Sheikh Qassem: Hezbollah’s fighting in Syria deters militant threat to Lebanon

Hezbollah’s deputy-chief Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated on Saturday that his party’s participation in the Syrian conflict is to deter the militant threat to Lebanon.

“If we did not fight in Syria, we would have had to fight in every house we have and in every village and city in Lebanon,” Qassem said.

“We went to Syria to fight in the backyard before the militant threat could reach the house, and to stop its progress,” Qassem noted, adding that his party, along with its allies, had managed to defeat extremists and their supporters.

“The militants were dispersed and began fighting each other,” he concluded by saying.