Hezbollah fighters and the Syrian army seized control of the highest peak in the Qalamoun region along the border with Lebanon Wednesday, after gaining large swathes of territory in fierce clashes that killed 53 Syrian jihadis. Security sources told The Daily Star that the Syrian army its Lebanese allies are sweeping areas around Tallit Moussa, after wresting full control over the peak that lies at least 2,500 meters above sea level and is considered one of the most strategic positions in Qalamoun. The advance came after at least nine rebel positions fell into Hezbollah's hands following heavy exchanges of artillery and rocket fire along the ridge between Al-Juba, Ras al-Maara and Assal al-Ward in central Qalamoun. Four Hezbollah fighters were killed during the clashes, a security source said. Control of Tallit Moussa gives Hezbollah and the Syrian army a major foothold in the area, given that the peak overlooks the vast expanse of the Qalamoun mountain range and could be used to monitor militant movements as far as the outskirts of the northeastern Lebanese border town of Arsal. The capture of Tallit Moussa also allows Hezbollah to control major crossings linking Qalamoun to Lebanese border towns. The Syrian army and Hezbollah would most likely attempt to wrest control of Wadi al-Zamarani and Wadi Ajram, which link Arsal to Syrian territory. The two valleys had been repeatedly used by militants to infiltrate Lebanese territories and attack Lebanese villages over the past two years. Earlier Wednesday, Syrian troops, backed by Hezbollah fighters, seized control of about 50 percent of the outskirts of Ras al-Maara and advanced toward the highlands of Jabal al-Barouh, which is geographically linked to Tallit Moussa. Hezbollah and the Syrian army captured the area after fierce clashes left scores of militants dead or wounded. The advance pushed surviving militants towards the outskirts of Arsal, namely the areas of Wadi al-Rahwe and Wadi Hmeyed. Militants also withdrew toward Tallit Njasa, located on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Ras Baalbek. Wednesday's advance was the latest in a series of gains by Hezbollah and the Syrian army following more than a week of clashes with Islamist militants. Hezbollah and the Syrian army Tuesday seized two hilltop positions in the Qalamoun region – west of the outskirts of the Syrian village of Ras al-Maara and east of the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Nahleh. Separately, security sources said ISIS fighters attempted to infiltrate the outskirts of Arsal from the north in an effort to join the Qalamoun battle against the Nusra Front and other members of the Qalamoun branch of the Army of Conquest. The Lebanese Army foiled the attempt, unleashing artillery salvos against the militants. The sources said ISIS fighters were forced to retreat back north after the Army of Conquest, a coalition of rebel fighters in Qalamoun, also unleashed heavy artillery against them.
