Regime Shelling Kills Several Turkish Soldiers in Idlib

Arab World

February 3rd, 6:00am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A Turkish military armoured vehicle guards on the border line located opposite the Syrian Atimah, Idlib province in Reyhanli, Hatay province, Turkey, October 8, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Deadly shelling by Syrian regime forces in Idlib killed four Turkish soldiers and wounded nine of them on Monday, the Turkish defence ministry said. Turkish forces responded and destroyed targets in the Idlib region, the ministry said in a written statement. Earlier, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will launch a military operation in Idlib unless the fighting is halted. Turkey has 12 military observation posts around the region, set up under a 2017 agreement with Russia and Iran. Several of them have since been surrounded by advancing Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian air power. On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that almost 200 Turkish military tanks and armored vehicles have entered Aleppo and Idlib since morning. "The column of 40 military vehicles including tanks, personnel carriers, armored vehicles and military and logistical supplies, headed to the south but no information has been reported yet about its destination," it reported. For its part, the Turkish defence ministry noted: "The shelling by Syrian government forces was carried out 'against our elements sent as reinforcements to prevent clashes in Idlib', despite their positions being coordinated beforehand," Reuters reported. Idlib is the last major opposition-held stronghold in Syria's nearly nine-year war.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2112551/regime-shelling-kills-several-turkish-soldiers-idlib