UN aid enters Syrian rebel enclave from government territory in first such crossing since earthquake

By GHAITH ALSAYED and ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press

IDLIB, Syria (AP) — A convoy carrying U.N. aid has entered Syria’s last rebel-held enclave from government-held territory, the first such shipment to cross battle lines since February’s deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. The United Nations says the convoy with humanitarian supplies crossed from Aleppo to northwestern Syria on Friday. The last aid shipment to cross the front lines in the conflict was in January. After the February earthquake that struck Turkey and northern Syria, causing widespread destruction, convoys have been prevented from entering the province of Idlib from government-held areas by the al-Qaida-affiliated militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which dominates the area. The group has sought to distance itself from al-Qaida in recent years.