- Dozens have been killed and more than 150,000 people have fled a Russian-backed offensive by the Syrian government in the northwest corner of the war-torn country.
- Russia's patience has been wearing thin over what it views as Turkey's failure to curb a jihadist group in the region, and Damascus is determined to recover "every inch" of Syria.
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BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the rebel-held northwest has killed dozens of people and forced more than 150,000 to flee, the biggest escalation in the war between President Bashar al-Assad and his enemies since last summer.
Government barrel-bombing and Russian air strikes have been accompanied by limited ground assaults, straining a Russian-Turkish deal that spared the region from an offensive in September and generating new concerns for its 3 million people.
Who controls Idlib?
The northwest — Idlib province and a belt of territory around it — is mostly held by the jihadist Tahrir al-Sham, the latest incarnation of the former Nusra Front, which was part of al Qaeda until 2016.
The group tightened its grip earlier this year in a campaign against other rebels. Some of these still have a presence as part of the "National Front for Liberation," backed by Turkey.
Foreign jihadists have a significant presence, many of them members of the Huras al-Din group.
The Turkish military has established about a dozen military positions in the area under its agreements with Russia.
Why has the conflict escalated again?
The Russian-Turkish deal created a demilitarized zone from which jihadists were required to withdraw, effectively putting the onus on Turkey to tackle the problem while leaving the northwest within a sphere of Turkish influence.
But Russia's patience has been wearing thin over what it views as Turkey's failure to curb Tahrir al-Sham. Damascus, determined to recover "every inch" of Syria, has also publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the status quo.
The government accuses the Nusra Front of igniting the violence through attacks on its areas. The rebels accuse the government and "Russian occupiers" of trying to invade.
Where is the attack focused? What are its aims?
Most of the bombardment has been in the southern part of the rebel territory including areas in the demilitarized zone.
The full scope of the attack is not yet clear, though Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said a full-scale assault in Idlib was unpractical for now.
Rebel sources believe the government's aim is to seize two highways to Aleppo that run to the south of Idlib city through rebel-held areas. Russia and Turkey had previously agreed these roads should be opened.
Russia's motives in the northwest include securing its Latakia air base from rebel attacks.
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