A string of Syrian government gains in the Damascus suburbs and mounting pressure on rebels in the north is likely to complicate Western efforts to persuade the opposition to attend planned peace talks, analysts say.
Five towns south of Damascus have fallen into army hands in the past 10 days, according to rebels. In the north, a rebel commander was killed in Aleppo, where the opposition was forced to issue an order this week for all armed groups to mobilize to the front lines.
After more than 2½ years of conflict, the United States, Russia and the United Nations are scrambling to bring the two sides to the negotiating table before the end of the year. But both the political opposition and its armed forces have outlined preconditions for talks.