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Military Action Escalating Along With Humanitarian Crisis in Syria

Jacob Wirtschafter

   AMMAN - Military activity and the humanitarian crisis both intensified
   Tuesday in the city of Idlib as Turkey and its allies clashed with
   Syrian forces, whose northward drive has rendered over a half-million
   Syrian civilians homeless since December.

   Syrian government warplanes struck Idlib's center Tuesday morning just
   hours after Turkish forces downed one of Syria's Russian-made utility
   helicopters.

   "I could not reach the helicopter crash location because the whole area
   is being bombed," said Abd Albaset, a 32-year-old refugee from Ma'arat
   al-Nu' man, who now works as a freelance war photographer in the
   embattled Syrian province. "The attacks on Idlib itself make it clear
   that nowhere in this area is safe."

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