BEIRUT: Regime forces have retaken several villages in northwestern Syria, a monitor said Thursday, a move that could tee up an offensive against the last major rebel bastion of Idlib.
More than six years into the deadly Syria conflict, Idlib province, which borders Turkey, is the only major region in the country still completely beyond government control.
Fierce clashes have in recent days pitted regime forces against Fateh Al-Sham Front, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, on the edge of the province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
“The army took several villages,” the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said.
He said the government push was backed by Russian air strikes and added that the “regime wants to seize the southeast of Idlib province.”
The latest fighting took place in villages on the border between Idlib and Hama provinces where clashes have been ongoing for two months.
The government has had no presence in Idlib province since 2015.
Fateh Al-Sham, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, crushed its former rebel allies in the summer to become the dominant force there.
Idlib is one of four “de-escalation” zones in Syria covered by a deal meant to reduce violence levels that was struck in May by government backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey.
More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from their homes since Syria’s conflict erupted with anti-government protests in 2011.
Syria forces move in on rebel bastion of Idlib
Syria forces move in on rebel bastion of Idlib
Sirens heard at Incirlik air base, key NATO facility in south Turkiye: state news agency
- Key NATO facility where US troops are stationed near the southeastern city of Adana
ANKARA: Sirens were heard early on Friday at Turkiye’s Incirlik air base, a key NATO facility where US troops are stationed near the southeastern city of Adana, state news agency Anadolu reported.
There was no immediate official comment on the incident, which took place four days after NATO air defenses shot down a ballistic missile in Turkish airspace that was fired from Iran, the second in five days.
Residents of Adana, which lies 10 kilometers away from the base, were woken at around 3:25 a.m. (0025 GMT) by sirens, which sounded for around five minutes, according to the Ekonomim business news website.
It said a red alert sounded at the base.
Several people posted mobile phone footage on social media of a glowing image flying through the sky, suggesting it could be a missile heading for the air base, it said.
Across the city, sirens from fire engines and the security forces could be heard for a long time, it added.
NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran on Monday, prompting a stern warning from Turkiye to Tehran not to take “provocative steps.”
The announcement came shortly after Washington said it was closing down its consulate in Adana, urging all American citizens to leave southeastern Turkiye.
Since the US-Israeli war against Iran started, Tehran has launched strikes across the Middle East. Turkiye had appeared to have been spared.
As well as Incirlik air base, US troops are also stationed at Kurecik, another Turkish base that is a NATO facility in the center of the country, where a Patriot missile defense system was deployed on Tuesday.
A first missile had been intercepted by NATO defenses in Turkish air space on March 4.
