2 Turkish soldiers killed, 3 injured in northwestern Syria

By Firat Tasdemir

ANKARA (AA) - At least two Turkish soldiers were killed, three others injured in an attack in northwestern Syria, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The attack occurred after a search and scanning activity in the Idlib de-escalation zone, a statement by the ministry said.

Turkey's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar conveyed condolences for the fallen soldiers and his wishes of a speedy recovery for the injured on the ministry’s Twitter account.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.

The Syrian regime, however, has consistently violated the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Over the past decade, around half a million people have been killed and more than 12 million had to flee their homes.