Syrian government forces entered a town south of Idlib city on Tuesday, in a significant advance for President Bashar al-Assad as he seeks to recapture rebel-held territory in the country's northwest, a war monitor and pro-government media said.
Government forces entered Maarat al-Numan and were combing its districts, the pro-Damascus al-Watan newspaper in a post on Telegram. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said via WhatsApp that there were clashes between rebels and the government forces who entered backed by airstrikes.