Government warplanes bombed a town in northern Syria today, killing at least 18 people, activists said, while the new UN envoy to the country acknowledged that brokering an end to the nation’s civil war will be a “very, very difficult” task.

Turkey has deployed anti-aircraft guns and other weapons alongside its border with Syria, reports say, days after the downing of a Turkish military jet by Syrian forces.

Gunmen have attacked the headquarters of a pro-government Syrian TV station killing seven employees and kidnapping others.