Syrian rebels claimed to have seized a key southwestern city close to the border with Jordan as on Saturday they pressed on with a lightning-fast offensive that threatens to further destabilize a region already convulsed by war. "Once they get Homs, then really Damascus is cut off and they'll all be centered around Damascus and Latakia on the coast." But Hellyer said there was not yet a definitive outcome to the conflict despite the rebels' rapid advance. The collapse of government control in Daraa and the threat to Homs signals a growing vulnerability in Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s hold on power. The observatory says more than 820 people, including 111 civilians, have been killed across the country since the rebels began their offensive.

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Persons: “, Bashad Al, Assad, OMAR HAJ KADOUR, Hellyer, hasn't, Bashar Al, Deir, Israel Organizations: NBC, Syrian, Human Rights, ”, Getty, Royal United Services Institute, NBC News Locations: Jordan, Daraa, Hayat Tahrir, U.K, “, ”, Hama Saturday, BAKR, AFP, Syria, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Russia, Iran, Tartus, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, H.A, London, Latakia, Idlib, Raqqa, Jaber, Golan