Hezbollah sends 2,000 fighters to Syria: AFP

Hezbollah has sent 2,000 fighters to western Syria, to the city of Al-Qusayr, in the governorate of Homs – a source close to the group told Agence-France Presse (AFP).

"Hezbollah sent 2,000 fighters to the Qusayr area... to defend its positions there and has not yet participated in any battles" with Syrian rebels, the source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Read more: Syria: What makes Homs so important?

The battle of Qusayr was pivotal in the earlier years of the Syrian conflict, as the city overlooks the border with Lebanon and is part of the governorate of Homs, which links the capital Damascus to coastal cities where two Russian bases lie.

Al-Qusayr lies 35 kilometers south of Homs and is situated in a mountainous area overlooking Syria's border with Lebanon which lies 15 kilometres to the southwest.