Hijab Says Syria Regime Collapsing

Syria's former prime minister, who defected last week, said Tuesday that the regime was collapsing and now only controlled about a third of the conflict-wracked country.

"The Syrian regime only controls 30 percent of Syria's territory. It has collapsed militarily, economically and morally," Riad Hijab told a news conference in the Jordanian capital.

Hijab fled to Jordan last week, the latest in a string of high-level defections from President Bashar Assad's regime, which is becoming increasingly embattled as the 17-month conflict shows no signs of abating.

Hijab's comments came as fresh fighting for control of key districts of Aleppo erupted while Syrian forces bombarded areas around Damascus and launched a new security operation in the capital.