(Zaman Al Wasl)- A Western-backed FSA faction attacked regime bastions in the Syrian desert after bombing its outposts near the Jordanian border early Tuesday, press offcier said.
Usoud al-Sharqiya, which is the largest group operating in the Syrian Desert bordering Jordan, has attacked regime checkpoints and barracks in Sabe' Byar, a strategic territory lies to the east of al-Tanaf border corssoing with Iraq, according to Saad al-Haj, the press offcier.
The moderate group that operates under the banneer of the Free Syrian Army, has also attacked Tishreen Thermal station and Khelkhelah military airfield zith heavy artillery, al-haj added.
Early Tuesday, the regime warplanes struck Usoud al-Sharqiya outposts near the Jordanian border, bringing the war closer to Syria's U.S.-allied neighbour to the south.
The airstrikes, at around 3 a.m. (0000 GMT) were the first near that part of the border, a Jordanian official said. They came hours after Syria's foreign minister warned Jordan against sending troops into his country.
"The Syrian regime's jets conducted four strikes against us," said Tlas al-Salameh, the commander of Osoud al-Sharqiya.
Salameh said one airstrike hit a border area where the rebel group shelters families of its fighters, others hit a rebel outpost 8 km (5 miles) from the Rukban camp where more than 80,000 refugees are stranded.
Salameh, whose group was hit by Russian bombers last year in an attack that angered the Pentagon and Jordan, said there were no casualties from Tuesday's raids.
Salameh said the rebels had retaliated by firing rockets at Khalhala military airport, northeast of the government-held city of Sweida.
The Syrian military could not immediately be reached for comment.
The FSA groups financed and equipped by a Western and Arab operations room in Amman have been given more support in recent weeks in the campaign to drive out ISIS from the area, Western intelligence sources say.
The U.S. has expanded the rebels' Tanf base, further east along the border, which rebels and Western intelligence sources expect will be used as a launchpad for any assault on the ISIS stronghold of Bukamal on the Syrian-Iraqi border.
The rebels have succeeded in recent weeks in routing ISIS from swathes of territory in the area, including former stronghold Bir Qassab.
Salameh said heavy fighting with the Syrian army was taking place in the Sabaa Biyar area where he said the army was trying to capture territory on the Damascus-Baghdad route that is mostly in the hands of ISIS. (With Reuters)
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