Syrian regime has stepped up its aerial and ground bombing on the southern province of Daraa, killing two women and 10 rebel fighters as clashes take place in the Old City of Daraa, local activists said.
Regime warplanes have conducted 30 raids on rebel-held countryside, dropping more than 38 barrel bombs; as well 23 surface-to-Surface missiles have hit rebel-held neighborhoods.
Local opposition activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh told AP that pro-regime forces pounded the divided city with airstrikes and artillery fire on Sunday, one day after rebels attacked army positions.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least three different parts of the city have come under rocket and missile attack by government forces, and that rebels are returning fire.
Regime military media distributed footage showing its planes and artillery striking built up areas.
Daraa is understood to lie within four "de-escalation" zones around Syria, where Russia, Turkey, and Iran have guaranteed cease-fires between the warring parties. The precise boundaries of the zones are unclear.
The clashes have also taken place in al-Manshiya neighborhood, the regime’s largest barracks in Daraa and which is a home for 20,000 people.
At least 250 regime troops and militants from Hezbollah were killed since the fight erupted in February in al-Manshiya, rebel news feeds said.
Pro-regime social media mourned 10 regime soldiers and 5 Hezbollah militants killed in al-Manshiya this week.
In their turn, rebels have attacked regime bastions and Air Intelligence headquarters with home-made missiles, Al-Bunyan al-Marsous, a military operation room, said.
Rebels fired Omar missile on regime barrack in Sejna neighborhood as well they destroyed a tank in with U.S-made TOW missile.
On Thursday, at least 15 civilians were killed when two explosive devices detonated on the road of Kafr Shams-Aqraba in the northern countryside.
The suspected regime attack targeted a vehicle carrying Free Syrian Army commanders , activists said.
Last week, Free Syrian Army launched 40 Grad rockets on military convoys near the town of Izra’, mostly Shiite militiamen, field sources said.
The militants were heading the southern province as regime army is mobilizing troops to face an imminent battle with the US-backed Syrian forces at the border with Jordan.
Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous said the rockets attack left dozens killed and wounded.
Basher al-Assad’s regime has accused Jordan of intervening in Syria by backing and supporting armed opposition along with Britain and the US.
Activists, also, warned of regime attempt to overrun the Old City of Daraa, backed by thousands of Lebanese and Iraqi militants.
More than 465,000 people have been killed by the Syrian regime and allied militias since the conflict began in March 2011 with demonstrations against Assad
