A government helicopter was shot down by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-army-advances-into-idlib-set-to-retake-rebel-bastion-279807">Syrian rebels</a> in the northwest, where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/250000-migrants-fleeing-from-syrias-idlib-towards-turkey-tayyip-erdogan-271660">Syrian troops</a> are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people.

Two crew members were killed when the helicopter was shot down and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-threatens-damascus-slams-moscow-over-idlib-massacre-280294">government forces</a> came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria. This would extend President Bashar Assad's control over Syria for the first time since 2012.

Syrian troops have been on the offensive with support from Russia for weeks in Idlib province, where stands the last rebel stronghold. Parts of nearby Aleppo are also under fire, which has triggered a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-civilians-killed-as-syrian-government-presses-idlib-offensive-274750">humanitarian crisis</a> involving the mass displacement of 700,000 people. Reports from the UN indicate that Several hundred civilians have been killed.

Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-attack-in-idlib-kills-4-turkish-soldiers-278296">Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers</a>

The deaths of 13 on both sides of the clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops worsened the conflict, and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-reinforces-troops-in-syrias-idlib-talks-with-russia-279554">prompted Turkey</a>, which supports the Syrian opposition, to send hundreds of vehicles into Idlib to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey.

3.6 million Syrian refugees are currently <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-planes-pound-idlib-as-offensive-escalates-turkey-france-call-for-de-escalation-270092">situated in Turkey</a>, with more flowing into its border as the fighting continues. Backed by Turkish artillery, the fighting was concentrated near the village of Al-Nayrab as rebels reportedly tried to retake the village that they lost last week.

Insurgents shot down the government helicopter gunship, killing the two crew members on board. Followed this was an airstrike which&nbsp;reportedly killed 7 people and injured 24, half of whom were children. Syrian troops have reportedly secured the highway that links southern Syria with the northern city of Aleppo. M5, another name for the highway, is vital for the country's economy as well as for advancing reinforcements.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting</a>

Another victory for Assad is marked by the capture of this highway, as his forces have been progressing with leaps and bounds since 2015 with Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed fighters on the ground. Government forces have been capturing parts of the 450-kilometre highway for the past three years as it cuts through the country's four largest cities.

A government helicopter was shot down by Syrian rebels in the northwest, where Syrian troops are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people.

A government helicopter was shot down by Syrian rebels in the northwest, where Syrian troops are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people. Two crew members were killed when the helicopter was shot down and government forces came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria. This would extend President Bashar Assad's control over Syria for the first time since 2012. Syrian troops have been on the offensive with support from Russia for weeks in Idlib province, where stands the last rebel stronghold. Parts of nearby Aleppo are also under fire, which has triggered a humanitarian crisis involving the mass displacement of 700,000 people. Reports from the UN indicate that Several hundred civilians have been killed. Watch: Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers The deaths of 13 on both sides of the clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops worsened the conflict, and prompted Turkey, which supports the Syrian opposition, to send hundreds of vehicles into Idlib to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey. 3.6 million Syrian refugees are currently situated in Turkey, with more flowing into its border as the fighting continues. Backed by Turkish artillery, the fighting was concentrated near the village of Al-Nayrab as rebels reportedly tried to retake the village that they lost last week. Insurgents shot down the government helicopter gunship, killing the two crew members on board. Followed this was an airstrike which reportedly killed 7 people and injured 24, half of whom were children. Syrian troops have reportedly secured the highway that links southern Syria with the northern city of Aleppo. M5, another name for the highway, is vital for the country's economy as well as for advancing reinforcements. Also Read: Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting Another victory for Assad is marked by the capture of this highway, as his forces have been progressing with leaps and bounds since 2015 with Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed fighters on the ground. Government forces have been capturing parts of the 450-kilometre highway for the past three years as it cuts through the country's four largest cities.

Syrian insurgents shot down government helicopter; airstrikes on Idlib followed

Reports have emerged of&nbsp;up to 50 Pakistani fighters having been killed in military action in Syria.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stop-migrants-crossing-in-aegean-sea-erdogan-to-turkey-coastguard-284932">Also Read:&nbsp;Stop migrants crossing in Aegean Sea, says Erdogan to Turkey coastguard</a>

Although Pakistan has refused to comment,&nbsp;reports of photographs of the funeral of the Pakistani troops taking place on March 2 in the city of Qom has emerged recently.

Watch Video:

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The fighting has escalated dramatically in recent days in Idlib in northwest Syria, where Turkey has sent thousands of troops and military vehicles in the last month to counter Syrian government forces’ advances in the last remaining bastion held by rebels.&nbsp;

On the opposite side in Syria’s nine-year conflict is Russia, which supports President Bashar Assad and has also carried out airstrikes in recent days.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-russia-have-agreed-on-syria-ceasefire-from-midnight-president-erdogan-284594">Also Read: Turkey, Russia agree on Syria ceasefire</a>

On Thursday, Turkey and Russia had agreed to a cease-fire deal after talks in Moscow to contain a conflict that has displaced nearly a million people in three months.

Pakistani mercenaries are reportedly aiding Turkey in their operations. However, Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not respond to the reports.

In fact, a few weeks ago, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had denied having any knowledge of Pakistani nationals fighting on Syrian soil.

The Pakistan foreign minister while answering a question to WION's Islamabad Bureau Chief Anas Mallick, Qureshi had said reports of Pakistanis fighting in the Syrian war were inauthentic.

Reports have emerged of up to 50 Pakistani fighters having been killed in military action in Syria. Also Read: Stop migrants crossing in Aegean Sea, says Erdogan to Turkey coastguard Although Pakistan has refused to comment, reports of photographs of the funeral of the Pakistani troops taking place on March 2 in the city of Qom has emerged recently.

Reports have emerged of up to 50 Pakistani fighters having been killed in military action in Syria. Also Read: Stop migrants crossing in Aegean Sea, says Erdogan to Turkey coastguard Although Pakistan has refused to comment, reports of photographs of the funeral of the Pakistani troops taking place on March 2 in the city of Qom has emerged recently. Watch Video: The fighting has escalated dramatically in recent days in Idlib in northwest Syria, where Turkey has sent thousands of troops and military vehicles in the last month to counter Syrian government forces’ advances in the last remaining bastion held by rebels. On the opposite side in Syria’s nine-year conflict is Russia, which supports President Bashar Assad and has also carried out airstrikes in recent days. Also Read: Turkey, Russia agree on Syria ceasefire On Thursday, Turkey and Russia had agreed to a cease-fire deal after talks in Moscow to contain a conflict that has displaced nearly a million people in three months. Pakistani mercenaries are reportedly aiding Turkey in their operations. However, Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not respond to the reports. In fact, a few weeks ago, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had denied having any knowledge of Pakistani nationals fighting on Syrian soil. The Pakistan foreign minister while answering a question to WION's Islamabad Bureau Chief Anas Mallick, Qureshi had said reports of Pakistanis fighting in the Syrian war were inauthentic.

Reports of Pakistani fighters killed in Idlib; no response from Imran govt

Government airstrikes have hit hospitals and refugee camps in northwest Syria and killed about 300 civilians as President Bashar al-Assad's forces press an assault against the last rebel stronghold, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Government airstrikes have hit hospitals and refugee camps in northwest Syria and killed about 300 civilians as President Bashar al-Assad's forces press an assault against the last rebel stronghold, the United Nations said on Tuesday. UN officials said relief agencies were overwhelmed by the humanitarian crisis as nearly one million civilians, most of them women and children, had fled towards the Turkish border in bitter winter conditions to escape the onslaught. "Civilians fleeing the fighting are being squeezed into areas without safe shelter that is shrinking in size by the hour. And still, they are bombed. They simply have nowhere to go," UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said. Also Read: Syrian forces consolidate control of Aleppo, air strikes underway Syrian and Russian warplanes meanwhile kept up raids on the town of Darat Izza in Aleppo province on Tuesday, witnesses said, a day after two hospitals there were badly damaged. At Al Kinana Hospital, blown-out walls and dust-covered medical cables and supplies were strewn about the hospital after two staff were wounded on Monday, witnesses said. Ankara said talks with Moscow on Idlib were "not satisfactory" and Turkey would deploy more troops to the region. Turkish and Russian officials held a second day of talks in Moscow with no apparent agreement on Idlib, where the latest push by Russian-backed Syrian government forces has killed several Turkish troops. Watch: Turkey-Russia talks on Syria's Idlib inconclusive Russia said both sides restated their commitment to existing agreements aimed at reducing tension in Idlib. A statement did not mention Turkey's demand for Syrian government forces to pull back. Turkey says it cannot cope with a new refugee influx in addition to the 3.6 million Syrian refugees already stranded inside its borders. Appearing on national television on Monday, Assad said the rapid military gains presaged the eventual defeat of the nine-year-old insurgency against him although it could still take time. The rebel factions include Turkish-backed rebels and jihadist militants. Possible war crimes UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville, asked if Syria and Russia were deliberately targeting civilians and protected buildings, said: "The sheer quantity of attacks on hospitals, medical facilities, and schools would suggest they cannot all be accidental." The attacks could constitute war crimes, Colville told a briefing in Geneva. The UN human rights office said it had recorded 299 civilian deaths since January 1, about 93 per cent caused by the Syrian government and its allies. Also Read: 250,000 migrants fleeing from Syria's Idlib towards Turkey: Tayyip Erdogan The swift advance of government troops, backed by Russian airstrikes, through northwest Syria has caused the biggest displacement of the war as people flee towards a shrinking pocket near the Turkish frontier where insurgents hold their last strongholds. A UN spokesman, David Swanson, said close to 900,000 people have fled conflict zones in Idlib province and western Aleppo since December, more than 80 per cent of them women and children. Many have been unable to find shelter and are sleeping outside in freezing temperatures, burning plastic to stay warm and at risk of disease and death. "Only half of all the health facilities in the northwest are still functioning now," Swanson said. Hurras Network, a Save the Children partner in Idlib, said seven children including a seven-month-old baby had died from freezing temperatures and bleak conditions in camps. About 525,000 children are among those trapped, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said. Also Read: Will not withdraw from army posts in Syria's Idlib: Turkey The Syrian army said on Monday it had taken full control of dozens of towns in the Aleppo countryside. The M5 highway linking Damascus to Aleppo, the focus of recent fighting, was re-opened to civilian traffic on Tuesday after government forces recaptured it last week, the Syrian Observatory war monitoring group reported. The opposition said airstrikes in southern areas of Idlib province had left dozens of towns and villages in ruins in what is called a "scorched earth policy". The Russian and Turkish delegations met in Moscow to reconcile their differences over Idlib, which has raised questions over the durability of their cooperation. Also Read: Syria regime must halt 'escalation of violence': European Union Turkey has sent thousands of troops and convoys of military equipment to reinforce its observation posts in Idlib, established under a 2018 de-escalation agreement with Russia. Moscow has accused Turkey of flouting their agreements and failing to rein in militants it said were attacking Syrian and Russian forces. In one positive note, Turkish and Russian troops have restarted joint patrols near the border that had been halted since October, a Russian defence ministry official said. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said the WHO was sending essential medicines and supplies across the border, including trauma kits for Idlib.

Air strikes hit hospitals, camps in northwest Syria; 300 civilian casualties

Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced on Monday that four of its soldiers were killed and nine others wounded after intense shelling by Syrian government forces in the northwestern Idlib province.

WION Dispatch: Assad Intensifies Assaults in Idlib

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Syrian insurgents shot down government helicopter; airstrikes on Idlib followed

Reports of Pakistani fighters killed in Idlib; no response from Imran govt

Air strikes hit hospitals, camps in northwest Syria; 300 civilian casualties

WION Dispatch: Assad Intensifies Assaults in Idlib