Airstrikes pound southern Syria, causing thousands to flee
Airstrikes pounded rebel-held areas in southwestern Syria on Thursday, killing at least 17 civilians in an underground shelter and driving thousands from their homes as scores of displaced people protested near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, demanding international protection.
The Syrian government pressed ahead with its offensive to reclaim the strategic region that extends along the border with Jordan and the Golan Heights that until recently was part of a U.S.-backed and -negotiated truce.