Syrian forces have rolled into the strategic border town of Kobani, blocking one path for the Turkish military to establish a "safe zone" free of Syrian Kurdish fighters.
The seizure of Kobani by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also pointed to a dramatic shift in northeast Syria.
The town was where the US military and Kurdish fighters first united to defeat the Islamic State group four years ago and holds powerful symbolism for Syrian Kurds and their ambitions of self-rule.
The convoys of government forces drove into Kobani after dark on Wednesday, according to a resident who wished to remain anonymous.
Military vehicles transporting Syrian regime troops and rolled up mattresses are seen stationed on the outskirts of the northern-Syria border town of Kobane. Source: AFP
The resident was one of the few remaining amid fears of a Turkish attack on Kobani. Syria's state-run media confirmed its troops entered the town.
Syria's presence in Kobani puts a firm limit on Turkish ambitions in its offensive.
The town lies between a Turkish-controlled enclave further west and smaller areas to the east that Turkey seized in the past week.
Turkey had talked of creating a 30-kilometre deep "safe zone" and driving out Kurdish fighters from the border region.
Turkish forces had shelled Kobani in recent days as part of the offensive but had not advanced ground troops into it.
The Kurdish authority has agreed to allow Damascus to deploy its military in the town and other parts of northeast Syria to protect them from Turkey's offensive, launched after US President Donald Trump pulled back American troops.
After being effectively abandoned by the US, the Kurds' turn to the Syrian government for protection has allowed Damascus's ally, Russia, to step in.
Moscow further asserted that role on Wednesday, offering to mediate a resolution to the conflict, one day before US Vice President Mike Pence was to begin a mission to press Turkey for a ceasefire.
Trump imposed limited economic sanctions on Turkey on Monday to raise the pressure on Ankara.
However Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defied the sanctions, saying the only way its military offensive would end was if Syrian Kurdish fighters leave a designated border area.
An armoured personnel carrier transports Turkey-backed Syrian fighters on the road between the Syrian towns of Tal Abyad and Kobane. Source: AFP
Erdogan also said he had "no problem" accepting an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Russia soon to discuss Syria.
But he threw into doubt a planned November 13 meeting with Trump, citing anger over the sanctions that Washington imposed on the NATO ally.
Despite an outcry among both Democratic and Republican lawmakers over the pullout and the Turkish invasion, Trump insisted a fight between Turkey and the Kurds was not a US problem and that things are "very nicely under control" in northern Syria.
"Syria's friendly with the Kurds. The Kurds are very well-protected. Plus, they know how to fight. And, by the way, they're no angels," Trump told reporters at the White House while meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Trump added that US troops are "largely out" of the region, adding that if Russia wanted to get involved with Syria, "that's really up to them".
"It's not our border. We shouldn't be losing lives over it," he said.
