The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled an observation post of the Turkish military around the town of Shir Mughar in the northwestern Hama countryside in the afternoon of May 4, according to the claims of Syrian opposition sources.
After the artillery strike, four Turkish helicopters entered Syria and landed in the observation post. Opposition sources said that the helicopters evacuated several injured Turkish service members, and possibly the bodies of soldiers, who were killed in the shelling.
Several videos showing white smoke rising from the Turkish observation post and helicopters landing in it were posted on social media by opposition activists. However, Turkey’s Ministry of Defense is yet to confirm the opposition’s claims.
Last year, the Turkish military established twelve observation posts between the western Aleppo countryside and the northern Lattakia countryside under an agreement with Russia and Iran. The posts were later tasked with monitoring the demilitarized zone, which was established around the northern governorate of Idlib.
If the attack is confirmed, this development will be a clear evidence that the army and its allies are planning to launch a large-scale military operation around Idlib, in order to put an end to the repeated attacks on terrorist groups hiding there.
