A main backer of the armed Syrian opposition, Turkey has sent in large military reinforcements into the rebel-held areas. Syrian military spokesman Gen. Ali Mayhoub said that government forces had gained a strategic advantage in recent days, according to a statement carried by Syria’s state news agency. He said that Syrian troops advancing from around Aleppo’s southern countryside had linked up with those coming from eastern Idlib. The Syrian army had seized a geographical area of more than 600 square kilometres (230 square miles) and captured dozens of towns and villages, he added. The buildup and the continued government advances sparked a rare clash on Feb. 3 between Turkish and Syrian soldiers that killed eight Turkish military personnel and 13 Syrian troops.

Source: thestar February 09, 2020 13:30 UTC