ANKARA, Feb 4 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey says, it struck back against Syrian military targets, after at least five of its soldiers and three civilians, attached to the Turkish army were killed, by Syrian government forces, in the war-torn country’s Idlib region.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry, said that, seven of its troops were also wounded in the shelling, by Syrian government forces, in the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria.
The ministry said, its forces, who were sent in as reinforcements, came under fire, despite advance notification of their coordinates. But Russia, a major backer of Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, said, the Turkish troops were shot, due to a lack of information.
The developments are likely to further increase tensions between Turkey and the Syrian government, as such direct clashes have been rare. They could also cause friction between Moscow and Ankara, which have sought to coordinate their actions in Syria.
The exchange occurred near the Syrian flash-point town of Saraqeb, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group. It added that, Turkish troops shelled Syrian army positions in three provinces, killing eight soldiers in Idlib, three in Latakia province and two in the Hama region.– NNN-ANADOLU
