Balance of power shifting in southern Syria in favor of opposition

During the past few weeks a new serious threat has been emerging for the Assad regime in southern Syria, Al Arabiya TV reported on Thursday, August 20th. Opposition fighters have launched a military campaign that for the first time may actually gain complete control over the city of Deraa, the capital of this southern province that is located at the doorsteps of Damascus.
Assad’s military and proxy forces are planning to set major defensive positions in the southern front. Currently, their attention has been focusing on not losing this strategic front because during the past few years they have never been able to completely route out the opposition from these areas.
In response, Syrian opposition forces have learned the southern fronts are some of the country’s best areas where they can unite and organize their ranks and files in the war against the Assad regime.
Day by day it becomes crystal clear that the advances made by the rebels in the south is much better than the advances made in the north. Deraa is only 100 kilometers from Damascus, whereas various villages and towns in this province are located just 50 kilometers from Damascus and are linked to the Syrian capital with an international highway. This distance is much less than the northern areas where the rebels are controlling. For example, the city of Aleppo is distanced 400 kilometers from Damascus.