WAR Regional conflict brewing in the Mediterranean
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danielboon
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SYRIA LOOKS TO BE GOING TOWARDS RED HOT. MERDE
jward
passin' thru
ELINT New
@ELINTNews
47m
#UPDATE: The Russian Black Sea Fleet says it has dispatched two frigates equipped with cruise missiles to the Syrian coast
@ELINTNews
47m
#UPDATE: The Russian Black Sea Fleet says it has dispatched two frigates equipped with cruise missiles to the Syrian coast
danielboon
TB Fanatic
your move Erdogan
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Retweeted
Ragıp Soylu
@ragipsoylu
·
43m
NEW — Erdogan told Putin that Syrian govt’s every unit is a legitimate target for Turkey and they would be fired upon since they directly attack Turkey Erdogan said this type of attacks aren’t changing Turkey’s view on Idlib, on the contrary, they are making Ankara more decisive
Ragıp Soylu
@ragipsoylu
·
43m
NEW — Erdogan told Putin that Syrian govt’s every unit is a legitimate target for Turkey and they would be fired upon since they directly attack Turkey Erdogan said this type of attacks aren’t changing Turkey’s view on Idlib, on the contrary, they are making Ankara more decisive
danielboon
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Woofers
@NotWoofers
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1h
Civilian casualties in Arima, west of Manbij, after Turkish shelling of the town. Hundreds of people are evacuating the town because of the shelling.
Woofers
@NotWoofers
·
1h
Civilian casualties in Arima, west of Manbij, after Turkish shelling of the town. Hundreds of people are evacuating the town because of the shelling.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Author: Thema Newsroom | Published: January 30, 2020
US president had also “highlighted the importance of Turkey & Greece resolving their differences in the east Mediterranean”
Related Stories
Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has welcomed a decision by France to dispatch war frigates to the eastern Mediterranean as a standoff with Turkey over regional energy reserves intensifies.
With tensions between Athens and Ankara causing growing international alarm, Mitsotakis described the vessels as “guarantors of peace”.
“The only way to end differences in the eastern Mediterranean is through international justice,” he told reporters after holding talks in Paris with the French president, Emmanuel Macron. “Greece and France are pursuing a new framework of strategic defence”.
Mitsotakis was in the French capital on a visit aimed at rallying EU support at a time when hostile relations with Turkey have eclipsed all other issues on the agenda of his near seven-month-old government.
Macron pledged France would step up its strategic bond with Greece, accusing Turkey of not only exacerbating regional tensions but failing to stick to its promised course of action in war-torn Libya.
“I want to express my concerns with regard to the behaviour of Turkey at the moment … we have seen during these last days Turkish warships accompanied by Syrian mercenaries arrive on Libyan soil. This is an explicit and serious infringement of what was agreed [at last week’s peace conference] in Berlin. It’s a broken promise.”
The Gallic-Greek alliance cements what officials in Athens are calling a renewed diplomatic push to counter Turkish belligerence in the Mediterranean.
France to send warships to support Greece in Turkish standoff
US president had also “highlighted the importance of Turkey & Greece resolving their differences in the east Mediterranean”
en.protothema.gr
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Turkey may limit or completely block the Bosphorus Strait for Russian Navy ships
By Boyko Nikolov On Feb 28, 2020
ANKARA, (BM) – Turkey may limit or completely block the Bosphorus Strait for Russian Navy ships amid escalation of the conflict in the Syrian province of Idlib, learned BulgarianMilitary.com according Turkish journalist Hakan Celik.
BREAKING: A Russian large-scale air strike killed dozens Turkish soldiers in Syria
Read more: BulgarianMilitary.com 24/7 – War in Syria: Who controls what and what happens
According to him, Ankara is considering the possibility of blocking the strait, if Russia will oppose the Turkish military operation in Syria. It is also possible to close Turkish airspace for Russian aviation, the journalist warned.
The status of the Black Sea straits is regulated by the Montreux Convention adopted in 1936. According to the document, Turkey must ensure the freedom of movement of merchant ships of all countries both in peacetime and in wartime.
Moreover, the mode of passage of warships in relation to the Black Sea and non-Black Sea states is different. So, for warships of non-Black Sea states, significant restrictions have been introduced on the class and tonnage of ships. In the case of Turkey’s participation in the war, as well as if the country considers that there is a threat of involvement in an armed conflict, Ankara has the right to close the straits for any warships.
On the night of February 28, the Turkish army attacked the positions of the Syrian army in Idlib and destroyed a convoy of government troops. The attack was a response to the shelling of Turkish troops in the Jebel al-Zawiya region, which killed 33 troops. Turkey promised to avenge Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the deaths of soldiers.
As a result of the offensive in January-February, the Syrian army occupied almost half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind Turkish observation posts. This outraged Ankara, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that if by the end of February the Syrian troops are not withdrawn from the line of posts, the Turkish army will begin a military operation.
bulgarianmilitary.com
By Boyko Nikolov On Feb 28, 2020
ANKARA, (BM) – Turkey may limit or completely block the Bosphorus Strait for Russian Navy ships amid escalation of the conflict in the Syrian province of Idlib, learned BulgarianMilitary.com according Turkish journalist Hakan Celik.
BREAKING: A Russian large-scale air strike killed dozens Turkish soldiers in Syria
Read more: BulgarianMilitary.com 24/7 – War in Syria: Who controls what and what happens
According to him, Ankara is considering the possibility of blocking the strait, if Russia will oppose the Turkish military operation in Syria. It is also possible to close Turkish airspace for Russian aviation, the journalist warned.
The status of the Black Sea straits is regulated by the Montreux Convention adopted in 1936. According to the document, Turkey must ensure the freedom of movement of merchant ships of all countries both in peacetime and in wartime.
Moreover, the mode of passage of warships in relation to the Black Sea and non-Black Sea states is different. So, for warships of non-Black Sea states, significant restrictions have been introduced on the class and tonnage of ships. In the case of Turkey’s participation in the war, as well as if the country considers that there is a threat of involvement in an armed conflict, Ankara has the right to close the straits for any warships.
On the night of February 28, the Turkish army attacked the positions of the Syrian army in Idlib and destroyed a convoy of government troops. The attack was a response to the shelling of Turkish troops in the Jebel al-Zawiya region, which killed 33 troops. Turkey promised to avenge Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the deaths of soldiers.
As a result of the offensive in January-February, the Syrian army occupied almost half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind Turkish observation posts. This outraged Ankara, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that if by the end of February the Syrian troops are not withdrawn from the line of posts, the Turkish army will begin a military operation.
Turkey may limit or completely block the Bosphorus Strait for Russian Navy ships
Turkey may limit or completely block the Bosphorus Strait for Russian Navy ships amid escalation of the conflict in the Syrian province of Idlib, learned BulgarianMilitary.com
bulgarianmilitary.com
Posted for fair use.....
asiatimes.com
Opinion
Russia may have met its match in Libya
Recent events suggest that the Kremlin is unable to tip the balance decisively in Libya as it did in Syria
by Neil Hauer February 26, 2020
The past half-decade has seen Russia re-enter the Middle East arena more forcefully than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago. As it strives to reassert itself in a region where its influence was once second only to that of the United States, Moscow has used its largely successful military intervention in the Syrian civil war to bolster its status, signing new political and military deals with countries ranging from Egypt and Jordan to Iraq, Turkey and Iran.
This seemingly unstoppable rise and the prospect of Vladimir Putin’s Russia becoming a bona fide rival in the Middle East has caused alarm among US policymakers and analysts.
But by wading into one troubled state in the southern Mediterranean, Moscow could well have bitten off more than it can chew.
The past three months of Russian involvement in Libya suggest that the Kremlin is unable to tip the balance decisively there as it did in Syria – and worse, that Russian policymakers either don’t know it or don’t want to know.
Instead, they are escalating their involvement, thereby increasing the chances of considerable political and material losses with little prospect of achieving any breakthrough.
After injecting hundreds of mercenaries into the North African country last year in support of Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Khalifa Haftar, Russian personnel losses are mounting up. The investigative news outlet Meduza reported as many as 35 Russian fatal casualties by October 2019, both among the Wagner private military contract agency and freelance mercenaries.
No updated casualty counts have emerged since then, although with reports of Russian contract soldiers fighting in Tripoli at least through December, the number certainly would have gone up. The official confirmation this month of the death of the first regular-army soldier indicated both the extent of Moscow’s involvement in Libya and the intention to increase support for Haftar and the LNA.
This is bound to widen the rift between Russia and Turkey, Moscow’s erstwhile partner in Syria. Turkey has chosen to back the other side, the Government of National Accord (GNA), sending in military advisers and 2,000 Syrian fighters, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to “teach Haftar a lesson” if the LNA leader resumes his advance on Tripoli.
The timing could not be worse. A Russian-backed offensive by the Syrian government has killed Turkish servicemen and created a new refugee crisis on Turkey’s border with Syria, prompting threats of unilateral military retaliation from Erdogan. The Moscow-Ankara alliance, which was crucial in consolidating Russian gains in Syria, is at breaking point.
The death in Libya of Gleb Mostovoi, a Russian regular-army soldier, raises a number of interesting possibilities. In Syria, Moscow deployed two main types of ground forces: military advisers for select pro-regime armed formations and special forces operating as light infantry, carrying out tasks such as reconnaissance and spotting for artillery and air strikes.
Since there is no indication that Mostovoi, who was buried in his native village near the Kazakhstan border on February 14, was a member of any special forces units, we must assume he was a “military adviser.” If Russia is indeed repeating its Syria strategy in Libya, Mostovoi’s death indicates it is not getting the same results. The next step could well be to send in special forces to boost Haftar’s troops in the hope of breaking the stalemate.
A less known component of Russia’s forces in Syria are the four battalions of North Caucasus military police. Numbering roughly 400-strong each and highly visible, they have proved remarkably effective at freezing frontlines (thus enabling manpower to be transferred elsewhere) and deterring other forces (such as the Turks) from launching military escapades. After all, no one wants to risk killing Russian servicemen so publicly.
Another possibility concerns Chechen servicemen. Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov has repeatedly expressed his desire to send forces to combat “terrorism” in Syria, a request he has been denied so far. But with an increasingly active diplomatic role in Libya (via his envoy, Lev Dengov), Kadyrov may yet get his wish.
Chechnya also continues to offer training for Arab military units at its massive new “Special Forces University,” 36 kilometers from the capital, Grozny, so it is entirely plausible that Chechen commandos could end up on the Libyan battlefield next.
However, these possibilities are contingent upon the Kremlin making one major policy decision: Is Russia prepared to engage in highly destructive urban warfare for the sake of the Libyan capital?
Tripoli has so far proved a difficult target for Haftar’s forces. Months of failed offensives have demonstrated that even the addition of hundreds of Russian mercenary fighters are far from enough to take territory from the pro-GNA militias and hold it. In Syria, major gains came only after months of devastating Russian aerial bombardment on dense urban landscapes, most notably the rebel-held half of Aleppo city and the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. Both areas were virtually annihilated, with mass flows of refugees and catastrophic destruction of infrastructure.
Despite years of continuous warfare, Tripoli has largely escaped this fate and it would seem unconscionable for Russia to be the one to pulverize the city. On the other hand, Moscow has faced few, if any, consequences for its actions elsewhere, so perhaps the notion of razing Tripoli to the ground is not so far-fetched.
As Russia steadily deepens its involvement in Libya and the voices of international condemnation remain faint, there is only one outcome for Libya: more carnage, more chaos, and more death.
Russia may have met its match in Libya
The past half-decade has seen Russia re-enter the Middle East arena more forcefully than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago. As it strives to reassert itself in …
asiatimes.com
Opinion
Russia may have met its match in Libya
Recent events suggest that the Kremlin is unable to tip the balance decisively in Libya as it did in Syria
by Neil Hauer February 26, 2020
The past half-decade has seen Russia re-enter the Middle East arena more forcefully than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago. As it strives to reassert itself in a region where its influence was once second only to that of the United States, Moscow has used its largely successful military intervention in the Syrian civil war to bolster its status, signing new political and military deals with countries ranging from Egypt and Jordan to Iraq, Turkey and Iran.
This seemingly unstoppable rise and the prospect of Vladimir Putin’s Russia becoming a bona fide rival in the Middle East has caused alarm among US policymakers and analysts.
But by wading into one troubled state in the southern Mediterranean, Moscow could well have bitten off more than it can chew.
The past three months of Russian involvement in Libya suggest that the Kremlin is unable to tip the balance decisively there as it did in Syria – and worse, that Russian policymakers either don’t know it or don’t want to know.
Instead, they are escalating their involvement, thereby increasing the chances of considerable political and material losses with little prospect of achieving any breakthrough.
After injecting hundreds of mercenaries into the North African country last year in support of Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Khalifa Haftar, Russian personnel losses are mounting up. The investigative news outlet Meduza reported as many as 35 Russian fatal casualties by October 2019, both among the Wagner private military contract agency and freelance mercenaries.
No updated casualty counts have emerged since then, although with reports of Russian contract soldiers fighting in Tripoli at least through December, the number certainly would have gone up. The official confirmation this month of the death of the first regular-army soldier indicated both the extent of Moscow’s involvement in Libya and the intention to increase support for Haftar and the LNA.
This is bound to widen the rift between Russia and Turkey, Moscow’s erstwhile partner in Syria. Turkey has chosen to back the other side, the Government of National Accord (GNA), sending in military advisers and 2,000 Syrian fighters, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to “teach Haftar a lesson” if the LNA leader resumes his advance on Tripoli.
The timing could not be worse. A Russian-backed offensive by the Syrian government has killed Turkish servicemen and created a new refugee crisis on Turkey’s border with Syria, prompting threats of unilateral military retaliation from Erdogan. The Moscow-Ankara alliance, which was crucial in consolidating Russian gains in Syria, is at breaking point.
The death in Libya of Gleb Mostovoi, a Russian regular-army soldier, raises a number of interesting possibilities. In Syria, Moscow deployed two main types of ground forces: military advisers for select pro-regime armed formations and special forces operating as light infantry, carrying out tasks such as reconnaissance and spotting for artillery and air strikes.
Since there is no indication that Mostovoi, who was buried in his native village near the Kazakhstan border on February 14, was a member of any special forces units, we must assume he was a “military adviser.” If Russia is indeed repeating its Syria strategy in Libya, Mostovoi’s death indicates it is not getting the same results. The next step could well be to send in special forces to boost Haftar’s troops in the hope of breaking the stalemate.
A less known component of Russia’s forces in Syria are the four battalions of North Caucasus military police. Numbering roughly 400-strong each and highly visible, they have proved remarkably effective at freezing frontlines (thus enabling manpower to be transferred elsewhere) and deterring other forces (such as the Turks) from launching military escapades. After all, no one wants to risk killing Russian servicemen so publicly.
Another possibility concerns Chechen servicemen. Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov has repeatedly expressed his desire to send forces to combat “terrorism” in Syria, a request he has been denied so far. But with an increasingly active diplomatic role in Libya (via his envoy, Lev Dengov), Kadyrov may yet get his wish.
Chechnya also continues to offer training for Arab military units at its massive new “Special Forces University,” 36 kilometers from the capital, Grozny, so it is entirely plausible that Chechen commandos could end up on the Libyan battlefield next.
However, these possibilities are contingent upon the Kremlin making one major policy decision: Is Russia prepared to engage in highly destructive urban warfare for the sake of the Libyan capital?
Tripoli has so far proved a difficult target for Haftar’s forces. Months of failed offensives have demonstrated that even the addition of hundreds of Russian mercenary fighters are far from enough to take territory from the pro-GNA militias and hold it. In Syria, major gains came only after months of devastating Russian aerial bombardment on dense urban landscapes, most notably the rebel-held half of Aleppo city and the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. Both areas were virtually annihilated, with mass flows of refugees and catastrophic destruction of infrastructure.
Despite years of continuous warfare, Tripoli has largely escaped this fate and it would seem unconscionable for Russia to be the one to pulverize the city. On the other hand, Moscow has faced few, if any, consequences for its actions elsewhere, so perhaps the notion of razing Tripoli to the ground is not so far-fetched.
As Russia steadily deepens its involvement in Libya and the voices of international condemnation remain faint, there is only one outcome for Libya: more carnage, more chaos, and more death.
The use of drones by the Turks in these strikes should be of real interest, since the US has been doing this against non-peer forces for decades. The Turks are doing so against near peer or peer forces. This is going to get "real interesting". RIP to all those caught up in this mess and paid for their leaders decisions with their lives, limbs and blood.
Plain Jane
Just Plain Jane
It's up to 48 dead now.
www.reuters.com
NEWS
FEBRUARY 29, 2020 / 4:46 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Turkish strikes in northwest Syria kill 48 pro-Damascus troops: Observatory
1 MIN READ
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkish ground and air strikes on Syrian government forces and their allies in northwest Syria’s Idlib have killed 48 pro-Damascus soldiers in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Observatory, a war monitor, reported on Saturday.
It said that Syrian government and Russian warplanes continued air strikes on Saturday on the strategic eastern Idlib city of Saraqeb, a focal point of intensified fighting in recent days between Turkish-backed rebels and Damascus.
Reporting by Eric Knecht; Editing by Alexander Smith
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Turkish strikes in northwest Syria kill 48 pro-Damascus troops: Observatory
Turkish ground and air strikes on Syrian government forces and their allies in northwest Syria's Idlib have killed 48 pro-Damascus soldiers in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Observatory, a war monitor, reported on Saturday.
www.reuters.com
NEWS
FEBRUARY 29, 2020 / 4:46 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Turkish strikes in northwest Syria kill 48 pro-Damascus troops: Observatory
1 MIN READ
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkish ground and air strikes on Syrian government forces and their allies in northwest Syria’s Idlib have killed 48 pro-Damascus soldiers in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Observatory, a war monitor, reported on Saturday.
It said that Syrian government and Russian warplanes continued air strikes on Saturday on the strategic eastern Idlib city of Saraqeb, a focal point of intensified fighting in recent days between Turkish-backed rebels and Damascus.
Reporting by Eric Knecht; Editing by Alexander Smith
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Well, so much for de-escalation....
Hummm.....
Posted for fair use.....
Libya's eastern-based army accuses UN-backed gov't of "killing prisoners"
Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-29 05:21:33|Editor: Shi Yinglun
TRIPOLI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Spokesman of Libya's eastern-based army Ahmad al-Mismari on Friday accused the forces of the rival UN-backed government of killing army soldiers they detain.
The UN-backed government "has eliminated a number of members of the National Army who have fallen into their hands, including those who were injured," al-Mismari said in a statement.
The UN-backed government has not responded to the spokesman's accusation yet.
The eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around the capital Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government.
The fighting has killed and injured thousands of people and forced more than 150,000 people to flee their homes.
The rivals have agreed to cease fire on Jan. 12. However, both parties exchanged accusations of breaching the truce.
Posted for fair use.....
Libya's eastern-based army accuses UN-backed gov't of "killing prisoners"
Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-29 05:21:33|Editor: Shi Yinglun
TRIPOLI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Spokesman of Libya's eastern-based army Ahmad al-Mismari on Friday accused the forces of the rival UN-backed government of killing army soldiers they detain.
The UN-backed government "has eliminated a number of members of the National Army who have fallen into their hands, including those who were injured," al-Mismari said in a statement.
The UN-backed government has not responded to the spokesman's accusation yet.
The eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around the capital Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government.
The fighting has killed and injured thousands of people and forced more than 150,000 people to flee their homes.
The rivals have agreed to cease fire on Jan. 12. However, both parties exchanged accusations of breaching the truce.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
.
Turkey downs 2 Syrian warplanes as tensions soar, officials say
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Turkey downs 2 Syrian warplanes as tensions soar, officials say
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[/URL]
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Live
NEWS /SYRIA'S WAR
Turkey shoots down two Syrian fighter jets over Idlib
Syrian media says no one hurt in the Turkish attack over Idlib with pilots parachuting to safety.
by Linah Alsaafin
1 hour ago
Antakya, Turkey - Turkey's military shot down two Syrian government fighter jets over northwest Idlib, hours after forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad brought down a Turkish drone over the region.
In a Twitter post on Sunday, Turkey's defence ministry said its forces struck two SU-24 aircraft in response to the downing of the drone.
More:
Turkey-Syria tensions escalate after troops killed: Live updates
Idlib: 'A crisis on a monumental scale'
Syria: Why is the world indifferent to Idlib?
Syria's SANA news agency confirmed the aircraft were hit over northwestern Idlib province, but said no one was hurt in the attack. The pilots used parachutes and landed safely, it added.
The shootdowns came as Turkey announced a full-scale military operation dubbed "Spring Shield" against Syrian targets.
The Syrian military's Al-Nayrab airport, on the outskirts of Aleppo city, was hit by air attacks "making it out of service", Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency cited "local sources" as saying.
Syrian forces used the airbase for "attacks against the Turkish armed forces and civilians in Idlib", the news report said.
"The regime's range of action has been further restricted as the Al-Nayrab military airport has been made unusable," sources were quoted as saying.
Al Jazeera was unable to independently confirm the report.
UPFRONT | Idlib: 'A crisis on a monumental scale' (12:25)
Amid the escalating tensions, the Syrian government closed the airspace over Idlib, with one official telling SANA any aircraft "that violates our airspace will be treated as a hostile flight that must be shot down and prevented from achieving its objectives".
Forces loyal to al-Assad, backed by Russian airpower, have renewed an offensive to capture Idlib from opposition forces, who are backed by Turkey.
Since the operation intensified in December, Syrian government forces have rapidly advanced into the last opposition stronghold, retaking the strategic M5 highway and solidifying control over parts of Aleppo province, which borders Idlib.
Turkey says the operation violates deals signed with Russia in 2017 and 2018 to set up de-escalation zones in the region.
Tensions have escalated in recent days after 34 Turkish troops were killed in Syrian government air raids on Idlib on February 27. The toll was the biggest military loss the Turkish military has suffered since it intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2016.
In response, Ankara said it struck scores of Syrian government targets and "neutralised" 2,212 soldiers.
Erdogan vows to keep doors open for refugees heading to Europe (1:55)
Speaking in Hatay on Sunday, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Ankara's response also destroyed eight Syrian helicopters, 103 tanks, 72 artillery and rocket launchers, and three air defence systems.
"Following the heinous attack on February 27 in Idlib, operation Spring Shield successfully continues," Akar said in a video shared by the defence ministry.
Damascus is yet to comment on the Turkish claims.
"We have no intention of clashing with Russia. Our aim is to stop massacres Syrian regime's massacres, radicalisation and migration," Akar was quoted as saying by Turkish media.
He went on to pledge retaliation against attacks on Turkish forces and its observation posts in Idlib and said: "Turkey will only target Syrian regime soldiers and elements in Idlib who attacked Turkish troops ... Turkey expects Russia to use its influence to end to Syrian regime attacks."
There was no immediate comment from Russia.
'Horror story'
The renewed hostilities in Idlib has displaced nearly one million people, mostly women and children, according to the United Nations. About 300 civilians have also been confirmed killed.
Syrian civil defence rescuers told Al Jazeera that four civilians were killed, including a child, in an air attack on Sunday by government forces near the town of Maaret Masreen in Idlib.
Mark Lowcock, head of UN's humanitarian agency, has described the situation as the "biggest humanitarian horror story of the 21st century" and called for an immediate ceasefire.
At a pro-Turkish demonstration in Idlib's Hazzaneh town, Hussein al-Hamad said Ankara intervened in Idlib "based on the request of the free Syrian people".
"We are in full support of the Turkey's armed forces' operation in Idlib and God willing we will liberate all the towns in the province," al-Hamad told Al Jazeera.
"Turkey's strong intervention confirms the continuation of battles to wrest control of the fallen areas from the Syrian regime forces and its Russian allies and Iranian militias."
Idlib resident Othman Abu Fadi also reacted positively to Turkey's military operation.
"We are all hopeful that something positive will happen to relieve the Syrian people of their suffering ... We need an ally like Turkey to actively push back the Syrian government force," Fadi told Al Jazeera.
"The morale was low when we learned of the regime's advancement into Idlib, but with the rebels taking back control of Saraqeb, our faith in the opposition groups has resurged, especially with their positions in Jabal Zawiya and Sahl-al-Ghab. We hope in another month's time Idlib will be under full control of the rebels."
Hussein al-Hamad said Turkey intervened in Idlib 'based on the request of the free Syrian people' [Al Jazeera]
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS.
NEWS /SYRIA'S WAR
Turkey shoots down two Syrian fighter jets over Idlib
Syrian media says no one hurt in the Turkish attack over Idlib with pilots parachuting to safety.
by Linah Alsaafin
1 hour ago
Antakya, Turkey - Turkey's military shot down two Syrian government fighter jets over northwest Idlib, hours after forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad brought down a Turkish drone over the region.
In a Twitter post on Sunday, Turkey's defence ministry said its forces struck two SU-24 aircraft in response to the downing of the drone.
More:
Turkey-Syria tensions escalate after troops killed: Live updates
Idlib: 'A crisis on a monumental scale'
Syria: Why is the world indifferent to Idlib?
Syria's SANA news agency confirmed the aircraft were hit over northwestern Idlib province, but said no one was hurt in the attack. The pilots used parachutes and landed safely, it added.
The shootdowns came as Turkey announced a full-scale military operation dubbed "Spring Shield" against Syrian targets.
The Syrian military's Al-Nayrab airport, on the outskirts of Aleppo city, was hit by air attacks "making it out of service", Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency cited "local sources" as saying.
Syrian forces used the airbase for "attacks against the Turkish armed forces and civilians in Idlib", the news report said.
"The regime's range of action has been further restricted as the Al-Nayrab military airport has been made unusable," sources were quoted as saying.
Al Jazeera was unable to independently confirm the report.
UPFRONT | Idlib: 'A crisis on a monumental scale' (12:25)
Amid the escalating tensions, the Syrian government closed the airspace over Idlib, with one official telling SANA any aircraft "that violates our airspace will be treated as a hostile flight that must be shot down and prevented from achieving its objectives".
Forces loyal to al-Assad, backed by Russian airpower, have renewed an offensive to capture Idlib from opposition forces, who are backed by Turkey.
Since the operation intensified in December, Syrian government forces have rapidly advanced into the last opposition stronghold, retaking the strategic M5 highway and solidifying control over parts of Aleppo province, which borders Idlib.
Turkey says the operation violates deals signed with Russia in 2017 and 2018 to set up de-escalation zones in the region.
Tensions have escalated in recent days after 34 Turkish troops were killed in Syrian government air raids on Idlib on February 27. The toll was the biggest military loss the Turkish military has suffered since it intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2016.
In response, Ankara said it struck scores of Syrian government targets and "neutralised" 2,212 soldiers.
Erdogan vows to keep doors open for refugees heading to Europe (1:55)
Speaking in Hatay on Sunday, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Ankara's response also destroyed eight Syrian helicopters, 103 tanks, 72 artillery and rocket launchers, and three air defence systems.
"Following the heinous attack on February 27 in Idlib, operation Spring Shield successfully continues," Akar said in a video shared by the defence ministry.
Damascus is yet to comment on the Turkish claims.
"We have no intention of clashing with Russia. Our aim is to stop massacres Syrian regime's massacres, radicalisation and migration," Akar was quoted as saying by Turkish media.
He went on to pledge retaliation against attacks on Turkish forces and its observation posts in Idlib and said: "Turkey will only target Syrian regime soldiers and elements in Idlib who attacked Turkish troops ... Turkey expects Russia to use its influence to end to Syrian regime attacks."
There was no immediate comment from Russia.
'Horror story'
The renewed hostilities in Idlib has displaced nearly one million people, mostly women and children, according to the United Nations. About 300 civilians have also been confirmed killed.
Syrian civil defence rescuers told Al Jazeera that four civilians were killed, including a child, in an air attack on Sunday by government forces near the town of Maaret Masreen in Idlib.
Mark Lowcock, head of UN's humanitarian agency, has described the situation as the "biggest humanitarian horror story of the 21st century" and called for an immediate ceasefire.
At a pro-Turkish demonstration in Idlib's Hazzaneh town, Hussein al-Hamad said Ankara intervened in Idlib "based on the request of the free Syrian people".
"We are in full support of the Turkey's armed forces' operation in Idlib and God willing we will liberate all the towns in the province," al-Hamad told Al Jazeera.
"Turkey's strong intervention confirms the continuation of battles to wrest control of the fallen areas from the Syrian regime forces and its Russian allies and Iranian militias."
Idlib resident Othman Abu Fadi also reacted positively to Turkey's military operation.
"We are all hopeful that something positive will happen to relieve the Syrian people of their suffering ... We need an ally like Turkey to actively push back the Syrian government force," Fadi told Al Jazeera.
"The morale was low when we learned of the regime's advancement into Idlib, but with the rebels taking back control of Saraqeb, our faith in the opposition groups has resurged, especially with their positions in Jabal Zawiya and Sahl-al-Ghab. We hope in another month's time Idlib will be under full control of the rebels."
Hussein al-Hamad said Turkey intervened in Idlib 'based on the request of the free Syrian people' [Al Jazeera]
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS.
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bobfall2005
Veteran Member
Maybe 3.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Syria is about to go down big time the question is what will the Russians do
Normallguy
"just a human bein'"
Greece: Protesters clash with police over construction of new Lesbos migrant camp
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jward
passin' thru
Joyce Karam
@Joyce_Karam
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BREAKING #Iraq • Rockets Target US Embassy Vicinity in Baghdad (Arabiya) • Reports: 4
, Embassy Sirens on • PM Designate M. Allawi is OUT, Withdraws nomination • Protestors clashed with security in Baghdad: 1 killed tonight
@Joyce_Karam
44s
BREAKING #Iraq • Rockets Target US Embassy Vicinity in Baghdad (Arabiya) • Reports: 4
, Embassy Sirens on • PM Designate M. Allawi is OUT, Withdraws nomination • Protestors clashed with security in Baghdad: 1 killed tonight
jward
passin' thru
video of the attack
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#UPDATE: 2 rockets landed within the Green Zone in #Baghdad #Iraq
View: https://twitter.com/DWilson2121/status/1234233174961639426?s=20
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#UPDATE: 2 rockets landed within the Green Zone in #Baghdad #Iraq
View: https://twitter.com/DWilson2121/status/1234233174961639426?s=20