Representatives of Syria’s government and Hezbollah held secret talks in Turkey last month in an effort to ease tensions, according to officials and sources familiar with the meeting.

The discussions, described as the first known face-to-face talks between the sides, were arranged at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies. Hezbollah representatives met with officials from Syria’s intelligence services and Foreign Ministry.

Relations have been strained since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom Hezbollah supported militarily for years during Syria’s civil war. Syria’s new government has accused the terror organization of continuing to move weapons through Syrian territory.

According to a Syrian official, both sides agreed that they held no hostility toward each other. Damascus also assured Hezbollah that it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group.

In return, Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to help halt cross-border smuggling and dismantle its remaining sleeper cells in Syria, particularly in the south.

The official said Hezbollah did not directly answer those requests but pledged not to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.

The report comes after Syrian authorities announced Tuesday that they had captured a Hezbollah cell allegedly preparing to launch rockets from southern Syria. Hezbollah denied the accusation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)