6 Turkish Soldiers Killed by Syrian Artillery, After Turkey Rushes Troops Protect Al-Qaeda
Turkey claims it has retaliated with F-16 airstrikes but Russia says no Turkish aircraft breached Syrian airspace
Six Turkish soldiers were killed and some wounded:
BREAKING — Two additional Turkish soldiers died of wounds due to a Syrian regime attack in Idlib yesterday, Turkish Defense Ministry says.
Death toll now is 6.
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) February 3, 2020
Turkey claims it has retaliated with F-16 airstrikes but Russia says no such thing happened:
NEW — Russia says Turkey didn’t inform Moscow about the movement of its troops in Idlib and that’s why Turkish soldiers were targeted.
It also says Turkish aircraft didn’t breach Syrian airspace and no Turkish airstrike was registered — Sputnik
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) February 3, 2020
Before the deaths of the Turkish soldiers, the Turkish military rushed in reinforcements to establish five more military outposts on Syrian soil, specifically in Al-Qaeda-held Idlib. Of the 5 outposts, 4 were established just to the west, east, north and south of the strategically extremely important town of Saraqib which lies on the juncture of M4 and M5 highways. The fifth was constructed further west on the M4 halfway to the next major town of Ariha.
The Turks did this specifically to get in the way of the Syrian army offensive which was sweeping Al-Qaeda and threatening to march into Saraquib.
Turkey already occupies considerable swathes of northern Syria outright, together with its Syrian proxies, the SNA (“Syrian National Army), who started out as jihadi rebels but are now in Turkish employ.
As Turkey has confronted first deaths in direct combat with Syria since start of war, 🇺🇸✈️RC-135U has been watching situation 🧐 pic.twitter.com/U4cXsOhuGQ
— Cobra55X (@Coobra55X) February 3, 2020
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About time too. Although Putin and Erdogan have an agreement and although they both apparently grew up on the street only one of them did their own fighting, Putin.
I believe Putin has the measure of the enemy he keeps close, the useful idiot and will slap him around if needs be, and now it is needed. Erdogan is playing a duplicitous game, a very dangerous game that he cannot win.
The man is a greedy fool. Russia can break Turkey exactly as Trump can.
venezuela update
http://www.sott.net/article/428545
“…time to PAY, `friend recep´..!” Go back to your country, cretin. You have NOTHING to do in Syrian´s soil..
From Syrian Arab Army FB
A situation report regarding SAA targeting Turkish troops in Idlib.
On December 31st, a Turkish convoy entered the Syrian territories in Idlib heading to Saraqeb. The Syrian authorities sent the appropriate political messages that any Turkish deployment out of Astana agreement is considered unprotected. However, the Turkish side did cease their actions and continued their presence in Syria.
Therefore, and SyAAF jet fired warning shots on the route of this convoy forcing them to deploy defensively in the fields north of Saraqeb on the M5 Motorway (Damascus – Aleppo).
Following that event, and in an attempt to halt SAA’s operation in Idlib, the Turkish backed mercenaries in al-Bab (Under Turkish occupation) launched an attack against SAA points in Aleppo; as a retaliation SyAAF conducted an airstrike against targets in al-Bab.
On February 1st, the Turkish military officially deployed in Saraqeb and established checkpoints inside the city (as we had shown in a previous post)
The Syrian command once again via appropriate diplomatic channels and in attempt to deescalate the situation sent political messages that any Turkish deployment out of Astana agreement is considered unprotected.
Yesterday, February 2nd, the Syrian Arab Armed while targeting al-Nusra positions to the West of Saraqeb hit a Turkish commandos unit apparently operating on the ground with this terrorist group, as a result, 7 Turkish soldiers and a contractor were killed, and number of other soldiers were injured.
Today, we woke up to the statement by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claiming that his forces killed over 30 Syrian soldiers in attacks against SAA points where over 100 artillery shots were fired along with the use of Turkish F-16s.
Following that statement the Russian Ministry of Defense stated what we are stating today, the Turkish troops were deployed outside of Astana, and without informing the Russian side, and there were no attacks recorded against SAA not any SAA casualties contrary to what the Turkish president claimed.
In this picture you will see Saraqeb in a red circle, the m5 (Damascus – Aleppo) motorway pointed in red and the m4 motorway (Latakia – Saraqeb) in green. All the political agreements that the Syrian command agreed on states that these two motorways are to be reestablished and protected, and that is the only purpose that the Syrian command agreed on observation checkpoints to be established by Turkey. However, on the other hand, the Turkish side failed to honor this part of the agreement, where they sent in troops not only observation checkpoints.
The current SAA operation in the region is to reestablish these two motorways, and will continue until that goal is reached.
As we said before, we are not disclosing any rules of engagements, but it would be best to all parties concerned that no one tests SAA’s commitment to its orders.
https://www.facebook.com/349059891842066/posts/2746667178747980/
#Operation_Redemption
Syrian Arab Army
Good stuff.