Turkey arms opposition fighters facing Russia-backed regime assault

Russia is backing the Assad army's large aerial and ground assault as it seeks to gain control of the big stretch of opposition-held territory in the northwest of the country.

Ankara stepped up supplies in recent days after failing to persuade Russia in recent meetings of a joint working group to end its escalation to avert a major influx of refugees pouring into Turkey, two senior opposition figures said.

Overnight, a Turkish military convoy arrived at a base in northern Hama near opposition-held Jabal al-Zawiya, an area Russian and Assad jets have been pounding for weeks, an opposition and a witness said. 

The delivery of dozens of armored vehicles, Grad rocket launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and TOW missiles helped roll back some Assad army gains and retake the strategically located town of Kafr Nabodeh, one senior opposition figure said. 

The TOW missile had been the most potent weapon in the arsenal of opposition groups battling Assad during the conflict. It was extended by Western and Arab foes of Assad until a CIA-led program of military support to help moderate opposition fighters was suspended in 2017. 

In doing so, Turkey signaled its readiness to preserve its influence in northwestern Syria, where it has beefed up its troop presence in a dozen military bases that were set up under a de-escalation deal with Russia, a senior opposition commander said. 

In the last 24 hours, the Assad army has been sending large troop reinforcements ahead of opening a new front, a source in touch with Assad army commanders told Reuters.