ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey called on Russia and Iran on Wednesday to pressure Syrian authorities to halt a military offensive in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, which Damascus launched despite an international deal to reduce hostilities there.
As pro-government forces pressed the assault, the Russian defense ministry’s newspaper said Moscow had asked the Turkish military to tighten control over armed groups in Idlib. It said militants had used the province as the launchpad for a drone attack on two Russian bases in the last week.
Idlib has become a focal point of the Syrian war as government forces and allied militia have thrust toward an insurgent-held air base. Idlib, bordering Turkey, is the largest single chunk of Syria still under the control of rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.