At least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed and more than 35 were injured in an aerial attack by Syrian regime forces in Idlib province, Syria.
Later, Turkey retaliated against Syrian government supported by Russia targets who are trying to retake Idlib from rebels backed by Turkish soldiers. The injured are being treated in Turkish hospitals. At least 50 have now been killed in Idlib since the start of February, Associated Press reported.
Turkish officials blamed the Syrian government forces for the strike. However, in recent weeks, Russian jets have been conducting most of the airstrikes in the area. In response to the attack, a senior Turkish official said that Ankara will no longer stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe.
On Friday, the Russian Army said it was sending two warships equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles to the Mediterranean Sea toward the Syrian coast.
In recent months, the Syrian army has pushed hard to retake the last rebel-held region in northwestern Syria. Turkey has sent thousands of troops in Idlib to back the rebels against the offensive by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.