United Nations, Feb 29 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the Syrian conflict has changed in its nature, calling on concerned parties to heed the risk that the military escalation in northwest Syria might run out of control.

"I would like to say a few words to express my deep concern with what I believe is the changing nature of the conflict in Idlib," Xinhua news agency quoted Guterres as saying on Friday in an emergency meeting on Syria requested by Belgium, France, Germany, Estonia, the UK, the US and the Dominican Republic.

"The Council is well aware of the dramatic humanitarian situation in the region, namely, following the most recent offensive.

"But beyond the dramatic humanitarian situation, I think it's important to acknowledge that the conflict has changed in its nature. And we have witnessed a very meaningful escalation in the last few days.

"As far as I'm informed, without having a solution found, I think all this creates an environment in which the risk of the escalation getting out of control, taking into account the volume of the forces that are in Idlib and around Idlib is something that cannot be taken lightly," said Guterres.

The Council called the emergency meeting Friday on the escalating conflict in Syria's Idlib region, the last major opposition stronghold in the conflict-torn country.

An airstrike killed 33 Turkish soldiers on Thursday in Idlib, heightening tensions between pro-opposition Turkey and the Syrian government's ally Russia.