Syrian army soldiers are deployed in Aleppo province, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on February 17, 2020 Reuters'Contacts with Turkey are continuing'Russia on Wednesday warned Turkey against attacking Syrian forces after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch an operation in Syria's Idlib region. "If we are talking about an operation against the legitimate authorities of the Syrian republic and armed forces of the Syrian republic this would of course be the worst scenario," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added however that Moscow would not object if Turkey acted against "terrorist groups in Idlib" in accordance with existing agreements. Syrian forces, backed by Russian air power, have pressed a brutal offensive in Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in the northwest of the country, sparking fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. In 2018, Russia and Turkey agreed to enforce a demilitarised zone in the Idlib region from which "radical" fighters would be required to withdraw.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 19, 2020 14:15 UTC