Turkish-backed Rebels in Syria Claim to Take Back Idlib Town

Syrian rebels say they have retaken control of Nairab, a town in northwestern Idlib Province that Syrian troops recently overran in an ongoing offensive. The rebels are supported by Turkey, which has been threatening to attack Russian-backed forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the offensive got underway in December. Turkey has several observation posts in the province and is seeking to prevent the influx of further refugees from Syria’s civil war, which goes into its 10^th year next month. The offensive has added close to a million more people to those already displaced, and Turkey currently hosts an estimated 3.6 million Syrians, whose presence is angering many Turks. In Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that a delegation from Russia would be arriving on Wednesday to continue talks aimed at a cease-fire. Idlib is the last area of Syria with a major rebel presence, and the recapture of Nairab signals the first setback for advancing Syrian troops. The rebels say they now have their eyes on a main highway intersection connecting a strategic north-south road with the coast.