Syrian rebels shoot down a government helicopter in Idlib province, the last rebel bastion in the country's northwest, where Syrian troops are advancing, killing the two crew members on board in a fiery crash.
Syrian government helicopter bursts in flames after it was shot by a missile in Idlib province, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. Syrian rebels shot down a government helicopter Tuesday in the country's northwest where Syrian troops are on the offensive in the last rebel stronghold.
With backing from Russia, Syrian troops have been on the offensive for weeks in the last rebel stronghold in Idlib province and parts of nearby Aleppo, triggering a humanitarian crisis with some 700,000 people fleeing their homes and surging north toward the Turkish border. Turkey, which is a main backer of the Syrian opposition, has sent hundreds of vehicles into Idlib apparently to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey. The country is home to some 3.6 million Syrian refugees and has concerns of more flowing into its border.
“We have given the necessary response to the Syrian side at the highest level,” Erdogan said. “They found the trouble they were looking for in Idlib. But it’s not enough. It will continue.” Associated Press footage showed the helicopter spiraling from the sky and breaking up as fire poured from the fuselage, followed by the wreckage on fire after crashing.
The Observatory also reported that Syrian troops have secured the highway that links southern Syria with the northern city of Aleppo.
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