Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
On Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah confirmed in a live speech that negotiations are ongoing between Hezbollah and ISIS on the Syrian-Lebanese border.
According to Nasrallah, local ISIS fighters asked for the negotiations, not the ISIS central command.
Nasrallah stressed that there will be no ceasefire before ISIS fighters agree to withdrew to the ISIS-held areas in Deir Ezzor. Nasrallah also demanded ISIS to reveal the fate of the Lebanese soldiers who were captured by ISIS in 2014 in Arsal and release them if they are still la live.
Furthermore, Nasrallah said that the Syrian government will not approve such deal unless it received an official request from the Lebanese government.
“The Syrian leadership will respond to the success of any agreement only if there is an official Lebanese request, and public coordination,” Nasrallah said.
Nasrallah revealed that the ISIS central command is not interested in the fate of its fighters in the Western Qalamoun region.
“It seems that the ISIS central command, according to information and observation, is not interested in a safe way out for its fighters in the area,” Nasrallah noted.
Nasrallah estimated that the battle on the Syrian-Lebanese border will end with a military solution. The reason is the stubborn mentality of the ISIS central command.
In his speech Nasrallah also announced that they Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Hezbollah captured 270 square kilometers out of 310 km previously held by ISIS in the Western Qalamoun region.
