ISTANBUL (Dispatches) – An attack on Turkish troops in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province Saturday left two soldiers dead and three others wounded, Turkish officials said.
The assault happened following a search and screening operation in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement. It identified the dead soldiers as infantry non-commissioned officers.
Idlib is the last major terrorist stronghold in Syria’s foreign-backed war and parts are patrolled by Turkish and Russian troops.
The Britain-based so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a roadside bomb attack on a Turkish convoy happened on the road between Idlib city and Binnish. It said the wounded soldiers were evacuated to Turkey by helicopter.
The Observatory said the attack was claimed by a group known as the Supporters of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Company, a militant group that has claimed previous attacks on Turkish forces.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar later traveled to the Syrian border to meet military commanders.
Northwestern Syria has seen sporadic military activity since a cease-fire there was brokered in March 2020 by Turkey and Russia, which support opposing sides in the war.