Turkish convoy in Syria hit by blast, 1 dead

A Turkish military convoy was targeted by a car bomb attack in Syria's northern Idlib province, killing one civilian and wounding two others.

The Turkish military said the convoy was travelling as part of its mission to enforce a "de-escalation" zone in Idlib when it was attacked Tuesday.

Idlib was declared one of Syria's de-escalation zones after a ceasefire deal brokered by opposition backer Turkey and regime supporter Russia.

Meanwhile, as Turkey prepares to continue its offensive against the Kurdish militia, Ankara has begun drawing up contingency plans to cope with displaced Syrian civilians fleeing the air and ground assault.

The campaign, which started January 20, targets the US-backed People's Protection Units, YPG, which is considered a terrorist group by Ankara. Authorities say that utmost care is being taken to not harm civilians in the operation dubbed "Olive Branch".

Turkey currently hosts over three million refugees from the neighbouring Syrian conflict, entering its seventh year.

A monitoring group and Kurdish sources said Turkey's air force have stepped up their raids on the 10th day of Operation Olive Branch. In response to Ankara's assault, Kurds have refused to attend the planned peace talks in the black sea resort of Sochi.

Syrian rebels backed by Turkey "were engaged in fierce battles against Kurdish forces" in the two towns, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, which uses a network of sources to monitor Syria's war.

"Turkey's aerial campaign against Afrin has escalated since Monday," he added.

There are fears that Turkey's sustained military campaign could spark a 'humanitarian tragedy' for civilians living in the Afrin region on the Syrian-Turkish border

Humanitarian concerns

There are fears that Turkey's sustained military campaign could spark a 'humanitarian tragedy' for civilians living in the Afrin region on the Syrian-Turkish border.

The past few weeks have witnessed intense shelling on a city with an estimated population of 324,000 people. The United Nations has estimated 15,000 have been displaced already by the offensive.

Kurdish authorities decided to close exit points between Afrin and regime-held areas in Aleppo, severely restricting civilian freedom of movement warned the UN.

Assistant Secretary-General Ursula Mueller told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that 15,000 people have been displaced in Afrin, and a further 1,000 in Aleppo. She added that the UN has received reports "that the local authorities inside Afrin are restricting civilian movements, particularly for those who want to leave the district."

Mueller added that the airstrikes and fighting in and around the northern Idlib province have resulted in the displacement of over 270,000 people since December 15, forcing most to seek shelter in some 160 makeshift settlements.

The UN estimates that 13.1 million people in Syria need protection and humanitarian aid, including 6.1 million displaced within the country.

Mueller also accused the Syrian government, especially, of blocking all aid deliveries to "besieged" and "hard-to-reach" areas in January and imposing new requirements that have halted assistance to some areas that were previously reached.

Seven soldiers have been killed since the start of Turkey's offensive, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reporting that at least 67 civilians have been killed, a figure Ankara strongly rejects.

The monitoring group also reported that at least 85 YPG militiamen have been killed, as well as 81 rebel fighters.

Turkey's operation has forced cross-border UN humanitarian deliveries into Syria to come to a halt. The bulk of assistance into Idlib passes through the crossings via Turkey – vital aid to tens of thousands of newly displaced people.