Turkey-backed rebels launch offensive on Idlib jihadists

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that pro-Ankara Syrian rebels were staging a new military operation in Syria's northwestern Idlib province with the aim of pushing out jihadists who control the region.

The move comes as Turkey along with Russia and Iran prepare to set up a so-called "de-escalation" zone in Idlib in line with accords in peace talks in Astana aimed at ending the Syrian civil war.

Erdogan said the operation, which has not yet seen Turkish troops cross the border into Syria, was being conducted in coordination with Russia.

Idlib is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group led by al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, which ousted more moderate rebels in recent months.

HTS is not party to a deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran for the safe zone in the province, one of four such "de-escalation" zones across Syria.

Ousting HTS forces from the area will be needed to allow the arrival of Iranian, Russian and Turkish forces to implement a de-escalation zone.

He later told reporters the operation was led by Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels and that the Turkish army was "not yet" operating inside Syria.

The move comes a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Erdogan in Ankara, with both sides agreeing to push for the Idlib de-escalation zone.

The Syrian Observatory in the last week has repeatedly accused Syria and Russia of carrying out deadly air strikes in Idlib province with heavy civilian losses.

The Russian defence ministry said Saturday some 120 Islamic State group fighters and 60 foreign mercenaries were killed in a series of Russian air strikes in Syria over the past 24 hours.

Despite being on opposite sides of the conflict, Russia and Turkey have been working together intensely since a 2016 reconciliation deal ended a crisis caused by the shooting down of a Russian war plane over Syria.