Syrian President Bashar al-Assad presses assault in southwest, civilians flee

The United States has warned it would take "firm and appropriate measures" in response to government violations of a "de-escalation" deal it brokered with Russia last year to contain the conflict in the southwest.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad |Photo Credit: PTI

Beirut: Syrian government forces pounded rebel-held areas of the southwest with artillery on Thursday, in a steady escalation by President Bashar al-Assad who has vowed to win back the area bordering Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12,500 civilians had fled the town of Busra al-Hariri and nearby areas of Deraa province in the last two days. Rebel officials gave conflicting assessments of the scale of displacement. A major government offensive in the southwest risks further escalating the seven-year-old war.