An assault on rebel-held northwest Syria by government forces in recent days has pushed some 700,000 people to flee toward the Turkish border, raising the specter of an international crisis, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey said on Thursday.
Backed by Russian airpower, government forces have rapidly advanced on Idlib since last week, upending an area where millions have taken refugees since the start of Syria's nearly nine-year war.
Jeffrey told a news briefing that the Syrian government and Russian warplanes had hit Idlib with 200 airstrikes "mainly against civilians" in the past three days.
He said the assault had set "700,000 people who are already internally displaced on the move once again toward the Turkish border, which will then create an international crisis".