Hundreds of Syrian rebels and their relatives left the southern city of Daraa on Sunday under a deal to bring the “cradle” of the country’s uprising back under government control. The transfers came as Russian-backed government forces advanced in the neighbouring province of Quneitra, with air strikes pounding rebel positions perilously close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. After securing Damascus in May, President Bashar al-Assad turned his attention to rebels in the strategically vital south, where protests against his rule first erupted seven years ago.