BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian state TV says President Bashar Assad's troops have seized control of a string of villages in the northern countryside of Hama province, completing its takeover of the region just south of Idlib province.

The TV says troops seized the villages of Latamneh, Latmeen, Kfar Zeita and Lahaya, as well as the village of Morek, where Turkey maintains an observation post, on Friday.

The fate of Turkish troops manning the post wasn't immediately clear.

Syrian troops, backed by Russian air cover, had laid siege to rebel-held villages in the central province of Hama earlier this week, following rapid advances.

Idlib, near the Turkish border, is the last major rebel-controlled province in Syria. A government offensive in the area has killed hundreds and led to the displacement of close to 450,000.