Turkey begins military operation against Assad regime

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Turkish Defense Minister Şule Akar responded, vowing retaliation against any attack on Turkish forces or observation posts in Idlib under Turkey’s right to self-defense.

By REUTERS, IDAN ZONSHINE

MARCH 1, 2020 13:30
Syrian President Bashar al Assad visits Syrian army troops in war-torn northwestern Idlib province, Syria, October 22, 2019 (photo credit: SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Syrian President Bashar al Assad visits Syrian army troops in war-torn northwestern Idlib province, Syria, October 22, 2019 (photo credit: SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
A Syrian government drone was downed in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, marking the beginning of a wide-scale military operation in response to last week’s killing of 34 Turkish soldiers, Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Sunday.

Turkish Defense Minister Şule Akar announced the operation, named Operation Spring Shield, vowing retaliation against any attack on Turkish forces or observation posts in Idlib under Turkey’s right to self-defense.

“Some 2,200 Syrian regime troops, a drone, eight helicopters, 103 tanks, tens of howitzers, and three air defense systems were neutralized,” Akar said of the newly announced operation.

“We do not aim to face off with Russia. Our only aim is to stop the Syrian regime’s massacres, radicalization and migration,” he added.

Akar continued his plea for Russian assistance, saying that “Turkey expects Russia to use its influence to bring an end to the Syrian regime’s attacks, and its withdrawal to the Sochi-deal borders.”

Earlier, Syria’s army declared the airspace over northwest Syria closed to planes and drones, pledging to down any aircraft that violates it, state media said on Sunday, shortly before reports of the downed drone began surfacing.

“Any aircraft that violates our airspace will be dealt with as an enemy aircraft that must be brought down,” state news agency SANA said, citing a military source.

Syrian state media denied the reports that a government plane was brought down and said the Syrian army had downed a Turkish drone over the town of Saraqeb in the Idlib region of northwest Syria.

Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Syrian-government-place-downed-over-Idlib-Turkish-media-619366.

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