Fighting broke out between Turks and terrorists in Idlib
In the Syrian province of Idlib, Turkey began military operations against the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Al-Qaeda).
This was reported by Izvestia, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The publication’s sources said that the intensity of the fighting increased sharply on April 26 after Ankara’s next attempt to fulfill the Moscow agreements and unblock the strategic M4 highway. During clashes with militants, the Turkish military first used tear gas and then opened fire.
“Doctors reported five killed and many wounded. These include not only civilians, but also extremists. According to Izvestia’s sources, after the shooting began, armed militants with machine guns and grenade launchers appeared on the barricades instead of local residents. Hiding behind earthen ramparts blocking the highway, they opened fire on Turkish armored vehicles,” the publication notes.
In addition, the terrorists fired mortars at one of the Turkish checkpoints near Nairab and fired at a convoy of equipment with anti-tank missiles. In response, Türkiye launched an airstrike on HTS positions near the village of Saan. On Monday, there were reports of new drone attacks on terrorist positions in the Al-Ghab Valley.
“The clash between the Turkish military and gendarmerie and the Islamists was inevitable,” says military expert Vladislav Shurygin. “The extremists showed no desire to give in and voluntarily unblock the M4. And the time allotted to Ankara to oust the militants from the route is running out. But even now Türkiye is trying to resolve the issue with minimal use of force.”
The expert does not exclude that the current battles will develop into a larger-scale confrontation with HTS.
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