3 killed, 12 injured in airstrikes near Turkish convoy in northwest Syria

At least three civilians have been killed and 12 others have been injured as a result of the airstrikes that hit the areas near Turkish convoy on Monday that crossed the border into northwest Syria.

The Turkish Defence Ministry has strongly condemned the attack adding that three civilians were killed and 12 others were wounded in the airstrikes.

"Despite repeated warnings we made to the authorities of the Russian Federation, the military operations by the regime forces continue in Idlib region in violation of the existing memorandums and agreements with the Russian Federation," Turkey's defense ministry said in a statement.

A Turkish convoy loaded with arms and munitions crossed into northwest Syria earlier today reportedly to help insurgents fighting a government advance in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, Syrian state media said.

The "aggressive" move would not affect "the determination of the Syrian Arab Army to keep hunting the remnants of terrorists" in the town in Idlib province or elsewhere, state news agency SANA cited a Foreign Ministry source as saying.

There was no immediate comment from Ankara, which backs some of the rebels in the northwest and has deployed forces into the Idlib region under deals with Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally.

Syrian army troops reached the edge of Khan Sheikhoun in the south of Idlib province overnight, a rebel official and a monitor said. The advance not only threatens the town, in rebel hands since 2014 but also to encircle insurgent fighters in their only patch of territory in neighboring Hama province.

The northwest is the last major stronghold of the opposition to Assad, whose military has been waging its latest offensive there since late April with Russian help.