Attack kills Two Turkish soldiers in Syria's Idlib province

Attack kills Two Turkish soldiers in Syria's Idlib province
An explosive device killed and wounded Turkish soldiers on Saturday in Syria's rebel-held northwest, Turkey's defence minister announced.
2 min read
11 September, 2021
Several Turkish soldiers have been killed and wounded over the years in northern Syria [Getty]

Two Turkish soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an attack in the northerwestern Syrian region of Idlib on Saturday, Turkey’s defence minister announced.

The attack took place during a combing operation in the de-escalation zone in the restive governorate of Idlib, where many Turkish-backed rebel groups are present.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added that the attack was caused by an explosive device, which targeted a Turkish military vehicle along a road in the north of the governorate.

Several Turkish soldiers have been killed and wounded in Syria over the past years, in attacks which Ankara often blames on Kurdish militias.

Northwestern Syria has been witnessing sporadic military activities since a cease-fire there was brokered in March 2020 by Turkey and Russia, which support opposing sides in Syria's civil war.

The deal ended a crushing Russian-backed government offensive in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the war-torn country.

Syria's government, which agreed to the Russia-Turkey negotiated truce, has vowed to restore control over territory it lost during the 10-year conflict.

Rebel-held Idlib is home to some 4 million people, many of them displaced by the civil war that has killed a half million people and displaced half the country's pre-war population of 23 million, including more than 5 million who are refugees outside the country.