Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the continued presence of Russia’s major naval and air bases in his country help counter the influence of Western powers in the region as the battle to crush foreign-backed terrorists was winding down.

Al-Manar Episodic Documentary, Second Liberation Secrets, displayed during Friday’s episode the footage of the direct meeting between Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and the Resistance fighters on the eve of Qusseir battle in 2013.

Over the years, a solid network of religious parties and clerics has formed, controlling a large part of the employment process in government departments.