Heavy clashes are under way between Syria’s southern rebels and the regime army's elite 4th Armored Division at the eastern gate of Daraa city, the rebel command said.
Al-Bunyan al-Marsous, the operation room of key armed factions in southern Syria, said rebels have blockaded units from the 4th Armored Division east of the Daraa Camp suburb, according to a statement posted online.
The Assad regime backed by Iran and Shiite militias has stepped up its air and artillery bombardments on Daraa after a two-day cease-fire expired and despite U.S.-Russian talks on "de-escalation zones" in southwestern Syria that would incorporate Daraa.
On Tuesday, Al-Bunyan al-Marsous launched a surprise attack on the strategic base in the Old City of Daraa that connects the eastern and western countrysides.
If the Syrian army manage to take rebel-held parts of Daraa and the few kilometers between it and the border, it would split the insurgent-held areas of southeast Syria in half.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
