Syrian govt forces launch bid to take back Saraqeb town -Turkish official

Syrian government forces backed by Russian airpower have launched an operation aimed at taking back the pivotal town of Saraqeb in northwest Syria from Turkey-backed rebels, a Turkish official said on Thursday.

"There are violent clashes in the region," the official said. The Turkey-backed rebels said earlier on Thursday they had recaptured Saraqeb, in what was the first major reverse for the Syrian army's Russian-backed offensive.