The Turkish military and Turkish-backed militias and Syrian forces became engaged in a shooting war in Syria’s Idlib province following a Syrian artillery attack on a Turkish observation post last week. Damascus began an operation in the province in December amid repeated attacks on its forces by terrorist militants operating in the region.
The Syrian Army has warned that its air defences would shoot down any aircraft violating the country’s airspace.
“Any aircraft which violate Syria’s airspace will be treated as enemy military targets…They will be tracked immediately after detection and destroyed immediately after violating our airspace,” Syrian Armed Forces Command said in a press statement on Saturday.
According to the military, air defence troops have received orders to defend the country’s airspace “by all available means.”
Turkish Soldier Killed in Idlib
Also Saturday, an official from Turkey’s Gaziantep governorate reported that a Turkish contract soldier was killed in Idlib province following a Syrian Army attack on Turkish forces.