Russia and Syria accused of attacking Turkish forces
Russian and Syrian aircraft have conducted more than 15 airstrikes against the Syrian provinces of Hama and Idlib, even hitting a Turkish observation point, Al-Masdar News reports, citing its own sources.
The attacks caused significant damage to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group and the Syrian Free Army, which are backed by Turkey. The Turkish observation point under construction at the town of Sheir Magher was also damaged in one of the airstrikes, although no one was reportedly injured or killed.
On August 27, after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need for stability in Syria.
On August 26, it was reported that Turkey would soon be dispatching infantry to northern Syria. Ankara believes that a military presence will enable it to closely monitor the regional situation and the implementation of the plans to establish a security zone there. Before this, Erdogan had said that he was willing to conduct a new military operation in Syria.
The civil war in Syria began in the spring of 2011. The primary participants in the conflict have been the government forces that support President Bashar al-Assad, the so-called moderate opposition, and various Islamist groups. The opposition has been backed by the US and European countries, whereas Russia has supported the Assad regime.