Syria prepares for retaliation: official
Hezbollah pledges to support army
DAMASCUS — The Syrian army is deploying troops in areas near the ancient town of Palmyra in apparent preparation for a counterattack to retake it from ISIL, an official said.
Gov. Talal Barazi of the central province of Homs, which includes Palmyra, said Sunday ISIL members have “committed mass massacres in the city of Palmyra” since they captured it on Wednesday. He said the terrorists took many civilians, including women, to unknown destinations.
Meanwhile, the leader of the militant Hezbollah group said Sunday the region is facing “unprecedented danger” from extremist groups and vowed his fighters would expand their involvement in Syria’s civil war in support of government forces.
Sheik Hassan Nasrallah spoke during a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, vowing to battle Sunni extremists groups such as ISIL and alQaida. He said such factions are an “existential threat” to anyone who does not agree with their ideology.
Hezbollah openly joined President Bashar Assad forces in the civil war in 2013 and its fighters have been taking part in a major battle in recent weeks against jihadists in the Qalamoun mountain region that borders Lebanon.
The western city of Palmyra, home to a set of historic Roman-era ruins, was captured by ISIL last week.
“We are present today in many places and I tell you we will be present wherever this battle requires. We are up to it and we are the men for it,” Nasrallah said.
Activists in Palmyra have said that ISIL fighters have hunted down Assad’s loyalists since taking the town, killing about 280 people.
Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi condemned what he called “a massacre” in Palmyra, blaming Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey for such killings because of their support for groups trying to remove Assad from power.
Al-Halqi called on the international community and all humanitarian organizations to pressure the governments that support “terrorism” to stop their support “as terrorism is posing a global danger.” Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are the main backers of Syrian rebels and opposition groups.
Barazi, the governor, said troops are fighting with ISIL gunmen in the nearby Jizl area. “There are plans, but we don’t know when the zero hour (is) for a military act in Palmyra,” Barazi said without elaborating.
In Qatar, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said the recent conquest of Palmyra and the Iraq city of Ramadi by ISIL increases the need for greater political co-operation in the face of the terrorist threat.
“Only a political solution both in Syria and Iraq can provide a settlement for the crisis,” Federica Mogherini said following a meeting between officials from the European Union and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.