Turkey said Sunday it has "successfully" continued its military operation against the Syrian regime in northwest Syria. The announcement comes as the Russian-backed Syrian military closed its airspace in flashpoint areas, as tensions rise with neighboring Turkey, which supports rebels groups in the region.

"We don't have the desire or intention to clash with Russia," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Sunday, marking the first time Ankara has confirmed a full and continuing operation.

Violence between the two sides erupted days earlier when Syrian airstrikes killed 34 Turkish soldiers in the province of Idlib. Turkey retaliated with deadly airstrikes targeting regime forces.

Two Syrian jets downed by Turkey

Syrian state media said that Turkish forces shot down two Syrian jets on Sunday, but the pilots ejected with parachutes. Earlier Turkish media claimed that one jet was shot down.

The Syrian army earlier said it had downed a Turkish drone over the town of Saraqeb.

Read more: What you need to know about the escalation in Syria's Idlib

EU defense ministers call "extraordinary" meeting over crisis

EU defense ministers will hold an "extraordinary" meeting next week over the fallout from the conflict.

The blocs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced the meeting in a tweet, adding that "ongoing fighting is a serious threat to international peace and security and causing untold human suffering."

Borrell called on all parties to "urgently re-engage in a political process," adding that the EU must "continue mobilizing resources to reduce the suffering of the civilian population."

The meeting will be held "in particular at the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece," read a statement from the EU, linked in Borrell's tweet.

The statement called on the EU to "redouble efforts to address this terrible human crisis with all the means at its disposal."

What is going on in Idlib?

Idlib province is the last rebel stronghold in Syria. Rebels are supported by Turkey while Syrian President Bashar Assad's government is supported by Russia.

"Our intention is to stop the regime's massacres and prevent ... migration," Akar said.

"We expect Russia to stop the regime's attacks and to use their influence to ensure the regime withdraws to the borders of the Sochi agreement."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is monitoring the war through a network of activists on the ground, said Turkish drone strikes killed 26 Syrian soldiers in northwest Syria on Saturday.

Read more: Idlib: 'I'd rather suffer bombs than Assad'

Russian journalists detained

Tensions between Turkey and Russia have been growing. Russian state news agency Sputnik reported on Sunday that four of their journalists in Turkey, including the agency's editor-in-chief, Mahir Boztepe, had been "attacked in their homes" and detained.

Position of Idlib within Syria

The journalists were questioned in connection with the attacks while investigators raided Sputnik's office. They were later released after a phone call between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

Both Russian state news agencies RIA and TASS reported that retaliation measures against Turkish media in Russia would follow, citing an unnamed Russian diplomat.

The Journalists' Union of Turkey condemned the detentions, tweeting: "Journalists cannot be made to pay for the tension between states."

Volatile airspace

The Syrian military threatened to target any aircraft spotted in closed airspace in the country's northwest. "Any aircraft violating our airspace will be treated as hostile that must be shot down," a Syrian military source said to state news agency SANA on Sunday.

"Forces of the Turkish regime continue to implement hostile acts against our armed forces operating in the province of Idlib and its surroundings," the source said.

Following the warnings, Turkey shot down two Syrian warplanes. "One anti-aircraft system that shot down one of our armed drones and two other anti-aircraft systems have been destroyed, and two SU-24 regime planes that were attacking our aircraft have been downed," Turkey's defense ministry said.

The claim was confirmed by Britain-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, while Syrian state media said that Turkish forces had "targeted" two of its planes over Idlib.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster On the run Traffic is heavy on the roads heading north through the Idlib region toward the Turkish border. Soldiers of the Assad regime are advancing from the south and east, aided by their Russian and Iranian allies. Some Syrian rebel groups are supported by Turkey, which also has soldiers of its own in the region. But ordinary people just want to reach safety.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster 'Horror has multiplied' Almost 1 million people have been displaced since December. According to UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, "the horror has multiplied" in the past two weeks. The front lines are closing in, triggering large movements of people in the space of just a few days. Assad wants to drive the civilian population out of Idlib province, and is moving to capture this last rebel stronghold.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Bombed to pieces Maaret al-Numan and the surrounding area has been particularly badly hit by the attacks. The city has been bombed to pieces and is practically deserted. The important M5 highway runs through here, from Damascus via Aleppo to the Turkish border. Most of those fleeing are trying to make it to Turkey — but the border is closed.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Waiting at the border Around 100 people, including 35 children, died in bombings in the first half of February alone, according to the United Nations, which has spoken of the "blatant disregard for the life and safety of civilians." This family fled to the Turkish border months ago. They're living in the Kafr Lusin refugee camp, holding on to the hope that Turkey will eventually let them in.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster 500,000 children in need Out of the almost 1 million people who have fled it's estimated that around half are children. Of the rest, the majority are women. There aren't enough shacks at the Turkish border to house them all, and many refugees are living in tents. Camps are often set up in haste and are severely overcrowded. People are sleeping in doorways and on pieces of cardboard, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Little food and medicine Those who have been able to find a tent usually share it with about a dozen family members. Medicine is running out in many of the camps, and basic food and clothing is also becoming scarce. Doctors on the ground report that many children are suffering from malnutrition, and some are even dying of starvation. The cold is also taking its toll, and some people have already frozen to death.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Refuge in a school Many children in the region can no longer go to school, so some school buildings have been repurposed. This school has been turned into a refugee shelter — sometimes, even the refugee camps are targeted in bombing raids.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Trying to reach safety The illegal route across the border to Turkey is costly; hardly anyone can afford it. Smugglers are charging people up to $2,000 (about €1,800). Those who do make the attempt are risking their lives: Turkish border guards have thermal imaging cameras to help them spot people trying to cross. Sometimes they shoot at refugees who try to climb over the wall.

Syria's Idlib: A humanitarian disaster Looking for dignity The UN has said the situation in Idlib could be the greatest humanitarian disaster of the 21st century. No one knows whether or not there will be a ceasefire. The refugees don't care who puts an end to the war; they just want a life of safety and dignity, for themselves and for their children. A four-way summit between Turkey, Russia, France and Germany, planned for March 5, is now in jeopardy. Author: Diana Hodali



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lc,kmm,ed/stb (AP, AFP, Reuters)