Syrian troops push south as U.S. condemns truce collapse

BEIRUT — Syria troops advanced against rebels in the south on Monday, in a week-long offensive that has displaced thousands and triggered U.S. condemnation.

The State Department on Monday blamed Russia, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, for the breakdown of a cease-fire agreement reached last year for the region, which borders Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Jordan, which is already hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, said it refuses to accept any more, as thousands displaced by the latest violence made their way toward the border.

Jordan hosts about 660,000 registered refugees but says the actual number is twice as high.

The pro-state Central Military Media said Syrian troops have seized most of the villages and towns in a rocky area in northeastern Daraa. The government’s aim is to reach the border with Jordan, currently in rebel hands.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the government has also been bombing areas in southwestern Daraa, seeking to take back an air base captured by rebels in 2014. The Observatory said the latest violence has reached Daraa, the contested city and provincial capital. At least 29 civilians have been killed and nearly 20,000 displaced over the past week, the Observatory said.

Washington said it was “concerned” about the situation in southern Syria and was communicating with parties on the ground, including Russia. The U.S. has called on Moscow to adhere to a de-escalation agreement for the region reached last year.

MOHAMAD ABAZEED/GETTY-AFP Smoke billows Monday over an area of Daraa that is occupied by rebels. Syrian forces bombarded the area as part of a week-long offensive that has displaced thousands.