Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an urgent meeting with security officials following the reports of attacks on Turkish troops in Idlib.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) also called for an urgent central committee meeting on the issue, Ahval news agency reported.

Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have made major advances in Idlib recently. Twenty-one Turkish soldiers were killed this month by Syrian shelling in the region and almost one million people have flocked to areas near the Turkish border, fleeing the Syrian government advance on the region.

Turkey started transferring tanks and troops to areas in Idlib seized by Syrian forces since the end of December.

The attacks on Turkish troops in Idlib followed recapture of the strategic town of Saraqeb from the Syrian army by Syrian rebels backed by the Turkish military.

It is the first significant reverse for the Russian-backed Syrian army in its campaign to retake the last rebel-held Idlib region in Syria. The armed opposition had lost the key northwestern town three weeks ago.

Saraqeb is situated at the junction of a major highway linking the region to the Mediterranean, and the M5 highway, Syria’s main north-south road, linking the capital of Damascus and its second largest city of Aleppo.

Reporter’s code: 50101