Turkey warned that the advances by Russian-backed Syrian regime forces and their allies threaten a fresh humanitarian disaster in Syria's northwestern Idlib province.
In a letter to The New York Times, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned that US-backed YPG terrorists have an alliance with Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad and are sending forces to help him recapture Idlib.
As military action by Syrian regime forces appeared imminent in the last big opposition and rebel enclave of Idlib, Turkey, the UN and parties negotiating a settlement for the seven-year-war scrambled to prevent a humanitarian disaster.
The Syrian regime is gearing up for an expected offensive in Idlib province, which is home to nearly 3 million people and has a large al Qaida presence in addition to opposition and rebel groups.
The rescue and aid group says any attack in the area could pile on the misery for millions of people who have already fled the wider war. Idlib, in the northwest, is one of the few parts of the country still held by opposition to the Assad regime.
While the US has warned the Syrian regime over its actions on a deescalation zone in the south of the war-torn country, any US military intervention has been ruled out by the Trump administration.
The move comes as part of an offensive launched on Thursday with an aim to inflict a final defeat on Daesh in a western desert bordering Syria.
Iraqi troops began an offensive to drive out Daesh militants from Rawa, the last stronghold of the group in the Iraqi western border with Syria.
James Mattis arrived in the Iraqi capital on Monday, as US-back Iraqi forces entered day two of their campaign to take western Mosul from Daesh.
The international agency has urged all the armed forces to avoid use of heavy weapons in the populated areas and to provide safe exits to avoid civilian casualties.
The Iraqi prime minister's statement coincides with a fresh offensive to dislodge Daesh from villages around Mosul, their last major stronghold in Iraq.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for all latest in-depth, on the ground reporting from around the world.
Copyright © 2020 TRT World.
Like
Follow