Turkey hits Assad regime's military airport in Aleppo

By Esref Musa and Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu

IDLIB, Syria (AA) - The Turkish Armed Forces targeted the Syrian regime's military airport in Aleppo, according to local sources on Sunday.

Al-Nayrab military airport, on the outskirts of Aleppo city center, was known as one of the bases that the Assad regime frequently used in the attacks against the Turkish Armed Forces and civilians in Idlib, northwestern Syria.

The Turkish Armed Forces used armed drones and fire support vehicles to target the airport, making it out of service, the sources said.

The regime army transported aircraft and equipment to Al-Nayrab from the Kuweires military airport in eastern Aleppo, which was targeted by Turkish forces the previous day, it added.

Local sources said the regime's range of action has been further restricted as the Al-Nayrab military airport has been made unusable.

On Sunday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced his country has launched Operation Spring Shield in Syria's Idlib in response to the recent regime attack on Turkish troops in the region.

At least 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred and tens of others injured in a deadly airstrike by the Bashar al-Assad regime forces in Idlib late Thursday.

The Turkish soldiers are working to protect local civilians under a September 2018 deal with Russia under which acts of aggression are prohibited in the region.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara