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BEIRUT: The Syrian army has seized a chunk of territory from rebels in the southwest, media run by Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday, the first major government advance in an offensive near the Jordanian border.
The capture of the area including the town of Busra al-Harir cut across an opposition-held finger of territory in northeastern Deraa province, where President Bashar al-Assad has pressed his assault despite U.S. warnings.
Syria's southwest region is strategically sensitive because of its proximity to the frontiers with both Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The United States and Russia, Assad's most powerful ally, last year agreed a "de-escalation" zone in the area that has helped to contain the violence there.
The United States has told Syrian rebel factions they should not expect military support to help resist the offensive, according to a copy of a message sent by Washington to the commanders of rebel Free Syrian Army groups in the area.
The United States has repeatedly warned Assad against violating the "de-escalation" zone, saying it would have “serious repercussions” and pledging “firm and appropriate measures.”