IDLIB — As a light rain poured down in the early hours of the morning, vehicles carrying displaced people made their way amid clouds of fog along the road from Idlib to the Syrian-Turkish border. They fled the cities of Idlib province, Arihah and the surrounding countryside as the military offensive of Bashar al-Assad's regime forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, southeast of Idlib province continued.

Stacks of essential necessities brought by the displaced from their homes — blankets, mattresses, clothes and electrical tools — packed the backs of vehicles.

The jammed roads forced cars to move slowly. Loaded vehicles headed to areas adjacent to the Syrian-Turkish border, as empty vehicles headed south toward Idlib and the neighboring towns to carry others.

Syrian regime forces continue their progress in Idlib province despite repeated Turkish warnings. On the evening of Feb. 6, regime forces took control of Saraqeb 17 kilometers (10 miles) east of Idlib city. Turkey had set up four military points in and around Saraqeb in the face of regime advances.