Turkish tanks enter last rebel stronghold in Syria
A large Turkish military convoy has arrived in Idlib as the Syrian army prepares to launch an operation to liberate the province from rebels.
|
Trucks carrying Turkish tanks enter northwestern Syria. Photo:Almasdar News. |
The Turkish military has increased its military presence in the Idlib province in northern Syria by sending at least 30 military vehicles, including five tanks,Almasdar NewsSeptember 3 news.
The convoy departed from Türkiye's Hatay province, crossed the border, passed through the Kafr Lossen intersection in western Idlib and reached observation posts in the Tal Al-eis and Tal Toukan areas, south of Aleppo.
The Turkish military's move comes as the Syrian army is gathering forces around Idlib to prepare for a large-scale offensive against Islamist rebel groups entrenched there.
Idlib, located on the border between Syria and Türkiye, has been occupied by rebels since 2015. Currently, 60% of the province is still controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked HTS group, while the rest is controlled by the rebel National Liberation Front (NLF).
The NLF is backed, trained and armed by Türkiye. Ankara has tried unsuccessfully to dissuade Damascus from attacking Idlib by pressuring HTS to disband.
By sending more troops into Syria, it seems that Türkiye is determined to protect its sponsored armed groups from pressure from the Syrian army.
|
Location of Idlib province in northern Syria, bordering Türkiye. Red dots are military observation posts set up by Türkiye. Graphics:IRIN. |
