. Tufayli fiercely denounced the organization as part of an Iranian project that "plagues the Ummah" and accused it of waging a global sectarian war againstSunni brothers on the behest ofAli Khamenei. Describing them as agents of Iran's socio-political monopoly over Lebanese Shi'ites, Tufayli condemned the organization for abandoning its original principles by servingimperialist powers and abettingRussian crimes against theSyrian people.[12][87][88][89] Re-iterating his support for theSyrian revolution, Tufayli stated:
"If there is anyone honorable among you [Hezbollah], then repent and reconsider, Do not be pawns serving the US and Russia.Aleppo today is beingdestroyed like Berlin. Warplanes never leave its skies, its children are bombed night and day, Whoever allies with these people, American or Russian, I swear to God, he is an enemy."[90]
Tufayli further stated that Hezbollah's actions would be remembered as "one of the most shameful periods in Shia history" and that future generations would curse them for their atrocities. He lambasted the militant group's claims offighting Islamic State as lies, pointing out that it intervened in Syria far before the emergence of Al-Nusra and IS. Condemning Hezbollah militants for directing most of their attacks againstopposition militias fighting IS, Tufayli further cited memories of the brutalBa'athist occupation of Lebanon which lasted for about 3 decades, emphasizing that Shias in Lebanon are overwhelmingly opposed toAssad family.[89]
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)Hezbollah has portrayed the Syrian uprising as an Israeli-backed plot to destroy its alliance with Mr. Assad against Israel.
For now the regime's sole offensive movement is in Qalamun along the Lebanese border, but there its ally, Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement, is taking the lead in the fighting.
the Hezbollah-led offensive in Qalamoun
But also on display was Hezbollah itself, its continuing organization and discipline despite mounting stresses, and its apparent sole control of parts of Syrian territory.
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