A spate of car bomb attacks against Shia towns and villages in Lebanon has caused an increase in the number of young men volunteering to fight for Hezbollah in Syria, members of the group have told the Telegraph.

"All the men from this area are getting guns and asking to fight in Syria, whether they are already members of Hizbollah or not," said one supporter of Hezbollah, who asked not to be named. "We are in a critical situation and we have to fight for the sake of the Shia."

The report depicts the town of Hermel which today "has the feel of a town at war".

"Sandbags are piled around the town's most popular cafe, the owner's effort to protect his customers should any suicide bomber target his front entrance. Cars with blacked out windows and no licence plate - the wagons of Hizbollah intelligence, are everywhere, roaring through the narrow streets or tucked down alleyways, watching passers by. Nobody dallies in the street for long," it describes.

Two Hizbollah members separately said there had been increase in the number of men willing to fight in Syria: "first they need to be given proper training. Only if they are good men do we let them join our ranks," said one, asking not to be named.

Thousands of fighters from have travelled to neighbouring Syria to fight alongside government troops in the last two years.