Hezbollah fighters captured a Syrian village near the border with Lebanon on Tuesday after intense fighting with Islamic militants, the group's television station said, while an activist said battles are concentrating near a strategic Syrian hill.

Tuesday's fighting in Syria's Qalamoun region came hours after members of al-Qaeda's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, posted a video showing seven Lebanese troops held hostage by the militants since last year. The battles also come amid reports in Lebanon that Hezbollah and the Syrian army are expected to launch an offensive against members of the Nusra Front and the Islamic State group in Qalamoun.