Attack in Syria's Idlib kills 29 Turkish soldiers

A total of 29 Turkish soldiers died as a result of an attack carried out by Syrian government forces in Syria's Idlib region, the local governor in the southeastern province said early on Friday. The Syrian Observatory, a war monitor, said the toll was 34 Turkish soldiers killed in air strikes in Idlib, where nearly a million civilians have been displaced near the Turkish border since December as Russia-backed Syrian government forces took territory.

Syrian President's forces have pushed hard in recent months to retake the last large rebel-held region in northwest Syria after nine years of war that has displaced millions and killed hundreds of thousands. NATO-member Turkey has sent thousands of troops and heavy military hardware into Idlib province to back its allied rebels against the offensive.