Northwestern Syria offensive

Turkey said on Feb. 3 its military hit 54 of Syrian regime's targets after eight Turkish military personnel were killed by shelling in Idlib in northwest Syria, where fighting threatens to test ties between Ankara and Moscow.

An assault on rebel-held northwest Syria by government forces has pushed some 700,000 people to flee toward the Turkish border and raised the specter of an international crisis, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey said on Jan. 29.   

Recent attacks in Idlib province of Syria and the following refugee influx to the Turkish border are a national security issue for Turkey, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) spokesperson Faik Öztrak said on Jan. 29.

At least ten civilians were killed when Russian warplanes hit residential areas in Idlib, a de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, overnight, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 30.         

Some 21,000 civilians have fled Syria's northwestern region of Idlib to places near the Turkish border in the last 24 hours, amid heightened bombardments by the Syrian regime and Russia, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 27.

Russian warplanes have carried out fresh airstrikes in the de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, killing at least 12 civilians, a Syrian civil defense group said on Jan. 21.

The victims included nine members of a single-family, six of whom were children, in Kafr Taal in Aleppo province, according to White Helmets.

Nearly 27,000 civilians have fled Syria's northwestern region of Idlib to places near the Turkish border in the last three days, amid heightened bombardments by the Syrian regime and Russia, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 19.

The Syrian regime's warplanes struck several civilian settlements in the rebel-held Idlib, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 15.

The assault took place for the first time since a ceasefire agreed with Turkey came into force two days ago, witnesses and rebels sources said to Reuters.
They said the towns of Khan al Subl, Maasaran and several others in southern Idlib province were targeted after a two-day lull in aerial strikes against the last rebel bastion that had been bombed continuously for over a month.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu discussed the latest developments in the Middle East with his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo over the phone on Jan. 12.

Pompeo "reiterated the need for NATO to play a greater role in the region and stressed the U.S. commitment to the UN-facilitated peace process in Syria," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.