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There is conflicting information about a prospective prisoner exchange deal between the Free Syrian Army [FSA] and Hezbollah, after the FSA was able to capture a number of Hezbollah and al-Assad regime elements. This deal would see the FSA releasing its prisoners in return for Hezbollah releasing Syrian citizens being held in the Hermel border region. <\/p>\n
The FSA also announced that \u201cthe bodies of two Hezbollah fighters arrived at the al-Batoul hospital in Hermel.\u201d The FSA statement asserted that \u201cat a time that the conflict in the border region is intensifying, Hezbollah and Syrian regime elements are continuing to besiege the border village of Jawsiya, preparing to storm the area after a mixed [Hezbollah \u2013 Syrian regime] brigade took control of the western route and prevented the village inhabitants from fleeing towards safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sources within the Syrian interior confirmed that this prisoner exchange deal is set to take place soon, without revealing further details; however a Hezbollah political source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, said that the issue did not deserve a \u201cresponse or comment.\u201d<\/p>\n
For his part, FSA Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel Aref Hammoud told Asharq Al-Awsat \u201cthe FSA leadership has no information about this [prisoner exchange] process\u201d adding \u201cthis may be being coordinated by some battalion commanders on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also confirmed that \u201cFSA elements captured Hezbollah fighters who were fighting alongside the Syrian regime. They were involved in the killing of the Syrian people; however Hezbollah has not captured any FSA elements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHezbollah is arresting Syrian workers who are working in Lebanon or refugees and saying they have captured [FSA] prisoners.\u201d The FSA deputy commander added.<\/p>\n
FSA Joint Command spokesman Fahd al-Masri told Asharq Al-Awsat that \u201cwe neither confirm nor deny any prisoner exchange deal.\u201d He also asserted that \u201cHezbollah does not have any FSA prisoners; rather they have imprisoned Syrian citizens in Lebanon.\u201d The FSA spokesman also revealed that \u201cwe have 13 Hezbollah prisoners and dozens of bodies of Hezbollah fighters killed within Syrian villages and towns, they were heavily armed and attacking Syrian citizens\u201d adding \u201ctheir fate is in the hands of the Hezbollah leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Al-Masri also told Asharq Al-Awsat that \u201cHezbollah is attacking us with artillery and rockets being launched from its bases in the mountainous region of Hermel. Syrian villages and towns are within the blast zone, whilst Hezbollah fighters are also present in 6 Syrian villages and attempting to attack and occupy the village of Jawsiya with the objective of taking control of it and surrounding [the town of] al-Qaseer.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added \u201cHezbollah is attempting to drag Lebanon, the people of Lebanon and the Shiite community into the depths of the Syrian conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FSA spokesman stressed that \u201cwe are telling the people in Lebanon, particularly those belonging to the honourable Shiite community that our battle is not with them but with the Hezbollah leadership. We are warning them of the consequences of aggression on Syrian territory and the killing of Syrian people. Our response will be painful and targeted against the Hezbollah leadership, not against anybody else in terms of the Lebanese people or Shiite community.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also called on the UN Security Council and Arab League to hold an emergency meeting as soon as possible to discuss the dangerous developments in Syria, including Hezbollah suppressing the Syrian people on Syrian territory.<\/p>\n
Al-Masri added \u201cwe call for the deployment of international forces along the border between Syria and Lebanon to serve as a deterrent against Hezbollah dragging Lebanon into a battle it is not a party of.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FSA Joint Command spokesman also stressed the importance of \u201cLebanese political leaders taking urgent action to work toward ensuring that Lebanon does not become, once more, an arena for external wars, particularly the wars of Bashar al-Assad, Hassan Nasrallah and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is conflicting information about a prospective prisoner exchange deal between the Free Syrian Army [FSA] and Hezbollah, after the FSA was able to capture a number of Hezbollah and al-Assad regime elements. This deal would see the FSA releasing its prisoners in return for Hezbollah releasing Syrian citizens being held in the Hermel border […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n