On Sunday, five Turkish soldiers and one civilian personnel were killed by Syrian forces in the country, producing the first fatalities as a result of direct confrontation between Turkey and Syria since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011. After facing heavy artillery fire coming from the Syrian government on Sunday, nine other troops were also wounded in the incident. The attack occurred in the Idlib province, located in northwest Syria.
The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that in response, Turkey launched an attack against Syrian forces on Monday, killing 35 Syrian government soldiers. Erdogan also disclosed that up to 40 Syrian targets were being considered as part of the operation. Erdogan warned Russia, who has notoriously backed the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad, to tread lightly.
Read More: Turkey suffers first deaths in direct combat with Syria since start of war