Hezbollah Militants Killed in Syria, Activists Say
Citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians inspecting the rubble of damaged buildings due to government airstrikes, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria, May 18, 201
Syrian activists say at least 23 Hezbollah militants have been killed in fighting for the town of Qusair, as Syrian forces press a weeks-long offensive to recapture the strategic area from rebels.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the deaths of the Lebanon-based militants Monday, saying more than 70 others were wounded.
Qusair is located along the Syrian-Lebanese border, and links Syria's capital Damascus to the Mediterranean coast. There was no independent confirmation of who controlled the town Monday. Controlling it would solidify President Assad's access to coastal regions largely inhabited by his minority Alawite sect. Qusair also has formed part of a cross-border smuggling route for rebels.
Syrian state media said the army had "restored security" to most of Qusair and was pursuing "terrorist groups" in the town. Syria uses the term "terrorists" to describe the rebels fighting a two-year war to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
The Latest Images from Syria
1/10Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (L) speaks with Shukri Bin Suleiman Harmasi (R), secretary general of the Tunisian Immutable Principles Party, during a meeting in Damascus, May 23, 2013.
2/10A Syrian rebel fires shells against government forces in Idlib, northern Syria, May 23, 2013.
3/10Security forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad take part in a field exercise at an undisclosed location, May 22, 2013. (SANA via Reuters)
4/10This citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens shows people gathered by houses that were destroyed in an airstrike in Qusair, Homs province, Syria, May 21, 2013.
5/10This citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens shows a man checking his house that was damaged by an airstrike, Qusair, Homs, Syria, May 21, 2013.
6/10This citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens shows rebels preparing to repel an attack by government forces, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria, May 19, 2013.
7/10This citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens shows Syrians inspecting the rubble of buildings damaged in government airstrikes, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria, May 18, 2013.
8/10A Free Syrian Army fighter fires back at the Syrian Army, Deir al-Zor, May 19, 2013.
9/10People travel on the back of a pickup truck in Deir al-Zor, Syria, May 19, 2013.
10/10Members of the Free Syrian Army cook food, Deir al-Zor, May 19, 2013.
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The Reuters news agency quoted opposition activists saying rebel fighters had pushed back the government forces.
As Syrian refugees continue to stream into Jordan and Lebanon, the international aid group Oxfam warned that warmer summer weather will increase health-related risks due to a lack of shelter, water and basic sanitation.
Increased cases of public health-related diseases such as diarrhea and skin infections have already been recorded in host communities and temporary settlements, where an increasing number of refugees now live.
In Lebanon's Bekaa Valley alone, there are now some 240 tented settlements, six times the number recorded in January.
As of May 2013, some 635,000 people are in need of assistance in Lebanon - both refugees and host communities - and Oxfam says it anticipates this number to increase to over 740,000 by November.
More than 80,000 people have been killed and several million displaced since the start of the rebellion against Assad in March 2011.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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