Regime attack martyrs 2 Turkish soldiers in Syria

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Two Turkish soldiers were martyred and three others wounded in a Syrian regime attack, Turkey's Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

The regime attack in the area of Turkey's Operation Spring Shield in Idlib, Syria is thought to take place prior to the protocol agreed between Turkey and Russia in Moscow on the new cease-fire in Idlib de-escalation zone.

Turkish forces determined the regime targets in the region and immediately opened fire, the ministry said in a statement.

It wished God's mercy on the martyrs, and conveyed condolences and wished patience to their families, Turkish Armed Forces and Turkish nation.

Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield on Sunday after at least 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred in an Assad regime airstrike in Idlib. Under the 2018 deal with Russia, Turkish troops were in Idlib to protect civilians from attacks by the regime and its allies.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in Moscow on a new cease-fire in Idlib, which will take effect just after midnight Thursday.