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| Syrian Forces Try to Cut Supply Route to Aleppo as Hezbollah’s Role Grows | Syrian Forces Try to Cut Supply Route to Aleppo as Hezbollah’s Role Grows |
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| BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian government forces gained ground Tuesday in a new offensive that threatened to cut off the main supply route to insurgents in the divided northern city of Aleppo, renewing their push to encircle and besiege opposition-held areas there. | BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian government forces gained ground Tuesday in a new offensive that threatened to cut off the main supply route to insurgents in the divided northern city of Aleppo, renewing their push to encircle and besiege opposition-held areas there. |
| The advance — said by insurgents and residents to be bolstered by fighters from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite paramilitary group — came just after Hezbollah declared that it was fighting not only in Syria but also in Iraq, a further geographical and strategic expansion of its military expeditions abroad. | The advance — said by insurgents and residents to be bolstered by fighters from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite paramilitary group — came just after Hezbollah declared that it was fighting not only in Syria but also in Iraq, a further geographical and strategic expansion of its military expeditions abroad. |
| The two developments bolstered a sense of confidence on the part of President Bashar al-Assad and his allies as the United Nations’ Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, prepared to brief the Security Council on his efforts to broker a freeze in fighting in Aleppo and eventually a political settlement. | The two developments bolstered a sense of confidence on the part of President Bashar al-Assad and his allies as the United Nations’ Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, prepared to brief the Security Council on his efforts to broker a freeze in fighting in Aleppo and eventually a political settlement. |
| Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, declared for the first time, in a videotaped speech played at a ceremony Monday night, that the group had a relatively new, “modest” presence in Iraq, where the group’s patron, Iran, has been openly taking part in the battle against the Islamic State militant group. | Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, declared for the first time, in a videotaped speech played at a ceremony Monday night, that the group had a relatively new, “modest” presence in Iraq, where the group’s patron, Iran, has been openly taking part in the battle against the Islamic State militant group. |
| “Let’s go anyplace where we confront this threat, which is threatening our region,” said Mr. Nasrallah, the latest sign that he sees the group’s mission as broader than defending Lebanon’s borders and protecting Mr. Assad, a crucial ally. | “Let’s go anyplace where we confront this threat, which is threatening our region,” said Mr. Nasrallah, the latest sign that he sees the group’s mission as broader than defending Lebanon’s borders and protecting Mr. Assad, a crucial ally. |
| Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria, which has been overt and energetic since mid-2013, has played a crucial role in helping Mr. Assad fend off a nearly four-year insurgency. The move into Syria was a departure from Hezbollah’s customary focus on the conflict with Israel, and has sown divisions in Lebanon, which is split along political and sectarian lines over the Syrian conflict. | Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria, which has been overt and energetic since mid-2013, has played a crucial role in helping Mr. Assad fend off a nearly four-year insurgency. The move into Syria was a departure from Hezbollah’s customary focus on the conflict with Israel, and has sown divisions in Lebanon, which is split along political and sectarian lines over the Syrian conflict. |
| When Hezbollah first entered Syria, its fighters kept largely to areas where it had a direct interest: near the Lebanese border, major Shiite shrines and Shiite villages. Few expected it to advance as far north as Aleppo, let alone Iraq. But as its fighters proved effective, and Syrian forces tired of battle, it has expanded its role. | When Hezbollah first entered Syria, its fighters kept largely to areas where it had a direct interest: near the Lebanese border, major Shiite shrines and Shiite villages. Few expected it to advance as far north as Aleppo, let alone Iraq. But as its fighters proved effective, and Syrian forces tired of battle, it has expanded its role. |
| Aleppo is a crucial battlefield, where the government hopes to replicate the strategy it used in the central city of Homs, surrounding and starving insurgent-held areas. A two-year siege eventually pried insurgents from Homs but left the city center in rubble. | Aleppo is a crucial battlefield, where the government hopes to replicate the strategy it used in the central city of Homs, surrounding and starving insurgent-held areas. A two-year siege eventually pried insurgents from Homs but left the city center in rubble. |
| Pro-government forces have been close to encircling Aleppo for months, but have not been able to budge insurgents from a crucial supply route to Turkey north of the city. On Tuesday, according to insurgent leaders, pro-government forces attacked from behind their lines from two directions, from the villages of Zahra and Handarat, seizing a number of prisoners, including women and children. | Pro-government forces have been close to encircling Aleppo for months, but have not been able to budge insurgents from a crucial supply route to Turkey north of the city. On Tuesday, according to insurgent leaders, pro-government forces attacked from behind their lines from two directions, from the villages of Zahra and Handarat, seizing a number of prisoners, including women and children. |
| “If regime forces manage to take these villages, this will lead to the complete siege of Aleppo,” said Islam Alloush, a spokesman for the Islamic Front faction, which opposes both the government and the Islamic State. “Cutting this road means prevention of food and medicine to reach millions of people, but we emphasize that we will not let this happen.” | “If regime forces manage to take these villages, this will lead to the complete siege of Aleppo,” said Islam Alloush, a spokesman for the Islamic Front faction, which opposes both the government and the Islamic State. “Cutting this road means prevention of food and medicine to reach millions of people, but we emphasize that we will not let this happen.” |
| A pro-government activist in Zahra, Montazer, who gave only a first name because he was not authorized to discuss operations, said the government was progressing toward putting a “military collar” on Aleppo, and insisted that only the Syrian Army was fighting. | A pro-government activist in Zahra, Montazer, who gave only a first name because he was not authorized to discuss operations, said the government was progressing toward putting a “military collar” on Aleppo, and insisted that only the Syrian Army was fighting. |
| But Syrians involved in coordinating with Hezbollah have said the group is increasing its presence near Aleppo, and an opposition website posted a video in which an elderly resident described being briefly stopped at a checkpoint by gunmen politely identifying themselves as Hezbollah. | But Syrians involved in coordinating with Hezbollah have said the group is increasing its presence near Aleppo, and an opposition website posted a video in which an elderly resident described being briefly stopped at a checkpoint by gunmen politely identifying themselves as Hezbollah. |
| The revelation of Hezbollah’s presence in Iraq came days after Saad Hariri, the leader of the Sunni Future Movement, Hezbollah’s main political rival, called Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria “madness.” | The revelation of Hezbollah’s presence in Iraq came days after Saad Hariri, the leader of the Sunni Future Movement, Hezbollah’s main political rival, called Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria “madness.” |
| Mr. Hariri — whose father, Rafik, was assassinated in 2005, setting off protests that pushed Syrian troops out of Lebanon — lives in self-imposed exile but is in Lebanon on a rare visit as the political factions try to bridge an impasse that has left the country without a president. | Mr. Hariri — whose father, Rafik, was assassinated in 2005, setting off protests that pushed Syrian troops out of Lebanon — lives in self-imposed exile but is in Lebanon on a rare visit as the political factions try to bridge an impasse that has left the country without a president. |
| Mr. Nasrallah sought to build on a growing sense in Lebanon that the country must unite to keep out the threat of extremist groups, especially the Islamic State, that have risen to power during the chaos in Syria. | Mr. Nasrallah sought to build on a growing sense in Lebanon that the country must unite to keep out the threat of extremist groups, especially the Islamic State, that have risen to power during the chaos in Syria. |
| He said it was an illusion to believe that Lebanon could sit out the conflict, and even suggested that Hezbollah, and by extension its patron, Iran, was a more effective leader in the fight against the Islamic State than the United States, whose commitment he called into question. | He said it was an illusion to believe that Lebanon could sit out the conflict, and even suggested that Hezbollah, and by extension its patron, Iran, was a more effective leader in the fight against the Islamic State than the United States, whose commitment he called into question. |
| “In the best-case scenario, if the United States wanted to finish this, they will not be in a hurry until after the next presidential elections,” he said. | “In the best-case scenario, if the United States wanted to finish this, they will not be in a hurry until after the next presidential elections,” he said. |
| He noted that in Iraq, the disparate factions “didn’t wait,” but banded together against the Islamic State, using weapons that he said came not from the United States but from Iran. |