Naharnet

Qassem: No Withdrawal from Syria before Political Solution

Hizbullah will not withdraw its fighters from neighboring Syria before a “political solution” is reached for the war-torn country, Hizbullah's deputy chief has said.

“The withdrawal of Hizbullah's forces is linked to the political solution in Syria and to the eradication of terrorism,” Sheikh Naim Qassem told France 24 television.

The group has lost an estimated 1,500 fighters in Syria and has faced sharp criticism from Lebanese rival parties and some Arab countries over its intervention in the Syrian conflict.

Its role has helped Syrian regime forces recapture several strategic regions from the hands of rebels and jihadists.

The party argues that its intervention in the neighboring country was necessary to protect Lebanon from extremist groups and to prevent the fall of Syria into the hands of Israel and the United States.


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