The United Nations says the 10-day-old offensive has uprooted at least 45,000 civilians
* Syrian army expanding its offensive in southwest
* Warplanes hit two towns for first time
* U.N. agency warns of "indiscriminate strikes" (Adds capture of villages, Islamic State)
By Tom Perry
BEIRUT, June 27 (Reuters) - Bombardment by pro-government forces forced four medical centres out of service overnight in rebel-held southwestern Syria as a Russian-backed offensive gathered pace, a medical relief group said on Wednesday.
President Bashar al-Assad has already driven rebels out of all areas near the capital Damascus this year and aims to restore control over rebel-held areas at the borders with Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The United Nations says the 10-day-old offensive has uprooted at least 45,000 civilians. Its humanitarian coordination agency OCHA said "indiscriminate strikes against civilian infrastructure continue to characterise the conflict".
Government forces are thrusting into rebel areas with Russian support, despite warnings from Washington which brokered a "de-escalation" deal with Moscow for southwestern Syria last year.
Washington had warned Assad of serious repercussions, but there has been no sign of action to stop him.
Warplanes hit the towns of Dael and Saida for the first time since the assault began, opposition activists said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the offensive had killed 47 people so far. UOSSM, a medical charity that operates in the area, put the death toll at 68.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was "concerned about the safety of tens of thousands of civilians caught in the line of fire or fleeing violence in the southern governorate of Deraa".
Northeast of Deraa, the pro-government forces captured three more villages on Wednesday, a military media service run by Assad's ally Hezbollah reported, after capturing the nearby town of Busra al-Harir on Tuesday.
ASSAD STRENGTHENED
Assad and his allies are now in their strongest position since the early days of a seven-year civil war in which half a million people have been killed and more than half of all Syrians driven from their homes.
Government forces have repeatedly been accused of striking medical facilities. Damascus and Moscow deny intentionally targeting them.
The Observatory said three hospitals were struck overnight in the towns of Saida, al-Jeeza and al-Musayfra near the Jordanian border to the east of Deraa city. UOSSM said that another medical centre in addition to those three was hit.
State-run TV station al-Ikhbariya said electricity to Deraa city - which is divided between rebels and the government - had been cut because "terrorist organisations" had targeted a power line in al-Musayfra, some 20 km (12 miles) to the east.
It also said 450 militants in Shaara, 60 km (40 miles) to the north, had turned themselves in.
The southwest is one of just two large areas of Syria still in the hands of rebels seeking to topple Assad, along with a region in the northwest near the Turkish border.
Washington's sponsorship of the truce in the southwest is one of the highest-profile U.S. diplomatic initiatives in Syria since President Donald Trump took office. But the OCHA said the big escalation in hostilities suggested there was "little commitment left to upholding the de-escalation agreement".
Washington has told Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels they should not expect military support against the offensive, according to a message sent to rebel commanders seen by Reuters.
Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said a total of five hospitals had been targeted in the campaign so far.
Ahmad al-Dbis, safety and security manager at UOSSM, said the bombardment had caused "material damage" to three hospitals on Wednesday. A fourth hospital, in Nawa, was also targeted and closed, though it was not directly hit, he said.
Jordan, which already hosts some 650,000 Syrian refugees, has said it will not open the border for new refugees. The Norwegian Refugee Council urged Jordan to ensure those fleeing could seek refuge. (Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Peter Graff and Gareth Jones)
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