Al Jazeera, 19 July 2015

After suffering a series of defeats in various fronts across Syria at the hands of opposition fighters, Assad’s military forces in Syria are now attempting to retake the town of Zebdani with the support of Lebanese Hezbollah.
Assad is resorting to the tactic of ‘burned grounds’, the opposition says, adding that in addition to launching hundreds of missiles and artillery barrages the regime has dropped nearly 500 deadly barrel bombs on this town. Assad’s militants, supported by Hezbollah fighters, are attempting to literally destroy this town and thus retake it from Syrian opposition fighters. Latest reports from Zebdani indicate that dozens of locals were injured under Assad’s artillery attacks while trying to flee the town.
Syrian opposition fighters are saying they have destroyed a tank belonging to Assad forces and a large number of Hezbollah fighters have also been killed.
During the past few months Assad and his allies have suffered major defeats from the opposition. Assad and his forces have lost border crossings in the south along the Jordan border, the city of Bisra and other cities in Dera’a Province. These defeats have reached Jesr al-Shughur and villages leading to the Syria’s western coastlines. Assad has also suffered major defeats in Aleppo, Tadmir and other areas in Homs.
These setbacks have plunged the value of Syria’s currency, the lira, to its lowest point ever. It appears that Hezbollah has gained no success in this war.