Rebel factions have advanced to within 20 kilometers of the capital Damascus after taking control of the southern province of Deraa, according to statements made Saturday by a rebel commander and a monitoring group.
The fence of the border between Israel and Syria as seen from a hill on the Golan Heights © Mena Today
Rebel factions have advanced to within 20 kilometers of the capital Damascus after taking control of the southern province of Deraa, according to statements made Saturday by a rebel commander and a monitoring group.
In related developments, seven civilians were reportedly killed near Homs in airstrikes carried out by Russian and Syrian forces, according to human rights organizations monitoring the conflict. These strikes underline the ongoing toll on civilians caught in the crossfire of the decade-long war.
Meanwhile, government forces are reported to be withdrawing from Quneitra province, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, marking another strategic shift in the conflict. This withdrawal comes as pressure mounts on the Syrian regime from various fronts.
Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a cooperation agreement between the two countries' defense ministries on Wednesday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group continues its missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
Ankara rejected on Wednesday what it called the "prejudiced and unfair" stance of the European Union towards fundamental rights and the judiciary in Turkey, and regarding Cyprus, contained in the bloc's report on EU membership candidates.
Turkey's parliament is set on Wednesday to ratify a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that includes a collective defence clause, committing NATO's second-largest army to Riyadh's defence as it faces attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
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