...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire....
has warned would result in a large-scale humanitarian disaster.
Idlib is the last remaining opposition stronghold in the country. It is home to about three million people, half of whom are internally displaced.
If the forces loyal to Syrian
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Horror of Homs...
press ahead with an offensive, observers say as many as 2.5 million Syrians could try to flee to the shuttered
On Friday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned against the possible assault, while offering to work with Syria's ally, Russia, to pursue a ceasefire in the area and prevent a mass exodus.
Many in Idlib are already preparing themselves for the worst case scenario.
"We won't leave our nation alone again, we will defend our people until the last breath," Ahmad Ghajar, an Idlib resident, told Al Jazeera.