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Syrian troops have captured a famed Crusader castle near the border with Lebanon, raising the two-starred government flag above the stone ramparts of the 12th century fortress after days of intense clashes with rebel fighters. Lebanese private broadcaster, Al-Mayadeen TV, aired footage of Syrian soldiers walking unopposed into the Crac des Chevaliers on Thursday.
The loud crackle of celebratory gunfire could be heard as troops explored the sprawling castle, which is a Unesco World Heritage site, according to AP.
The military’s push into the Crac des Chevaliers marked the latest battlefield gain for President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
Government troops have seized at least four towns and villages during the past two weeks near the border with Lebanon, as the army tries to sever opposition supply lines across the mountainous frontier.
The biggest blow to the rebels came with the fall of their stronghold of Yabroud, near Lebanon’s eastern border, on Sunday.
But the government capture of the Crac des Chevaliers, which dominates the surrounding valley and terraced hills below, marked another setback for the rebels, for symbolic reasons as much as strategic ones. Rebels had controlled the castle since 2012.
“Our efforts, those of the Syrian Arab Army and the National Defence Forces, were crowned today by raising the Syrian flag on the Crac des Chevaliers,” an unnamed Syrian army colonel said. — AP
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