Zionist-Backed Terrorists on the Ropes:

Syrian Troops Make First Advances in South

Date: 23 June 2018 - 21:45

News ID: ۵۴۳۱۳

BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- Syrian forces on Saturday made their first gains on the ground against foreign-backed terrorists in the southern province of Daraa after several days of intensified bombardment, a London-based monitor said.
Since Tuesday, government troops have been ramping up shelling on terrorist-held areas in Daraa's eastern countryside ahead of an apparent military offensive against the terrorists there.
"Government troops made their first advance in the area since the military escalation on Tuesday, seizing the villages of Al-Bustan and Al-Shumariya in the eastern part of Daraa province," said the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The shelling and clashes are currently focused on a wedge of militant territory between Daraa's eastern countryside and the western part of the neighboring province of Sweida.
The army seems to want to split that wedge into a northern and southern section, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said, "to facilitate their operations and increase the pressure on rebel factions, allowing it to advance more quickly."
Syrian state news agency SANA also reported the advance, saying army units edged forwards against terrorists in Daraa's east.
After securing the capital Damascus, Syrian troops have turned to the country's south, where foreign-backed militants still hold a majority of the provinces of Daraa and Sweida.
Southern Syria is a particularly strategic zone: it borders both Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and also lies close to Damascus.
The Observatory has noted an "ongoing escalation of shelling and clashes in eastern and northeastern parts of Daraa province."
The government has used airstrikes and artillery against terrorists in Daraa province.
Even as the government hints at a looming assault, talks between international brokers may see a negotiated settlement for Syria's south.