July 29, 2017 photo, a Hezbollah fighter stands at a watchtower at the site where clashes erupted between Hezbollah and al-Qaida-linked fighters in Wadi al-Kheil or al-Kheil Valley in the Lebanon-Syria border. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Lebanese Hezbollah is not operating in Syria’s northeastern region, where government forces maintain a presence in many areas held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
A series of recent reports alleged that the group deployed 46 of its commanders and fighters at the town of al-Qamishli in the northern al-Hasakah countryside. These claims were debunked by the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on July 9. The London-based monitoring group said that no such deployment occurred.
“During the last period, no forces affiliated with Hezbollah reached the regime-controlled areas in al-Qamishli and the city of al-Hasakah. On the contrary, the Russian forces have greatly reduced the Iranian role in al-Hasakah Governorate,” the group said in its report.
False reports about Hezbollah presence in al-Hasakah go all the way back to early June, when a number of Syrian pro-opposition news outlets claimed that the group is recruiting locals from al-Hasakah city and smuggling weapons through al-Qamishli Airport.
Some Syrian opposition activists went as far as naming the alleged Hezbollah commander in charge of operations in al-Hasakah as “Haj Mahdi”.
The propaganda campaign against Hezbollah fictional presence in al-Hasakah reached a new height on June 28 when people living in the government-held city center woke up to leaflets with a message rejecting the group’s presence in the governorate.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
The false claims about Hezbollah presence in al-Hasakah may have been created by the US-led coalition, ISIS or both. The two sides view the group as a foe. The main target of these claims is likely Syrian government forces in northeastern region, whose size and influence grew significantly in the last few years.
It’s also worth noting that this anti-Hezbollah propaganda campaign comes amid preparations by the Turkish military and its proxies to launch a new operation against the SDF in northern and northeastern Syria.
