In Syria, Turkish troops shot down two Syrian warplanes after the Syrian military downed a Turkish drone, a major escalation in the direct conflict between Syrian and Turkish forces. Turkey’s decision to ease border restrictions came amid a Russia-backed Syrian government offensive into Idlib Province. That offensive has killed dozens of Turkish troops and led to a surge of nearly 1 million Syrian civilians fleeing the fighting toward Turkey’s sealed border. A Turkish official said the fighting in Idlib was directly linked to Turkey’s decision to open the gates for refugees to Europe. Turkey already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, as well as many others from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Source: Taipei Times March 02, 2020 16:07 UTC