DAMASCUS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia is supporting the Syrian forces from the air in the battles in southern Syria as dozens of militants surrendered to the army, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper said Monday.
The militants in the countryside of the southern provinces of Sweida and Daraa were "unable" to stand the attack of the army, which has captured several areas between the two provinces, al-Watan said.
The Syrian army has unleashed the first stage of a wide-scale offensive on the rebels in the countryside of Daraa and nearby Sweida to liberate those areas.
The operation comes after faltering Israeli-Russian talks about the situation in rebel-held areas in the southern provinces of Daraa, Qunaitera, and Sweida.
The Syrian army has moved toward liberating areas in southern Syria after fully securing the capital Damascus and its countryside over the past few months.
But the situation there is not simple, as the areas in southern Syria such as in Daraa Province, near Jordan and Qunitera, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, are included in the de-escalation zones' deal, an internationally-backed cease-fire deal.
In addition, the Islamic State group, allied with militant groups in Daraa and al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, still holds some pockets in the countryside of Sweida.
As strategic provinces in Syria, Daraa links the capital Damascus with the Jordanian border, while Qunitera is close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
