Turkish strikes hammer 40 Assad regime positions in deadly new Syria escalation

The latest clash shows the limits of Russia’s balancing act in the Middle East, writes Borzou Daragahi

Monday 03 February 2020 15:31 GMT
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A Turkish convoy of tanks passes through the Syrian town of Dana
A Turkish convoy of tanks passes through the Syrian town of Dana

A deadly confrontation between Turkish troops and regime forces in Syria has threatened to unravel a delicate detente brokered by Russia, and add a new dimension to the already calamitous nine-year Syrian war.

On Monday, Turkey’s armed forces hammered at 40 military positions held by Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in the northwest of the country and as far east as Ain al-Issa, north of Raqqa, following an attack on a Turkish outpost that killed five soldiers and a civilian.

Turkey claimed to have killed up to 35 Syrian government troops in howitzer artillery fire and F-16 airstrikes. It described the violence as retaliation for the attack on one of its outposts in Idlib province, the war-ravaged corner of the country where rebels have for years been battling the Assad regime. Turkey has also dispatched half a dozen military convoys into northwest Syria to bolster its positions, and resupplied allied Syrian rebel fighters with fresh ammunition and other weaponry, said a military expert.

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