The truce in the south held for a year as the Syrian army was busy elsewhere, but Al-Qaeda still has a presence there and as the Syrians turn to eliminate it the Russians are right behind (above) them
Russia bombed rebel-held parts of southern Syria late Saturday for the first time since brokering a ceasefire there nearly a year ago, a monitor group said, as allied government troops prepared a ground assault.
Southern Syria is a strategic prize for local and global players involved in the country's convoluted seven-year war.
After securing the capital Damascus, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appears keen to recapture the southern provinces of Daraa and Sweida, still mostly held by rebels.
He has sent military reinforcements there for weeks, dropped flyers demanding rebels surrender and escalated bombardment in recent days.
Late Saturday night, his Russian allies bombed rebel-held towns in Daraa for the first time since the summer of 2017, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"Intense Russian air strikes are hitting towns in Daraa's eastern countryside for the first time since the ceasefire was agreed in southern Syria last year," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
Click for Full Text!