Syria intensifies bombing of rebel-held areas

The Syrian government is bombarding the town of Nawa, determined to retake the largest opposition holdout in the country’s southwest. At least a dozen people died and more than 100 were wounded in the densely populated town. The government launched at least 350 missiles on Nawa and surrounding areas after talks to cede the town failed Tuesday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syria has stepped up its offensive on remaining opposition pockets in the southwestern region, which includes the Daraa and Quneitra provinces that straddle the border with Jordan and the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Separately, some 7,000 civilians were expected to evacuate from two pro-government villages in northwestern Syria as part of a negotiated deal with insurgents who have besieged them for three years.