By ReutersAMMAN - Syrian rebels captured an army base in the eastern oil province of Deir al-Zor on Thursday, striking another blow against President Bashar Assad.
But Syria's newly-united opposition is struggling to consolidate, and even allies such as Tunisia and Libya have yet to lend their official support.Slideshow: Inside Syria with Ann Curry (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/49260904/displaymode/1247/?wbSlideShowId=49260904&wbSection=news)(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/ss-121002-ann-curry-syria/ss-121002-ann-curry-syria-tease-1114a.photoblog600.jpg) (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/49260904/displaymode/1247/?wbSlideShowId=49260904&wbSection=news)Ann CurryAnn Curry photographs Syrian rebels and others affected by the conflict.Launch slideshowThe capture of the artillery base on the outskirts of Mayadeen, a town on the Euphrates River near some of Syria's main oilfields, further weakens Assad’s control in the strategic region bordering Iraq.
"The whole countryside, from the Iraqi border and along the Euphrates to the city of Deir al-Zor, is now under rebel control," Abu Laila, an official in the Military Revolutionary Council in the province, told Reuters.
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