Turkish Defense Minister Says Forces Hit Over 200 Syrian Targets In Idlib - Reports

Turkish Defense Minister Says Forces Hit Over 200 Syrian Targets in Idlib - Reports

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday that Turkish drones and ground forces targeted more than 200 targets of the Syrian governmental troops, following the attack in the Idlib de-escalation zone, the TRT broadcaster reported

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2020) Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday that Turkish drones and ground forces targeted more than 200 targets of the Syrian governmental troops, following the attack in the Idlib de-escalation zone, the TRT broadcaster reported.

The governor of Turkey's Hatay province said earlier in the day that 33 Turkish soldiers had been killed in Idlib in an airstrike by the Syrian government forces.

"After the treacherous attack, more than 200 targets of the [Syrian] regime were hit by our warplanes, drones and ground-based fire support systems. As a result, five helicopters, 23 tanks, 23 artillery units, two air defense systems, 309 [Syrian] regime soldiers were neutralized," Akar said as quoted by Anadolu news agency.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday commenting on the Turkey-Syrian tensions that Syrian troops had attacked terrorists in the de-escalation zone in Idlib when the terrorists were planning to conduct a large-scale attack on the positions of the Syrian military. Turkish soldiers, who were among the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham members (previously known as Nusra Front, a terrorist organization banned in Russia) for an unknown reason, came under fire in the area around the settlement of Behun.

In December, Syrian government forces launched an offensive to recapture areas of Idlib province, the last remaining militant stronghold in the country. Pockets of the area are controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist organization.

Tensions further escalated after Syrian troops shelled a Turkish observation point on February 3, killing seven military personnel and one civilian contractor. Turkey responded with a number of retaliatory strikes.

Earlier in February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Turkey had not fulfilled several key commitments outlined in a bilateral agreement on Idlib, including its failure to distinguish between the armed opposition, which is ready for dialogue with the government within the framework of the political process, and terrorists. In turn, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay has said that Ankara had fulfilled its obligations.

The commitments outlined in the Russia-Turkey memorandum signed in September 2018 include the status quo for the presence of the Turkish military in the Idlib de-escalation zone, but under the condition of the withdrawal of all terrorist groups from the area until October 15, 2018. The document also stipulated the adoption of effective measures to ensure a stable cessation of hostilities within the borders of this zone. Clause 7 of the memorandum called for joint Russian-Turkish patrols in the area.