Earlier, state media said Syrian troops had entered Saqba, a town in a southern pocket of eastern Ghouta. It was the latest town to be captured by the Syrian troops and allied militia in a swift advance over the last few days. Tens of thousands of residents fled the advancing Turkish troops and allied Syrian fighters backed by intense airstrikes. ——11 a.m.A senior Syrian Kurdish official has denied Turkey’s claim to have captured the northern Syrian town of Afrin, saying fighting is still underway. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the Syrian fighters entered the town with Turkish forces amid intensive airstrikes.

Source: National Post March 18, 2018 08:26 UTC