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SYRIA-CONFLICT
Intense Syria regime shelling on rebels in south: monitor
BEIRUT, July 15, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Syrian government forces have been
intensively shelling the southern province of Quneitra since early Sunday and
seized part of the region, a war monitor said.
“The bombardment started from 03.00 (midnight GMT) and continued for the
last six hours,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights.
“Around 800 missiles and shells have been fired against several areas in
the province and fierce fighting continues on the ground between regime
forces and rebels,” the chief of the Britain based monitor said.
Regime forces have retaken the area of Masshara, he added.
“Bombardments have also hit areas in (neighbouring) Daraa province.”
He did not immediately provide an estimate of casualties.
After securing Damascus and outlying areas of the capital, President Bashar
al-Assad’s regime on June 19 launched an offensive against Daraa, with
support from Russia.
The Daraa onslaught took less than three weeks to break the rebels’ grip,
with the regime now in control of more than four-fifths of that province’s
territory, the monitor said.
Rebels and jihadist groups still control 70 percent of Quneitra, while the
Syrian government is in full control of Sweida — a third southern province –
– the Observatory added.
Quneitra province borders the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Israel has been on high alert in recent weeks as Assad’s forces have
tackled rebel-held areas of southern Syria.
Abdel Rahman said that unlike in Daraa, fighter planes had not been used in
the Quneitra offensive and that Russia was not yet taking part.
The Israeli army said on Friday it had fired a missile and “very probably”
destroyed a drone flying over the demilitarised zone between Israel and
Syria, after intercepting another drone on Wednesday.
Spurred on by Russia’s entry into Syria’s civil war in 2015, Assad’s regime
now controls 61 percent of the country’s territory, according to the
Observatory.
Syria’s conflict has killed more than 350,000 people since March 2011.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1418 hrs