Syrian regime forces entered the strategic town of Saraqib in northwestern Idlib province, a war monitor reported Wednesday.
Regime forces have entered Saraqib after hundreds of rebel fighters retreated north of the town, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday warned the Bashar Assad regime to withdraw behind Turkish observation post lines by the end of February or face repercussions.
Erdoğan said Turkey will take action if the regime does not withdraw its forces to the designated areas.
Tension in Idlib spiked this week following the Assad regime's attack on Turkish soldiers.
In response to regime attacks, the Turkish military targeted Assad's forces throughout Monday. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also established temporary military bases and observation points in four different locations in Saraqib, which serves as the crossing point across the M4 and M5 highways.
Throughout the night, the TSK continued deploying additional military forces to the region. A military convoy of 10 vehicles crossed the border into northwestern Syria. The TSK bolstered its security on the key M4 and M5 artery highways. Turkish artillery has been pounding regime targets, with Turkish tanks patrolling the area to prevent any possible threat.
