Lebanese tribesmen humiliate HTS elite forces

Ongoing battles on Syrian Lebanese border have potential to undermine Al Jolani's assumed power in Syria

Al Jolani (centre) and HTS “Red Band” elite brigade members in Idlib 2024.

Extraordinary events have taken place on the borders with Lebanon and Syria over the last few days. It is very unlikely that this will be reported in Western media, still slavishly erasing the terrorist crimes of HTS members and self-elected President of “New Syria”, Abu Mohammed Al Jolani (Ahmad Al Sharaa).

Jolani’s Asaib al Hamra (Red Bands) Special Forces entered Lebanese border territory in Hermel under a spurious pretext of preventing smuggling operations between Syrian and Lebanon. This can easily be interpreted as collaborating with the Zionists to shut down all weapons smuggling routes for Hezbollah in Lebanon. The area between Homs, Al Qusayr and Hermel is a well known Resistance stronghold and a target for HTS operations since the Zionist-Turkish-US coup succeeded in toppling Syrian leadership back in December 2024.

On February 7th the Red Bands and so-called former ISIS factions launched their assault on the Beqaa region. The attacks were not only repelled by the Lebanese clans that reside in this area of Lebanon but the HTS elite terrorist forces were humiliated.

The attacks coincided with the arrival of President Trump’s deputy special envoy for Middle East peace, Morgan Ortagus. Ortagus outraged many in Lebanon when she visited newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace where she thanked the “great US ally for defeating Hezbollah”. Ortagus went on to demand that Hezbollah should be excluded from the new Lebanese government. This, despite, the party having secured the highest vote count in the preceding two parliamentary elections with a significant majorty over the second and third-placed parties. The following is a report from Vocal Politics:

In defiance of US diktats, the new Lebanese government has five Shia Muslim ministers approved by Hezbollah and the Prime Minister:

Rakan Nasser Al Din - Hezbollah - Health Minister

Mohammed Haider - Hezbollah - Labour Minister

Tamara Al Zein - Amal Movement - Environment Minister

Yassin Jaber - Amal - Finance Minister

Fadi Maki - Amal - Administrative Development

Ortagus had to send a letter of apology to President Aoun for what was said on the podium of Baabda Palace.

So, while the US agenda, which is in lock-step with the Zionist project in the region, was effectively blocked - the local tribes of Beqaa were simultaneously derailing Zionist plans using HTS as their proxy to secure border areas between Syria and Lebanon.

The main clans or tribes involved are the Al Jaafar, Al Mekdad and Al Zaiter. Journalist Nour Samaha wrote in 2012:

Originating from Arab tribes in the region, the clans of Lebanon are considered to have a rich history, and whose bonds can never be broken. From the fifth century until the 18th, the clans were based between Tripoli and Beirut, and then subsequently moved to Lebanon’s Bekaa region where they continue to reside.

What is important is that the tribes, alone, confronted HTS forces in the early stages of the incursion into Lebanese territory and defended their people against HTS shelling of farms and villages in the area. At least three Lebanese civilians were killed during the initial attacks and others were kidnapped by HTS - the tribes also killed a number of HTS elite forces and took others captive. Below is a video of the Beqaa tribes responding to HTS aggression against the border farms:

While Jolani’s captive media outlets and Telegram channels tried to dismiss the clashes as a drug gang-war, Resistance channels were countering with videos of the heavily armed clansmen proudly displaying HTS drones they had shot down over Lebanon. They issued threats that the road to Homs was now open and they would re-take Homs from HTS. At the same time, Resistance channels were publishing videos of ambulance convoys heading to Homs hospital with injured HTS elite fighters. A media censorship of photos of the injured was declared. The numbers of HTS dead and injured was mounting rapidly according to multiple sources in Syria and Lebanon.

Social media was buzzing with the news that HTS had called for reinforcements from Idlib to join the battle against the tribes. At one point it appeared that Jolani called for a ceasefire. All the time, reinforcements were arriving from the tribes in Beqaa bringing with them heavy weapons, artillery and new troops - I was told many of the weapons had been traded by the Syrian Arab Army since 2011 - in answer to a question on X that asked how on earth “farmers” got hold of such weapons.

On February 8th the HTS toll was announced by various Telegram channels to be 22 HTS dead, 80 wounded, 4 tanks out of operation and 7 drones destroyed.

HTS doubled down and extended the fight to include other sections of the Syria-Lebanon border.

“Coincidentally” while these conflicts were raging, Israel expanded its own aggression in southern Syria. A local Syrian source informed Al Mayadeen that the Zionist forces infiltrated the village of Ein Al Nuriyyeh in Al Quneitra’s north-eastern countryside.

The Zionist forces destroyed the remnants of two Syrian Arab Army artillery brigades close to the strategic hill of Ein Al Nuriyyeh. The occupation forces positioned themselves on the main road connecting Quneitra (near Golan territory) with Damascus countryside. Townspeople described a state of panic as Zionist military extended their incursions and patrols deeper into Quneitra countryside and the areas surrounding the Zionist-captured Mt. Hermon.

The Al Akhbar correspondent reported that HTS targeted the mountainous area of Qald Al Sebaa close to a Lebanese Army base. Based on directives of President Aoun, the Lebanese Army top brass issued commands to the forces on the northern and eastern borders to respond to HTS aggression. Ultimately the tribes withdrew to allow the Lebanese forces to take control of the border areas.

Israel targets Damascus during Lebanon border clashes.

Not only did Israel expand ground operations in southern Syria. They also began an intensive bombing campaign in Lebanon and Syria. They targeted the Deir Ali area in the Damascus countryside, hitting an abandoned military warehouse - civilian deaths and injuries were reported. The Zionists claimed they had targeted a Hamas weapons depot “based on intelligence information”. Local sources said the building was part of a former military housing complex and had been used as a clinic.

There was no comment or condemnation from the HTS Junta in Damascus.

Zionist forces then turned their attention to Daraa, south of Damascus. They penetrated the Yarmouk Basin area west of Daraa to greater depth than previously.

Syria was not the only target. Despite the faux ceasefire in southern Lebanon, Israel increased attacks on Lebanese towns and villages in the region. Israel also began bombing the Beqaa region targeting the tribes that were defending their families against HTS. This was a clear example of Israel working in collaboration with HTS forces - there have been many such examples over the last decade.

In response to the Israeli violations, HTS militants increased their line of attack on the borders with Lebanon and conducted a campaign of arrests and raids in the Syrian village of Al Zaina in the Masyaf countryside - in the Homs region.

The Syrian border with Lebanon is 394 km (245 miles) long. Israel has taken control of Mt Hermon, the highest vantage point in the south. It also plans to maintain control of the five highest points in southern Lebanon (discussed in last week’s UK Column News) despite the looming deadline of complete Zionist withdrawal from the south of Lebanon on the 18th February - an extension of the previous deadline of 26th January.

Five high points in southern Lebanon that Israel covets under the pretext that it will enable the Zionists to protect settlements in northern occupied Palestine.

HTS role is to act as a outreach agent for the Zionists and to take control of the Syria-Lebanon border to fully close down all potential weapons supply to Hezbollah and Hamas. HTS is ignoring Zionist overreach in Syria to focus on achieving the Zionist project to starve Hezbollah of resupply. It cannot be any clearer that HTS and Israel are hand-in-glove to extinguish the Resistance against Zionist occupation and oppression, in Palestine and the region.

However, the end result may be more of a blow to Jolani’s power base than to the regional Resistance. The recent border clashes have been an undeniable humiliation for Jolani. He sent his elite forces but they were unable to defeat Lebanese tribes unaided by Hezbollah or the Lebanese Army in the first days. Until now, Hezbollah has not joined the battles.

Jolani was forced to consider a ceasefire. His forces were unable to make inroads and were forced to call for reinforcements. Even with Zionist air support, the campaign was a disaster. It also demonstrated to the new Lebanese government - the dangers of excluding Hezbollah from the defence of Lebanese sovereignty.

Jolani is a warlord. He depends on the loyalty of his close circle and the military dominance of his elite forces to continue holding sway against the members of HTS that are constantly on the look-out for a chink in his armour. Despite all the Tony Blair, MI6 veneer and rebranding, Jolani is never going to keep control of disparate militias and foreign mercenaries operating across Syria, no longer confined to Idlib where Jolani also had major issues in keeping competitors on a tight leash.

Since these events, Syrian social media channels are reporting that HTS members are defecting to the newly formed Syrian Coastal Shield Resistance groups - consisting former Syrian Arab Army soldiers who refused to surrender their arms and would rather die fighting than in an HTS prison or under HTS torture.

From a personal perspective, speaking with friends in Syria, there is a sense of hope that HTS is not going to be around for long. The fact that Lebanese “farmers” have routed Jolani’s special forces who were overwhelmed despite superior fire power and equipment will inevitably have a domino effect among the Syrian people, especially the minorities that have suffered terrible persecution since Jolani came to power.

A new Iraqi Resistance group calling itself the Awliya Al Haqq Brigades has issued a statement expressing readiness to support the Alawites in Syria and to confront HTS.

Time will tell but Jolani’s first serious attempt to tackle the border with Lebanon did not end well for him.

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