Syria: 19 soldiers killed in Turkish drone strikes, says war monitor

In a recent development in the Turkish and Syrian rift, 19 Syrian regime soldiers were killed in Turkish drone strikes on Sunday. According to the reports, 19 Syrian regime soldiers died after Turkey carried out drone attacks on a military convoy in the Jabal al-Zawiya area and a base near Maaret al-Numan city. A war monitor reported the latest incident hours after Turkey shot down two Syrian warplanes. 

Read: Turkey Announces Military Operation “Spring Shield” Against Syrian Regime

The latest escalation between Turkey and Syria comes after 34 Turkish soldiers died in an attack last week that Ankara alleges was carried out by Damascus. Following the attack, Turkey on March 1 launched a new military operation against Syria dubbed 'Spring Field'. According to the state news agency, the Syrian military high command announced the closure of the airspace for planes and any drone above northwestern Syria and especially over the Idlib region earlier on Sunday. 

Read: Greek PM Calls National Security Council Meeting As Turkey Refuses To Seal Borders

Turkey-Syria conflict

As per reports, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants Syrian troops to withdraw beyond the borders that Turkey and Russia outlined in a 2018 agreement. Back in 2018, Turkey and Russia collaborated together to set-up a 'de-escalation zone' in Idlib in order to stem the violence in the region. The latest escalation between Turkey and Syria threatens the fragile agreement between Ankara and Moscow. 

Read: UN Says 13,000 Migrants Mass At Turkey's Border With Greece

Image Credit: AP