ANKARA: Turkey has launched Operation Spring Shield in Idlib, the country’sdefence minister, Hulusi Akar, announced late Sunday, just daysafter airstrikes killed 33 of its troops in the Syrian city.
Two Syrian Army aeroplanes were downed during Operation Spring Shield,whereas one of its own drone aircraft was shot, the minister said, addingthat the Damascus government forces, as well as their allies, would betargeted.
Talks with Russia were ongoing in this regard, Akar noted, adding thatAnkara hoped Moscow would help mount pressure on Syria to stop attacks byits army.
A monitoring group, on the other hand, said the drone attacks had killed 74Syrian soldiers and 14 of the allied forces.
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Earlier, Akar had confirmed that the attack occurred despite coordinationwith Russian officials on the ground and that they continued after awarning being made.
Some 309 Syrian government’s soldiers — backed by Moscow — were killed inretaliation, he had said, as per state-owned Anadolu news agency.
