SUMMARY

Hezbollah and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (also known as Jabhat al-Nusra li al-Sham) fought on Lebanese soil for the first time in 2013. Hezbollah ambushed members of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in mid-December as they made their way into Lebanon through the porous border between Lebanon and Syria. More clashes occurred in 2014, with the deadliest one taking place in early October.

The conflict between the two groups has strong ties to the war in Syria, with Hezbollah supporting President Bashar al-Assad while Jabhat Fateh al-Sham seeks to overthrow the Government of Syria.

The non-state conflict between Hezbollah and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham is first included in UCDP data in 2013. In December of that year, Hezbollah ambushed members of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham which resulted in over 30 battle-related deaths.