Turkish Media: 25,000 People Flee Idlib Region in Syria over Past 2 Days

Intensified bombardment by Syrian and Russian forces in the region of Idlib have forced at least 25,000 Syrian civilians to flee the region and head toward Turkey over the past two days, Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reports. Turkey already hosts 3.7 million Syrian refugees – the largest refugee population in the world. The Idlib region, the last major rebel-held territory in Syria, is home to up to 3 million Syrians. The UN reports that hundreds of people have been killed this year in attacks on civilian areas of Idlib. A fragile ceasefire ostensibly ended the Syrian and Russian military campaign that was launched in the area in late April. But airstrikes reportedly killed 17 people in the area on Friday. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he is committed to recapturing Idlib. Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday that 50,000 people were fleeing Idlib, heading toward the Turkish border. Anadolu said Sunday that an additional 25,000 had fled over the past two days. Anadolu said 205,000 have been displaced in the Idlib region since early November.