The town, near the Lebanese border, has been the centre of fighting for more than two weeks between rebels and Syrian troops backed by fighters from the Lebanese militant¹ group Hezbollah.

 

Syrian state TV said a large number of rebels had died and many had surrendered.

 

It comes as key rebel leader said his men were ready to fight inside Lebanon.

 

Gen Selim Idriss of the Free Syrian Army - the main umbrella rebel group - told the BBC that Hezbollah fighters were "invading" Syria and Lebanon was doing nothing to stop them.

 

Syrian pro-government forces, including Hezbollah fighters, have been battling rebels for control of Qusair for more than two weeks.

 

The town lies just 10km (six miles) from the Lebanese border and along major supply routes.

 

But on Wednesday, Syria's Sana state news agency said the "heroic armed forces have returned security and stability to all of the town".

 

Sana said a large number of "terrorists", as the state refers to the rebels, had been killed and many had surrendered. It said the army was now destroying barricades² and weapons caches and searching the town for explosives.

 

In Lebanon, Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported "widespread collapse³" of the rebel forces in the town, while one Hezbollah fighter told Reuters news agency: "We did a sudden surprise attack in the early hours and entered the town. They escaped."

 

In a statement also quoted by Reuters, the rebels said: "In face of this huge arsenal⁴ and lack supplies and the blatant⁵（喧嚣的） intervention⁶ of Hezbollah... tens of fighters stayed behind and ensured the withdrawal⁷ of their comrades along with the civilians⁸."

 

AFP news agency quoted the British-based Syrian Observatory⁹ for Human Rights, an activist¹⁰ group that monitors the conflict, as saying Hezbollah fighters were in control of the town.

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