Syrian rebels on Thursday took two checkpoints in Bloudan resort, the next-door village of Zabadani, a move came to ease the 50-day brutal offensive on the mountainous city to capture it from rebels.
Fighters of dominant Ahrar al-Sham movement and the al-Qaeda branch Nusra Front have taken control of two checkpoints in Bloudan, activists said.
Sources said Wednesday that Syrian regime army backed by Lebanese ally Hezbollah is very close to take full control of the besieged city of Zabadani.
Rebel sources said the fall of the city, about 45 km (30 miles) northwest of the capital Damascus, is very imminent since rebels have been trapped in few buildings amid lack of ammunition and weapons.
The rebels in Zabadani have appealed to their counterparts near Damascus to send reinforcements and ammunition as well to escalate attacks to relieve pressure on them.
Hezbollah militiamen and the army have controlled most of Zabadani city after intense aerial bombardments and heavy artillery fire on rebels hideouts.
The control of the city is seen as crucial to consolidate government-held areas linking Lebanon and Syria. Zabadani is a former popular resort on the main Beirut-Damascus highway, according to Reuters.
Its capture would be a strategic gain for al-Assad, whose army is battling on several other fronts with groups including non-jihadist rebels and hardline Islamic State militants, Reuters added.
Zaman Al Wasl
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