Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria, reports say – The Guardian

Rahmi Dogan, the regional guv of the southeastern Turkish province of Hatay on the border with Idlib, stated ambulances streamed from a Syrian border crossing to a medical facility in the close-by town of Reyhanli on Thursday night.

Almost a million civilians have actually been displaced in Idlib near the Turkish border considering that December as Russia-backed Syrian government forces took area from Turkey-backed Syrian rebels, marking the worst humanitarian crisis of the nation’s nine-year war.

The US state department has said it is very worried about the attack: “We wait our NATO ally Turkey and continue to call for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia and Iranian-backed forces,”a spokesperson stated. The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired an emergency situation security conference over night, Turkish officials informed reporters that Ankara had actually chosen it would no longer stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe by land and sea– a move adjusted to win EU and Nato support for its operation in Idlib.

“We advise the international community to satisfy its responsibilities” to stop the program’s “criminal offenses versus mankind”, he stated. “We can not wait and watch as previous events in Rwanda, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are repeated today in Idlib.”

Turkey’s activities on the ground in Syria would continue, he added.

“All known targets of the regime have come and will continue to come under fire from the air and ground,” Altun, said in a declaration.

A Turkish convoy, part of supports sent to the area to aid rebel groups earlier this month, went through heavy shelling on Thursday morning. The soldiers had taken cover in Balioun, basing themselves in the regional council structure.

Turkish officials have actually blamed the Syrian routine for the attack, but numerous sources in Idlib and unverified video footage of the nighttime strike suggested it had been performed by the Russian air force, which has actually assisted Damascus carry out a relentless three-month-old offensive on Idlib.

Ankara and Moscow share crucial trade, energy and defence links, the relationship has actually currently been sorely tested by the recent violence in

Syria, where they back opposing sides. Turkey reacted with airstrikes on” all known “Syrian federal government targets, said the country’s interactions director Fahrettin Altun early on Friday, according to state-run Anadolu news agency. Altun said authorities had actually chosen to “react in kind” to the attack.

Dozens of Turkish soldiers have been eliminated in

an airstrike in Syria’s Idlib province, in a significant escalation in the fight for control of the country’s last opposition stronghold. Turkish officials stated a minimum of 33 of its military personnel were eliminated in the attack on Thursday night. Military sources amongst jihadist and moderate rebel factions fighting in the northwestern province surrounding Turkey said the deaths followed a precision strike on a two-storey structure in the village of Balioun.

Turkish cops, coastguard and border security officials have actually currently been bought to stand down, Turkish officials added.

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's Idlib province, in a significant escalation in the fight for control of the country's last opposition fortress. Turkish authorities said at least 33 of its military workers were killed in the attack on Thursday night. A Turkish convoy, part of reinforcements sent to the area to help rebel groups earlier this month, was subjected to heavy shelling on Thursday early morning. Turkey reacted with airstrikes on" all known "Syrian government targets, said the nation's communications director Fahrettin Altun early on Friday, according to state-run Anadolu news agency."We prompt the international community to satisfy its responsibilities" to stop the routine's "criminal offenses against humankind", he stated.

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