Assad's forces in southern Syria knock out 3 hospitals, war monitor says

Government air raids struck moretowns in rebel-held southwest Syria on Wednesday and knocked outhospitals overnight, a war monitor said, as a Russian-backedoffensive gathered pace with no sign of Washington followingthrough on a pledge to respond.

Warplanes targeted the towns of Dael and Saida for the firsttime since the assault began, and the UNSyria envoy Staffande Mistura warned it could turn into a situation like thebattles of eastern Ghouta and Aleppo combined.

SyrianPresident Bashar al-Assad has already driven rebels out ofall areas near the capital of Damascus this year and aims torestore control over rebel-held areas at the borders with Jordanand the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The United Nations says the 10-day-old offensive hasuprooted at least 45,000 civilians. Syrian government forces are thrusting into rebel areas with Russian support, despitewarnings from the United States which brokered a "de-escalation"deal with Moscow for southwestern Syria last year.

Government forces are thrusting into rebel areas withRussian support, despite warnings from Washington, which brokereda "de-escalation" deal with Moscow to halt fighting insouthwestern Syria last year. Washington has warned Assad ofserious repercussions if he orders an assault, but there hasbeen no sign of action to stop him.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the offensive had killed 47 people sofar and the wider airstrikes on Wednesday were forcing morepeople to flee. UOSSM, a medical charity that operates in thearea, put the death toll at 68.

'Caught in the line of fire'

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said itwas "concerned about the safety of tens of thousands ofcivilians caught in the line of fire or fleeing violence in thesouthern governorate of Deraa."

Northeast of Deraa, the pro-government forces captured threemore villages on Wednesday, a military media service run byAssad's ally Hezbollah reported, after capturing the nearby townof Busra al-Harir on Tuesday.

Assad and his allies are now in their strongestposition since the early days of a seven-year civil war duringwhichhalf a million people have been killed and more than half of allSyrians driven from their homes. Assad has vowed to reassert hiscontrol over every part of the country.

Government forces have repeatedly been accused of strikingmedical facilities in opposition-held areas. Damascus and Moscowdeny intentionally targeting them.

The observatory said three hospitals were struck overnightin the towns of Saida, al-Jeeza and al-Musayfra near theJordanian border to the east of Deraa city. UOSSM said that inaddition to the three that were hit, a fourth hospital was shutafter a shell fell nearby.

No U.S. support for rebels

State-run TV station al-Ikhbariya said electricity to Deraacity which is divided between rebels and the governmenthadbeen cut because "terrorist organizations" had targeted a powerline in al-Musayfra, some 20 kilometresto the east.

State television said about 1,000 people, includinghundreds of fighters, had agreed to accept government rule inShaara, 60 kilometresto the north. It showed scores of themwaving flags and chanting pro-Assad slogans.

The Hezbollah media service said hundreds of families hadcrossed front lines from Dael to government territory to escaperebel control.

The southwest is one of just two large areas of Syria stillin the hands of rebels seeking to topple Assad, along with aregion in the northwest near the Turkish border.

Washington's sponsorship of the truce in the southwest isone of the highest-profile U.S. diplomatic initiatives in Syriasince U.S. President Donald Trump took office.

Washington has told Free Syrian Armyrebels theyshould not expect military support against the offensive,according to a message sent to rebel commanders seen by Reuters.