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Syria war: 33 Turkish troops killed in air strike in Idlib Syria war: 33 Turkish soldiers killed in attack in Idlib
(about 2 hours later)
At least 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed in an air strike by Syrian "regime forces" in north-western Syria, a senior Turkish official has said. At least 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed in an air strike by Syrian government forces in north-west Syria, a senior Turkish official has said.
More were hurt in Idlib province, said Rahmi Dogan, the governor of Turkey's Hatay province. Other reports put the death toll higher. Others were injured in he attack in Idlib province, said Rahmi Dogan, the governor of Turkey's Hatay province.
Turkey later retaliated against Syrian government targets. Turkey retaliated by attacking Syrian government targets.
Syrian forces supported by Russia are trying to retake Idlib from rebels who are backed by Turkish soldiers. Russia, Syria's key military ally, said the Turkish troops had been operating alongside jihadist fighters when they were attacked by Syrian forces.
The Syrian authorities have so far made no public comments on the latest escalation in Idlib, the last Syrian province to remain in opposition hands. It denied its own air force had been involved in the fighting in the Behun area.
What's the latest? Government forces supported by Russia have been trying to retake Idlib from rebels who are backed by Turkey and the air strike came after the rebels retook the key town of Saraqeb.
The Turkish military began hitting back at Syrian targets after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an urgent top-level security meeting in Ankara late on Thursday. The Syrian authorities themselves have so far made no public comments on the latest escalation in Idlib, the last Syrian province to remain in opposition hands.
Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and senior Turkish military commanders immediately went to the Syrian border to direct a wave of ground and air attacks against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Reports suggest Turkey, a key member of the Nato alliance, may be relaxing its border controls to allow Syrian refugees to seek refuge in the EU.
President Erdogan wants the Syrian government forces to pull back from positions where Turkey has set up military observation posts and earlier threatened to attack them if they did not halt their advance. What do we know about the air strike?
It reportedly occurred on Thursday evening.
"Thirty-three of our soldiers were martyred as a result of the air strike... by the forces of the [Bashar al-]Assad regime," Mr Dogan was quoted as saying by the state-funded Anadolu news agency.
Those wounded were being treated in hospital in Turkey but none were in a critical condition, he added.
After President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an urgent top-level security meeting in Ankara, Turkish forces began conducting ground and air strikes on "all known" Syrian government targets, Turkish communications director Fahrettin Altun said.
According to the Russian defence ministry, the Turkish soldiers had been killed in a "bombardment" while operating alongside "terrorists" in the Behun area where, it said, fighters from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance (formerly the Nusra Front) were attacking Syrian government forces.
Russia said it was in constant contact with Turkey to ensure Turkish troops were not targeted in Idlib and had not been informed that Turkish forces were active at Behun.
An unconfirmed Russian media report says two Russian warships equipped with cruise missiles are being sent towards the Syrian coast.
President Erdogan wants Syrian government forces to pull back from positions where Turkey has set up military observation posts and earlier threatened to attack them if they did not halt their advance.
But Syria's government and Russia have rejected his demand to pull back to ceasefire lines agreed in 2018. Russia has also accused Turkey of violating the 2018 ceasefire by backing rebels with artillery fire.But Syria's government and Russia have rejected his demand to pull back to ceasefire lines agreed in 2018. Russia has also accused Turkey of violating the 2018 ceasefire by backing rebels with artillery fire.
The UK-based monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said at least 34 Turkish troops had been killed in Thursday evening's air strike. In reaction to the crisis:
The wounded had been brought back to Turkey for treatment, Mr Dogan said.
"All known" Syrian government targets were under fire by Turkish air and land support units, Turkey's communications director Fahrettin Altun was quoted by state news agency Anadolu as saying. Turkey had decided to "respond in kind" to the attack, Mr Altun said.
What has the reaction been?
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke by phone to Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu of Turkey, a key member of the military alliance.
Mr Stoltenberg "condemned the continued indiscriminate air strikes by the Syrian regime and its backer Russia in Idlib province", his spokesperson was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
A spokesman for the US state department said in a statement: "We stand by our Nato ally Turkey and continue to call for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia and Iranian-backed forces.
"We are looking at options on how we can best support Turkey in this crisis."
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed "grave concern" over the latest escalation, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Will Ankara or Damascus back down?Will Ankara or Damascus back down?
The scene is set for a full-scale confrontation between Turkey and Syria.The scene is set for a full-scale confrontation between Turkey and Syria.
This leaves all sorts of questions.This leaves all sorts of questions.
Will Ankara or Damascus back down? Can Moscow - hardly a neutral party - in some way encourage de-escalation?Will Ankara or Damascus back down? Can Moscow - hardly a neutral party - in some way encourage de-escalation?
And is there any way to persuade the Syrian regime to halt its wider offensive in Idlib?And is there any way to persuade the Syrian regime to halt its wider offensive in Idlib?
This appears doubtful since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad seems intent on taking back control of the area, and the Russians have already been backing him to this end. This appears doubtful since President Assad seems intent on taking back control of the area, and the Russians have already been backing him to this end.
And what of the human tragedy that is unfolding?
Turkey has already taken in some 3.7 million refugees.
This now is becoming a controversial issue in Turkish domestic politics, and Turkey's exasperation may lead it to send a wave of refugees towards Europe.
Read Jonathan's analysis in fullRead Jonathan's analysis in full
The latest clashes came after the Turkey-backed rebels said they had retaken the strategic town of Saraqeb from Syrian government forces on Thursday. How is the crisis affecting the humanitarian situation?
The fighting in Idlib has driven nearly a million Syrians from their homes since December. The UN said a full-scale battle there could result in a "bloodbath". The fighting in Idlib has driven nearly a million Syrians from their homes since December and the UN says a full-scale battle there could result in a "bloodbath".
Reuters news agency quoted a senior Turkish official on Thursday as saying that Turkey had decided to stand down its border guards and no longer prevent Syrian refugees from trying to reach Europe. However, this has not been officially confirmed. Turkey has already taken in some 3.7 million refugees and Turkey's exasperation may lead it to send a new wave of refugees towards Europe.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Erdogan said three Turkish soldiers had been killed in an air strike in Idlib. Unnamed Turkish sources told international news agencies on Friday that the country was indeed lifting border controls to allow refugees to try to travel to the EU.
Turkey's defence ministry said it had responded to that incident by hitting Syrian "regime targets". "We will no longer keep the doors closed for refugees who want to go to Europe," one source told AFP.
Russia has rejected calls in the UN Security Council for a humanitarian ceasefire in northern Syria. Several hundred people are reported to have gathered on the Turkish border at Dikili in the hope of crossing illegally to Greece.
Responding to a statement from Belgium and Germany that the killing of civilians must stop, the Russian ambassador said the only solution was to chase what he called the terrorists from the country. "We are going to Greece, we have packed up and arranged our money," one unidentified person told Turkey's IHA news agency.
"We came here to prepare our boats and we will also prepare our equipments. We will go to Greece from here."
Under a 2016 agreement with the EU, which followed a wave of Syrian refugees and refugees and migrants from other countries to Europe, Turkey imposed stronger controls to curb the flow.
The deal involved an EU pledge to provide €6bn (£5.4bn; $6.6bn) in aid to Turkey to house Syrian refugees.
Turkey's communications director said his country could not take in another million refugees from Syria.
Fahrettin Altun went on Twitter to call for the international community to protect civilians in Idlib from "genocide" by imposing a no-fly zone.
Russia has rejected calls in the UN Security Council for a humanitarian ceasefire in northern Syria, saying the only solution is to chase what it calls terrorists from the country.