Beirut, May 12 (IANS) At least eight fighters from the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah were killed in the past 48 hours in clashes against Syrian rebels fighting on the border between Lebanon and Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Hezbollah militants were killed in fighting in the al-Qalamoun highlands against Islamist insurgents, including fighters from Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of the Al Qaeda, the NGO reported citing.
Meanwhile, Al-Manar television channel, operated by Hezbollah, reported on Tuesday that the Shia fighters took control of several hills west of Ras al-Maara town, according to Efe news agency.
Hezbollah, an ally of the Bashar al-Assad regime, does not usually confirm its casualties.
According to figures released by SOHR in April, Hezbollah has lost 682 of its members since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011.
Last week, clashes broke out once again in al-Qalamoun, where pro-government troops launched a series of attacks to expel rebel opponents.