Assad defies United States, presses assault in southwest Syria

By Angus McDowall and Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on opposition areas of the country's southwest on Friday for the first time in a year, a war monitor and rebel officials said, in defiance of U.S. demands that President Bashar al-Assad halt the assault. Assad has sworn to recapture the area bordering Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the army this week began ramping up an assault there, threatening a "de-escalation" zone agreed upon by the United States and Russia last year.

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