The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has shelled a Turkish military observation post in southern Idlib, Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense claimed in an official statement on June 13.
“Some 35 mortars were fired from al-Shariah region, controlled by the Syrian forces in the Idlib de-escalation zone. They targeted our observation point number 10, located on mount Zawiya,” the statement reads, according to the Anadolu Agency.
Three Turkish soldiers were injured slightly in the mortar attack, which also damaged facilities, equipment and materials inside the post.
The ministry said that the Turkish government had taken “necessary initiatives” with Russia regarding the attack.
Pro-opposition activists released a video showing a massive fire at the observation post in the early hours of June 13. While the video confirms that the post came under attack, it does not assert that the SAA was behind the shelling.
The shelling coincided with a ground attack by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies. The attack violated a ceasefire agreement that was announced a few hours earlier, only.
This was the fourth such attack on Turkish observation posts in northern Syria. The last three attacks targeted a post near the town of Sher al-Maghar in northwestern Hama. Ankara didn’t response to any of them.
