A rescue group in Syria says 10 people were killed in an air raid

BEIRUT – Dozens of Syrians marched Tuesday toward the Israeli-occupied border with the Golan Heights, fleeing the Syrian government's offensive in south-west Syria. The displaced have waved white flags on Israeli soldiers before they return, according to activists.

The brief demonstration on the border comes as Syrian and Russian air strikes intensify in the Quneitra countryside and in the western province of Daraa. At least 10 civilians were killed when a Russian air attack hit a school that serves as shelter in the village of Ain el-Tineh in the Quneitra countryside, about 7 kilometers from the border Israel, according to a Syrian source.

Moaz al-Assaad, a photographer from Quneitra, said that when he went to the border, the protesters were dispersed. Israeli media reported that Israeli soldiers shouted through loudspeakers to ask the crowd to go back.

The International Rescue Committee said that the government's advance has trapped tens of thousands of Syrians displaced along the borders. The aid group said that there were urgent concerns for the safety of about 160,000 people who fled to the region earlier this month and who are now caught between the border and the US. Advanced Syrian army.

The IRC estimates that about 5% of displaced people live "There is really no other place to go to get security for these people, they can hear the Fights get closer and worry, it's only a matter of time before the front line reaches them. ", Said Mark Schnellbaecher of the IRC

The United Nations said last week that more than 230,000 people have been displaced since June 17 in southwestern Syria, ordan and the heights of the Golan. Jordan said it would not open its borders to newly displaced Syrians.

Since June, Syrian troops and allied forces have taken control of most of Dara'a province, including the eponymous capital that was the cradle of the uprising. Assad seven years ago. Hundreds of fighters and their families were evacuated to northern Syria after an agreement with the government.

With Daraa in control, government forces focused on the area close to the border with Israel. . A group affiliated with the Islamic State group holds a parcel of territory at the southern end of the region.

Tuesday, Khaled Solh, of the Syrian Civil Defense, said that a school building in the village of Ain el-Tineh was being used as shelter. families who were forced to flee their homes were hit by an alleged Russian air strike. Russia supports Assad forces in its military campaigns around Syria.

Al-Assaad, the photographer, reported at least 20 wounded on the scene, including children.