Erdoğan: Assad regime to pay 'heavy price' for attacking our soldiers

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday the Bashar al-Assad regime will pay a "very heavy price" for attacking Turkish troops in northwest Syria's Idlib region, where 13 Turkish soldiers have been martyred in just over a week, prompting a retaliation.

"We gave the necessary responses to the Syrian regime at the highest level. Especially in Idlib, they got what they deserved. But this is not enough, it will continue," he said in a speech, adding he would announce on Wednesday a detailed plan on how to handle developments in Idlib.

Turkey responded on Monday with artillery fire on the regime positions and said it had "neutralised" 101 Syrian regime soldiers after the killing of five Turks in Idlib -- the last major rebel bastion.

The exchange was the second such clash in a week, after eight Turks were killed in regime fire last week, which again prompted a military response from Turkey.

Erdoğan also said he would reveal Wednesday the steps to be taken after the flare up in the northwestern province of Idlib.

Turkey has beefed up in recent days its observation posts in Idlib, which were set up under a 2018 deal with Russia -- the key backer of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The regime supported by Moscow has pursued an assault against Idlib, home to an estimated three million, for more than two months.