LATEST: Video — Syrian Army Claims Recapture of Village from Islamic State in Deir Ez Zor Province

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Jabhat al-Nusra fighters clashed with Syrian forces and their Lebanese ally Hezbollah in a mountainous area on the Syria-Lebanon border this weekend, with casualties on both sides.

At least 15 Jabhat al-Nusra members, three Hezbollah fighters, and five Syrian soldiers were killed as the two sides exchanged shelling and mortar fire in the Qalamoun mountain range, Lebanese and Syrian security sources said.

The head of Lebanon’s security apparatus said the insurgents were trying to gain control of nearby Lebanese villages to support their positions.

Insurgents and the Assad regime have fought for control of the area for more than two years. In spring 2013, Hezbollah’s intervention was vital in helping the Syrian military push back the opposition with the capture of Qusayr. Regime forces subsequently launched the Qalamoun offensive and captured most towns in the region, although insurgents have continued to challenge their control.


Video: Syrian Army Claims Recapture of Village from Islamic State in Deir Ez Zor Province

Syrian forces claim they have retaken the village of al-Baghailiye from the Islamic State in Deir Ez Zor Province in eastern Syria.

The military also claims that it inflicting casualties on the jihadists elsewhere in the province and blocked an Islamic State to al-Tharda Mountain, southeast of Deir Ez Zor city.