The Syrian army on Wednesday stormed and captured the key city of Saraqeb, the latest in a string of victories the army scored in the northwestern province of Idlib, a war monitor reported. 
  
The Syrian army invaded the city following the withdrawal of the rebel groups, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The army is combing through the city, the Britain-based monitor added. 
  
The victory comes days after the Syrian forces captured the city of Maarat al-Numan in the southern countryside of Idlib, which was the first big achievement toward securing the main Damascus-Aleppo highway. 
  
For weeks, the Syrian army has been fighting the rebels in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo to secure the main highway linking Hama Province in central Syria with Aleppo. This highway connects with the Damascus-Hama highway.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ankara demanded that Damascus pull back from Turkish-manned posts in Syria's last rebel enclave, after deadly clashes this week triggered plans for emergency UN talks. 

The escalation of conflict between Turkish and Syrian troops, which killed more than 20 people on Monday in Idlib Province, is testing uneasy relations between Turkey and Russia – the key foreign power brokers in the conflict.  

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Thursday following requests from the United States, Britain and France, diplomats said on Wednesday.

If Syrian government forces do not pull back, "Turkey will be obliged to take matters into its own hands," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling party MPs in Ankara, giving Syria until the end of the month to comply. 

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Idlib is the last stronghold of the Syrian rebels backed by Turkey. On the other hand, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, which is supported by Russia, has vowed to restore control of the entire country.

The recent escalation of tensions has led to worsened humanitarian conditions in the war-torn nation. Some 586,000 people have fled their homes in northwest Syria since December 1 and more than 100,000 others face an immediate risk of displacement because of increased air raids and shelling, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday. 

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the northwest amid conflict, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. 
  
"Many of those affected are living in particularly appalling humanitarian conditions and most of the displaced are moving north and west, away from the conflict in search of safety," Dujarric said.

Food, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene, health, education, and protection assistance are all urgent priorities as many of the displaced left with nothing more than the clothes on their back, he said. 
  
The humanitarian community has released an emergency response plan to address the needs of up to 800,000 people in the northwest of Syria over a six-month period, he said. The requirement of the plan is about 336 million U.S. dollars. 

(With input from AFP, Xinhua)