Syrian regime moves fast on rebels in remaining Daraa towns

Syrian regime forces backed by Russia made sweeping advances on Monday against rebels holding out in the country's south, a monitor and regime media said.

The regime has been battling to oust rebels from the strategic southwestern provinces of Daraa and Quneitra since June 19, with a mix of heavy bombardment, ground attacks and negotiated surrenders.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that regime units and allied militias had made a "quick advance" against rebels in the western part of Daraa.

"Syrian regime forces captured the town of al Hara, as well as Samlin, Al Tiha and Zimrin," said the Britain-based war monitor's chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

The regime also took control of a strategic hill that overlooks the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, state media said.

It said the regime forces had taken control of Al Haara hill in the second day of a major offensive to seize remaining parts of southwest Syria in rebel hands that are close to the border with Israel.

Syrian regime forces now hold more than 80 percent of Daraa province but scored fresh gains on Monday against remaining rebel forces in its western countryside and in neighbouring Quneitra.

'Quick advance'

SOHR chief said regime forces had ousted rebels from Al Tiha in a military advance, while opposition forces in Al Hara had agreed a surrender deal.

Fighters in a nearby town, Nawa, were in talks for a similar agreement, he added.

Under such agreements, rebel forces hand over territory as well as their heavy and medium weapons to regime troops in exchange for a halt to bombing.

Fighting on a hilltop 

But militants holding a hilltop adjacent to Al Hara refused to agree to a handover, said the Observatory.

The regime and Russia responded by heavily bombing the hilltop, killing 30 militants from Al Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al Sham (or HTS).

Regime forces briefly overran the hilltop on Monday but an HTS ambush left 12 regime forces dead and forced them to retreat, Abdel Rahman said. 

The regime media said a string of villages, including Al Tiha and Zimrin, were captured from the militants.

Turkey, US discuss Manbij deal

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the US-Turkey deal on Syria's northeastern Manbij city with his American counterpart Donald Trump over the phone, Turkey's presidential press office said on Monday.    

Erdogan and Trump stressed that the common roadmap in Manbij would make a significant contribution for the resolution of the crisis in Syria, the office said.    

The deal was reached between Ankara and Washington in early June, which focused on the withdrawal of the YPG from the city in order to stabilise the region.    

The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK terror group, which has waged a bloody campaign against Turkey since 1980s resulting in the death of 40,000 people. 

PKK is considered a terror group by Turkey, the EU and the US.