Hizballah's Nasrallah 'holds meeting' with Assad on Syria-Lebanon border

Embattled President Bashar al-Assad held a meeting with Hizballah's Hassan Nasrallah recently at a secret location on the Lebanese-Syrian border, a pro-regime Lebanese newspaper has claimed.

Assad reportedly met the Hizballah chief in a tent amid tight but low-key security, according to Ad-Diyar, a newspaper closely linked with the regime's Lebanese allies.

"Hassan Nasrallah was transported via a secret route - usually taken by villagers - to Damascus to meet with Assad in a tent with only six security personnel," the newspaper claimed.

The meeting between the two leaders lasted for four hours.

"A security operation took place approximately 10km away from the meeting point to distract militants, Israel and others," Ad-Diyar reported.

No minutes were taken during the meeting, the source said, while the motives for the highly-secretive discussions were
not clear.

Hizballah has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to aid Bashar al-Assad's decemated armed forces, contributing a large part of the anti-rebel ground forces.

The Lebanese militias and pro-Tehran fighters are now thought to outnumber Syrian troops.

It is believed that this has given Nasrallah huge leverage over the Assad government, with Damascus historically a supporter and financier of Hizballah.

Hizballah recently held a military parade in Syria, analysts say highlights its growing confidence in the country and as an "army".

Saudi newspaper al-Arabiya claimed that the covert border meeting showed Nasrallah's growing influence over Damascus. 

Although Ad-Diyar did not mention a source, the newspaper is closely linked with Hizballah.

The newspaper has also supported the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, one of the few political groups tolerated by the Syrian regime and whose members have also volunteered to fight for Damascus.