Syrian rebels capture main border crossing with Jordan
Syrian rebels and fighters from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front have captured the only functioning border crossing with Jordan and three nearby military posts, prompting government bombing raids on the area, activists said Thursday.
Ahmad al-Masalmeh, a Syrian opposition activist based in the southern city of Daraa, said militants completed "combing" operations in the area early Thursday, adding that government forces withdrew in the direction of the nearby Sweida province. The Nasib crossing is the only functioning crossing between Jordan and Syria and is considered a crucial gateway for Syria's government and for Syrian, Lebanese and Jordanian traders and merchants. Syrian state TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that government forces have regrouped near the crossing and taken "positions in new military points."
