Syrian regime forces battled rebels and were hit by Turkish artillery barrages as they tried to seize the town of Saraqeb in northwestern Idlib province in a new push to recapture the last rebel stronghold, witnesses and a war monitor said.
Government forces backed by airstrikes had on Wednesday encircled and entered Saraqeb, 15 km (9 miles) east of Idlib city, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had said in a report corroborated by witnesses.
The town, Saraqeb, sits at the intersection of two major highways, one linking the Syrian capital of Damascus to the north and another connecting the country' west and east.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes inside the town between Syrian troops and opposition fighters.
The swift advance toward Idlib city has caused a new exodus of thousands of civilians toward the border with Turkey, which backs some insurgent groups fighting Assad.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday he expects Russia to stop the Syrian government's attacks in the northwestern region of Idlib immediately, adding that Ankara needs to work with Moscow to resolve problems in the region.
Speaking to reporters in Baku, Cavusoglu also said in televised comments that a Russian delegation would come to Turkey to discuss Idlib and that Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan may hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after those talks if necessary.
The renewed fighting is taking place despite a Jan. 12 ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides of the conflict.
Shelling by Syrian regime forces killed eight Turkish military personnel on Monday, prompting Turkish forces to strike back.
Erdogan threatened on Wednesday to drive back Syrian troops in Idlib unless they withdraw by the end of the month to stem an assault which he said had displaced nearly 1 million people.
The United States, Britain, and France requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the escalating situation in northwestern Syria. The open meeting is expected to take place Thursday and include a briefing by the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, and UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, diplomats said Wednesday ahead of an official announcement.
The United Nations warned Wednesday that the humanitarian situation in the northwest was deteriorating.
Some 586,000 people have been displaced since Dec. 1 and over 100,000 others are "facing an immediate risk of displacement," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
He said many of the displaced fled with only the clothes on their back and food, shelter, water, sanitation, and education are urgent priorities. A humanitarian plan for the next six months to help up to 800,000 people in the northwest is seeking about $336 million, Dujarric said.
