SYRIAN troops retook an al-Qaida-held part of southern Aleppo yesterday, while Turkey threatened to invade the province’s north to attack Syrian Kurds.

Syrian state news agency Sana said troops cleared several villages of Hetesh fighters.

The army now controls the road from Khanaser to Tal al-Daman and all areas north of there to Aleppo.

That may help government forces retake territory in Hama province, which is split between Hetesh, al-Qaida’s Syrian affiliate, and Isis.

Yesterday the army and allied militias attacked Isis from the south.

Meanwhile in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated earlier threats of a major offensive to overrun Afrin canton in northern Aleppo province “to purge terrorism from our southern borders.”

Afrin is controlled by Kurdish YPG militia. Turkey has for years been waging a bloody campaign against its own Kurdish population, and has even attacked Iraq to get at Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters sheltering there.

Mr Erdogan has asked the US for help in his campaign against the Kurds, though the US is currently providing material support to the YPG.

Russian forces have previously positioned themselves in Afrin to deter an attack by Turkey or the insurgents it supports.

Afrin YPG spokesman Rojhat Roj said clashes erupted after midnight between his unit and Turkish troops near the border. He said shelling killed one YPG guerilla and injured a couple of civilians yesterday.