Damascus presses Idlib attack, artillery hits Turkish position

FILE PHOTO: The damaged pencil minaret of the Ottoman Adliyeh mosque is seen in the old city of Aleppo, Syria April 11, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki/File Photo

BEIRUT/ANKARA (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and their Russian allies pounded the rebel-held northwest of Syria with air strikes on Saturday, sources in the area said, as artillery hit a Turkish military position there, underlining the risk of wider escalation.

The upsurge in violence in Idlib and nearby areas in the last five days has strained a Russian-Turkish deal that has staved off a government offensive since September. The area is part of the last major foothold of the Syrian rebellion.