Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah hails the movement's military commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was slain at the hands of Takfiri groups in Syria last month.

In a speech to mark 40 days since the killing of the commander, Nasrallah hailed him as a “strong and courageous commander” who never gave up defending the cause of the Lebanese resistance movement.

He said Badreddine believed Hezbollah had a big role to play in Syria and Iraq in defending the countries against the Takfiri militants.

The 55-year-old Hezbollah commander led Hezbollah's military wing, which is helping the Syrian government drive out foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists from Syria.

The Hezbollah leader added that Badreddine was involved in all phases of the conflict in Syria almost from the onset of the foreign-backed militancy in the Arab country in 2011.

“Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which have brought thousands of militants to Syria in the past months, have failed in their plan to topple the Syrian government,” Nasrallah pointed out.

Nasrallah went on to say that Hezbollah forces are fighting what he described as "an American-Saudi Takfiri project that threatens the whole region."

He also referred to Arab media reports that Hezbollah fighters were about to be defeated in the Syrian city of Aleppo as “lies”, adding that over 600 terrorists were killed and some 80 tanks and military vehicles were destroyed in joint operations with Syrian army forces in the northwestern city in June alone.

Hezbollah fighters are fighting alongside Syrian government forces against a range of terrorist groups operating in the country, including Daesh and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front.

The movement has been helping the Syrian army to prevent the spillover of the crisis into Lebanon.
Nasrallah added that the military campaign in the city of Aleppo is the "greatest battle" in Syria, vowing to send more fighters to support Syrian forces.

He also vowed that the slain Hezbollah commander's comrades will continue their unwavering resistance against the Daesh Takfiri terrorists and other militant groups wreaking havoc in the region.

Hezbollah will "increase its presence in Aleppo... because the real, strategic, greatest battle is in Aleppo and the surrounding area," Nasrallah said.

Badreddine was killed by militant artillery shelling near the Damascus International Airport on May 13.

He also directed military operations against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and was a frequent target of attempts by Tel Aviv, Washington and its allies to assassinate or capture him.

Badreddine was the cousin and brother-in-law of Imad Mughniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel in 2008.

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