Turkey: Ankara announces Spring Shield operation on Idleb

Text by: RFI Follow

Turkey announced on Sunday that it had launched a military offensive against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Idleb, in northwestern Syria, in response to the Damascus attacks which inflicted heavy losses on Turkish troops this week.

Publicity

" Operation 'Shield of Spring', launched after the vile attack on February 27 in Idleb, continues successfully, " said Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. This is the first time that Ankara has officially announced that its military operations on Syrian territory are part of a more general operation.

These strikes are intended as a response to the advance of Syrian troops in northwestern Syria, with the support of Russia. Advance which caused heavy losses on the side of the Turkish army stationed in the area. For example, on Thursday, 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in the Idleb region; it was one of the deadliest attacks ever suffered by the Turkish army in its recent history. In reprisal, the following night Turkey bombed positions of the Bashar al-Assad regime. On Saturday Ankara stepped up drone strikes against positions of the Syrian regime.

► Syria: after Ankara's response, the escalation of tensions worries

In his televised address, the Turkish Minister of Defense also indicates that the aim of this “Spring Shield” offensive is “to put an end to the regime's massacres and to prevent a wave of migration ”. He added, however, that Ankara has " neither the intention nor the desire to enter into a confrontation with Russia ", which supports the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Newsletter With the Daily Newsletter, find the headlines directly in your mailbox

Download the app

• Syria
• Turkey