Syria govt says set up security cordon as rebels advance on Damascus

In Sweida city, a local fighter told AFP that after government forces had withdrawn “from their positions and headquarters, we are now securing and protecting vital facilities”.In the central Homs area, a key stepping stone to Damascus, the Observatory said government forces had brought “large reinforcements” and stopped the rebel advance.Government forces have also pulled out of Deir Ezzor in the east, with Kurdish-led forces saying they had moved in.An Iraqi security source told AFP that Baghdad has allowed in hundreds of Syrian soldiers, who “fled the front lines”, through the Al-Qaim…