At least nine Turkish soldiers are killed in ‘Russian airstrike’ on their positions in Syria
- Soldiers reportedly attacked in Idlib by regime forces and nine have died
- Others have been critically wounded and have since been taken to hospital
- Idlib was made a de-escalation zone in 2018 in which such acts are prohibited
Nine Turkish soldiers have died in a ‘Russian airstrike’ this evening in Syria, state media reported.
The governor of Hatay Doğa said the soldiers had been attacked in Idlib by regime forces and as a result ‘nine were martyred’.
Vladimir Putin’s Russia has backed the Syrian regime and has been blamed for the strike.
Earlier this evening Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Turkey of illegally sending strike drones into Syria’s Idlib region.
Turkey-backed Syrian fighters ride a tank in the town of Saraqib in the eastern part of the Idlib province in northwestern Syria
It said they had sent them in to support Syrian rebels fighting the government.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Rahmi Dogan, the governor of the Turkish southern Hatay province said some were critically wounded and were being treated in hospital.
Three soldier had already been reported dead in a separate incident earlier in the day.
Internally displaced Syrians are seen in an IDP camp located in Idlib earlier today
It also emerged that Turkey would grant Syrian refugees free passage via land or sea to Europe after the strikes.
Idlib is supposed to be a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are meant to be prohibited.
The zone is currently home to four million civilians, many had already been displaced by regime forces in the war torn country.
More than 1.7 million Syrians moved to the Turkish border due to intense attacks.