Rebels in Syria's south brace for onslaught, fear wider war

Rebels in southern Syria who were once backed by the United States fear a new offensive by President Bashar Assad's forces, one that risks igniting a wider conflict.

A government push to the south could bring allied Iranian and Russian forces even closer to the increasingly tense frontier with Israel, and to US forces based further to the east. A breakdown in security across the region could also provide an opening for Islamic State militants to regroup.