Intercepted Radio Conversations Gives An Insight Into The Fighting In Qusayr

Over the past week a major battle has been taking place in Qusayr, Homs, between Syrian opposition forces, and forces reportedly made up of the Syrian army and Hezbollah fighters from nearby Lebanon.    Various claims and counter claims have been made about the progress of the battle, with channels reporting from the outskirts of the town with pro-government forces, and opposition Youtube channels posting videos from inside the town.

One video posted today claims to be radio communications between government forces in town, and offers some insight into the ongoing battle from the government side

Many thanks to my translator for transcribing the entire conversation into English.  The conversation is among a number of people, with one person apparently attempting to organise several groups, so this just lists what's being said without specific individuals named.  The men on the radio are referring to each other by various nicknames, such as Mazloom 12, Mazloom 13, Murtada, etc.


- I have a broken tank, send the maintenance team to Abu Hasan. O Mazloom, there is a broken tank.
- Kareem, Kareem, I need a stretcher, I have two casualties.
- Alright brother, just wait a second.  Mazloom! Mazloom!
Who is there? Who is calling for me?
- Come near brother as I told you. Join me, can you see where I am?
- Abu Ridda, Michael, there are hundreds of them opposing us. The sniper is firing at me, I am retreating back.
-Abu Ali …. Mazloom.
- Send us an ambulance please.
- Alright.
- Abu Yaser ….. Where are you Abu Ali?
- Abu Hasan …… Slingo.
- Slingo …. We told Mazloom.
- Did you know where I am? Oh man! You were firing at me a while ago.
Abu Ridda ….  Abu Yaser.
I can hear you. Man! Nobody is getting near, nobody is dares!
- Abu Haidar …..
- Carbalaa’
- Mazloom! I need tanks. Send me 23 (mm gun) now!
- Luay …. Abu Hasan. Join me bro! Come here! Where are you? Are you near the cypress trees?
- Bro! Can you see the tanks column? Go there! Join me!
- I am firing at the house one B7 (RPG-7).
- Wait while I locate you.
- Look! I am on the right of the water tank. Can I go forward?
- Where are you now?
- I am on the right of the water tank.
- Hamza ….. Mazloom! Look out! Bring the tanks closer and let’s get to the mosque, move!
- My tank has stopped. Call on Mazloom.
- Mazloom … 13.
- I can hear you bro.
- Abu Hasan, the sniper there is firing at me and my comrades, I can’t get across. Can you call on one of those guys in order to decide what to do?
- I need someone from Mazloom’s group bring the maintenance team. My tank has stopped in the street.
-Manzoom! There is wounded comrade here.
- Kaukab! Let Abu Rhidda tell me where I should go with the ambulance.
- Bro! Those are our comrades. Nobody fires a shot!
Mazloom 12 …. Mazloom 13!
- Can you call from there? Nobody hears me while I am here.
- Nobody has answered. Nobody is answering my calls!
- Abu Rhidda, I will get there under cover of the dushka. Find those two on the road.
- Cover isn’t needed, the road is safe. Come here! Hurry up!
-Turn to the right when coming here, there is an unpaved road, take it. Follow the trail of the tank. I removed the shell out of the canon, but I am not sure if it still works, and I don’t know if I should get near you or not. Where should I fire the shell?
- Fire it a bit to the east, at the houses, fire it low, not high. Fire it where I fired the first one, but if you fire it elsewhere it will hurt us.
- I will fire one there.
- If it is still working, bring it here.
- I can hear you. Where are you?
- The sniper is blocking my road. I am stuck and he doesn’t let me move.
- Tell him where you are and where you want the paramedics to go.
- Michael! Are the wounded with you now? Reply please!
- Slingo, can you find the road that we took?
- We told you many times to send us a vehicle, it’s urgent.
- Where should I send the ambulance, Murtada?
- Ali Hasan, send it to Mujahed if you find him.I am near him.
- I was under constant fire … Put it (aim at) behind the water tank. They are behind the water tank firing at us using B7 (RPG-7).
- Abu Rhidda, I can’t join you though I am not very far away. Oh bro! Our comrades are being killed by snipers. Where is the stretcher?
- I am against you. There are causalities lying on the ground. There are another two here.
- What should we do now?
- Send reinforces here, Abu Hidar is calling.
- Fire two shells at the houses facing you. Also fire a shell to the west. There are two snipers on your right, fire at them.
- Abu Hasan’s tanks to the east are firing at us!
- There is a casualty here, he is wounded in his back.
- There are two wounded there, they are still lying on the ground. Somebody bring them!
- It’s batteries are catching fire!
- I will send the maintenance team. Just wait a minute.
- Are all those tanks belong to us or just we own only one?
- There are eight comrades wounded. Go and recover them quickly. They were ambushed there.
- Abu Ali, come here quickly with the tank!
- He was wounded in his leg and I was badly wounded.
- Nobody fires! All Mazloom’s men retreat now!
- Guys! There are a lot of casualties there.
- Abu Hasan, I will send you more troops near the props, just send me a car

It's of course very difficult to authenticate radio conversations like this, but several people who have listened to it who are familiar with regional accents claim these are all Lebanese accents, so this might actually be radio communications between Hezbollah fighters in the area.

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