Syria's regime and its Russian ally Friday took control of a key southern border post with Jordan, a monitor said, more than three years after it was seized by rebels.

 

"Cars carrying Russian military police and representatives of the Syrian government's border administration entered the Nassib crossing without a fight," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

 

The move came as rebels said they were close to a deal with Moscow over a handover of territory in southern Syria, two weeks after the launch of a Russian-backed regime offensive.