Turkey to retaliate against any attack by Assad regime on Idlib observation posts - Defence Ministry
Turkey warned it will retaliate "in self-defence" if any of its army posts in northwest Syria are threatened amid increasing attacks by regime forces on Idlib. "Turkish troops would retaliate in the strongest way, without hesitation against any attack, that will be carried out by the Assad regime, on its observation posts in Syria's northwestern Idlib province," the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday
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- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 05:29 | 28 January 2020
- Modified Date: 06:24 | 28 January 2020
Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that it would retaliate "in the strongest way, without hesitation" against any attack on its observation posts in Syria's northwestern Idlib province by Bashar al-Assad's forces.
"The regime's attacks on Idlib are massacring innocent civilians and causing humanitarian tragedy," the Turkish defence ministry said on Twitter.
"A response will be given in self-defence to any attempts that would jeopardise the security of our observation and control posts in the region," the ministry added.
Ankara established 12 observation posts under a September 2018 deal with Russia, a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to prevent any onslaught in Idlib.
The city is home to some three million people, around half of whom have been displaced by violence in other areas.
Regime forces entered a town south of Idlib city on Tuesday, in a significant advance for Assad as he seeks to recapture rebel-held territory in the country's northwest, a war monitor and pro-Assad media said.
Despite a ceasefire arranged by Russia and Turkey, the regime's deadly offensive has sparked an exodus of thousands of civilians toward the Turkish border.