Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his country's air force had destroyed eight Pantsir air defense systems in Syria's Idlib
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2020) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his country's air force had destroyed eight Pantsir air defense systems in Syria's Idlib.
"There are Pantsir missile systems currently deployed in Idlib. Our drones have destroyed eight Pantsir systems in Idlib," Erdogan told reporters, as quoted by the Sabah newspaper.
Syrian government forces launched an offensive in Idlib province in December to recapture territory still controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist organization (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, banned in Russia).
The group launched a counterattack on February 27, to which the Syrian Armed Forces responded. The Turkish military, which according to Russia's Ministry of Defense should not have been in the area, was caught in the response fire, resulting in the deaths of over 30 troops.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Turkey has failed to honor its commitments in Idlib, agreed to in 2018 by both Moscow and Ankara, in which the two parties pledged to conduct joint patrols and take effective measures to ensure a stable ceasefire.
In particular, Lavrov stated that Turkey has failed to distinguish between Syria's armed opposition, which is open for dialogue, and terrorist groups in the region. Ankara has denied the claim.
On March 5, Erdogan traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid escalation. In a joint document, the two sides agreed on a ceasefire to commence at midnight on the same day. Both parties will also establish a security corridor 3.7 miles north and south of the M4 highway, which connects the provinces of Latakia and Aleppo.
