Armed Forces: Activists: Hundreds of rockets are deployed in southern Syria

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According to activists, Yuryi and Russian forces have carried out the most violent attacks on Daraa province since the beginning of their offensive, there are two weeks. "Hundreds" of rockets and barrel bombs fell early in the morning in southern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, based in the United Kingdom. The UN Security Council is carrying out the offensive on Thursday during an emergency meeting.

A journalist from the AFP news agency reported the most intense bombardment since June 19 south of the provincial capital Daraa. Syrian state television showed live images of large black clouds of smoke after air raids. Hussein Abazeed, spokesman for the rebel south-south command, said the Russian Air Force was pursuing a "scorched earth policy" to force insurgent fighters to the negotiating table [19659009WithawithdrawaloffightersfromtheirremainingareasSyrianleaderswantedtoturntherebelareas"intohell"saidtheobservatoryTheorganizationclosetoarmedopponentsandwhosedemandsaredifficulttoverifyalsoreportedairstrikesonthecityofTafasinthenorth-westoftheprovinceandinareasneartheJordanianborder

Samer Hamsi, 47, who fled the city of Daraa with his wife and four children, told AFP that he was "permanently bombed". People would have sought refuge under olive trees or in tents – without drinking water or emergency medical badistance nearby. They are exposed to unprotected aerial attacks.

According to the Observatory, six civilians were killed in the city of Saida, including one woman and four children. A few hours later, government troops completely took control of the city. For the first time in three years, the troops also conquered a security post at the border with Jordan.

Since 19 June, the Syrian army, supported by Russian fighter jets, has launched a major offensive against rebels in the south of the country. According to UN figures, up to 330,000 people have since been put to flight.

The province of Daraa is bordered by Jordan and the Golan Heights, which are mainly occupied by Israel. In the border areas, many refugees remain in the most difficult conditions. Neither Jordan nor Israel want to register it. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch warned of a humanitarian crisis and called on both states to open their borders.

According to the Observatory, control of more than 30 sites in Daraa has since been transferred to the government – partly through agreements with the rebels and partly through a PTO. The government of Bashar al-Assad now controls three-fifths of the province. The death toll since the beginning of the offensive has been reported by the Observatory at 149, including 30 children.

The reconquest of Daraa would be an important and symbolic victory for Assad. The demonstrations against Assad began in March 2011 in the country's rural province. They have turned into a national conflict that has claimed more than 350,000 lives since then.

Filippo Grandi, a member of the United Nations Refugee Commission, lamented at the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York that the conflict would hinder the provision of relief supplies to Jordanians. Again, thousands of people would die if there were no emergency measures.