Idlib offensive begins as Turkey calls for cease-fire

Russian-backed Syrian government forces began an attack in Idlib against the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, as the presidents of Iran, Russia, and Turkey met in a high-level summit over the state of the Syrian conflict. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said a series of airstrikes early Friday targeted rebel posts and killed one fighter in southwest Idlib. About 3 million people reside in the northwestern Idlib province and its surrounding area. Nearly half of the region’s population are displaced Syrians, including 10,000 insurgents. The United Nations warned a full-scale attack on the region could trigger a humanitarian crisis.

At Friday’s summit in Tehran, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a cease-fire and agreed with the UN’s assessment, adding that the government attack on the region could threaten his country’s national security. Turkey already hosts some 3.5 million Syrian refugees and refuses to receive more. Russian President Vladimir Putin maintained Russia’s stance that the Syrian government has the right to regain full control of its country, including Idlib. Taking a similar stance, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said terrorism must “be uprooted in Syria, particularly in Idlib,” and called for U.S. troops to leave the country.