Will Hezbollah tip Syria's civil war to Assad?

The Lebanon-based Shiite militant group is getting very involved in the battle for a strategically valuable city in Homs province

Lebanese soldiers man a checkpoint in the northern city of Tripoli
(Image credit: REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim)

The Syrian army is pummeling the rebel-held town of Qusair, about six miles from the border with Lebanon — and they have help. While the forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bombard the town with airstrikes and artillery from the north and east, the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah is launching mortars and rockets from the southwest, rebels say, and Hezbollah militants are fighting their way into the city alongside Syrian government troops. (See a map below.)

Everyone agrees that Qusair, in central Homs province, is an important city to hold. "The region's strategic value is twofold," says The Associated Press' Jamal Halaby:

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.