A column of armored vehicles and drones: what is known about the attack on the Turkish convoy in Syria

The Turkish Defense Ministry reported an air strike on a convoy of the Turkish military in the Syrian province of Idlib.

According to the agency, the convoy was moving in the direction of observation point 9 in Idlib and was hit. As a result, three civilians died and 12 were injured, the ministry claims.

“We strongly condemn this attack, which was committed in violation of our agreements and agreements with the Russian Federation. We reserve the sovereign right to defense and expect that measures will be taken immediately to avoid the recurrence of such incidents, ”the agency reports the Turkish Ministry of Defense.

On the eve of the shelling of the convoy in Idlib, Turkish media reported. According to DHA, the Turkish military moved between the observation posts in the Khan Sheikhun area. At the time this information was published, no casualties were reported.

The Turkish NTV channel specified that the convoy of Turkish armored vehicles was heading from observation point 7 to point 9, since it was at the center of the Syrian offensive.

According to NTV, Syrian government forces attacked the convoy route and some shells exploded near Turkish technology and the convoy stopped to avoid casualties. The channel clarified that after this, the Turkish command sent drones to the area.

In turn, the Syrian media previously reported on the advancement of Turkish technology in the direction of the city of Khan Sheikhun, located in Idlib, with reference to government departments.

"Turkish armored carriers with weapons on board violated the Syrian border and entered the city of Serakib, they are moving in the direction of Khan Sheikhun to urgently help the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists," the Foreign Ministry quoted SANA as saying.

The Syrian agency said the SAR “strongly condemns this egregious Turkish interference and blames the Turkish regime for the consequences of this violation of the country's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.”

Against the background of these events, a military source told RIA Novosti that the Syrian army blocked the supply lines for the militants of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group after establishing control over the Damascus-Aleppo highway.

“The Syrian army blocked the international Damascus-Aleppo highway north of Khan Sheikhun,” the source said.

Ceasefire

Recall that Idlib is still the only large enclave in Syria controlled by militants. Turkey is responsible for maintaining order within the de-escalation zone in the area. According to various sources, in the province there are about 30 thousand militants.

On the eve of August 2, a ceasefire regime came into force in Idlib. The conditions of this order were stipulated in Nur-Sultan on August 1. The agreement concluded referred to the withdrawal of armaments 20 km from the contact line.

Soon, the Permanent Representative of the SAR to the UN, Bashar al-Jaafari, said that Ankara needed to demonstrate interest in observing previous agreements.

“We have patience and diplomacy, which is enough for us to provide the Turkish side with an opportunity so that it can confirm its interest in fulfilling the agreements of Sochi and Astana,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

Recall that in September 2018 in Sochi, the Russian and Turkish defense ministers signed a memorandum on stabilizing the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone and agreed to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib in the SAR.

According to Jaafari, the population of Idlib is demanding from Damascus that the authorities intervene and “put an end to the foreign presence.” He added that the Syrian government intends to “put an end to terrorism in Idlib, relying on the army, on the forces of allies and friends.”

A few days later, on August 5, the Syrian armed forces resumed operation in Idlib. It was reported that this happened due to non-compliance by the militants with the ceasefire and the failure of Ankara to comply with Russian-Turkish agreements.

“The army will respond to any aggression on the basis of its constitutional obligations to protect the Syrian people and ensure their security,” RIA Novosti quoted the Syrian state television as saying.

* “Jabhat al-Nusra” (“Jabhat Fath al-Sham”, “Front al-Nusra”, “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham”) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated December 29, 2014.