Some 80 thousand military forces trained by Hizbullah are preparing to launch a ground offensive to recapture Syria’s commercial city of Aleppo, according to a report in the UK-based Sunday Times.
A Hizbullah commander said the fighters belonging to Syria’s National Defense Force (NDF) have been taught “to fight street by street.”
The fighters were also trained by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the newspaper reported.
The commander on Sunday said Hizbullah will not deploy its fighters in Aleppo, but will only provide tactical support for forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“The battle for Aleppo will be fought by the NDF and the Syrian army, with Hizbullah supervising and providing military tactical advice on how to coordinate and conduct the offensive,” the commander was quoted by the Sunday Times as saying.
“It will consist mainly of commanders and experts advising and planning together with the Syrian army’s commanders in charge of Aleppo, on how best to utilize the men on the ground, how to advance and where to fight,” he added.
The planned assault on Aleppo aims to drive back Syrian opposition fighters who have maintained control of the city.