The Lebanon-based Shiite group Hezbollah started to withdraw hundreds of its fighters from Syria on Sunday, according to a report from Al-Janoubiya yesterday. Citing sources close to the militant organization, the report claimed that the decision was made along with Russia's announcement to withdraw its forces on Monday, described as an agreement reached with U.S. officials for a political process.The report says that "the withdrawal would be in areas like Aleppo, but the party will not withdraw from Damascus and areas adjacent to the Lebanese border, such as Qalmoun and Zabadani."
Speaking to the Anadolu Agency's Arabic desk yesterday, Ali al-Amin, an editor for the website, said that the militant organization will withdraw a large part of its fighters in Syria, but not all of them.
"The party will likely not officially announce it," he said.
Hezbollah fighters have been fighting in Syria in support of forces loyal to Syria's Bashar Assad, who is responsible for the killings of more than 300,000 people and displacing about 3 million other Syrians since the beginning of the civil war that has been ongoing for the past five years. Hezbollah has also backed regime forces in the siege of Madaya, leaving thousands of civilians without access to food, which had sparked international outcries, and has been accused of committing war crimes. Although Hezbollah has not reported the number of its fighters in Syria, reports claim that it has lost more than 1,000 of its fighters in the country.
