Intense clashes erupted Monday on a strategic hilltop in northwestern Syria as Kurdish forces tried to enter the area a day after it was captured by Turkish troops. Separately, in the nearby rebel-held province of Idlib, suspected Syrian government airstrikes killed at least 21 people and put a hospital out of order. The violence has overshadowed a peace conference hosted by Russia that was due to open in Sochi on Monday. Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia in control of Afrin, the People's Defense Units or YPG, an extension of the Kurdish insurgency within its borders. The Interior Ministry said the suspects, who are accused of supporting the Syrian Kurdish forces, were detained in the past week but did not provide further details.

Source: ABC News January 29, 2018 10:24 UTC