The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Used for smuggling into Turkish territory | Turkish forces detonate tunnel in western countryside of Idlib

Idlib province – Syrian Observatory for Human Rights:

SOHR activists say have reported that Turkish forces detonated a tunnel used for smuggling in the area of Ain al-Bayda in western countryside of Idlib, near the border with the Iskenderun region. According to SOHR sources, the tunnel is used for smuggling operations between Syria and Turkey, whether goods or people, and was detonated at midnight yesterday.

Two days ago, SOHR sources monitored Turkish forces substantially deployed in the village of Ain al-Bayda, bordering with the Iskenderun region in the western countryside of Idlib, where the road of Ain al-Bayda – Khirbet al-Jawz was cut off, amid unconfirmed reports that the Turks intended to establish a military post there.

On February 11, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored joint military exercises between Russian forces and their Turkish counterparts on frontlines in the village of Al-Tarnaba, west of Saraqeb city in Idlib countryside.

The military exercises were conducted with light weapons, on Wednesday, coinciding with a routine patrol of Turkish forces accompanied by members of the Russian army. The patrol set off from the village of Al-Tarnaba to the village of Ain al-Hoor in western countryside of Idlib.

A few hours before the exercises, a high-level Turkish military delegation visited military posts west of Saraqeb, amid a high alert by Turkish soldiers and Syrian fighters of the Al-Radif brigades and accompanying the Turkish army on its missions.

These joint exercises will pave the way to the re-conduct joint Russian-Turkish patrols via the Aleppo-Latakia M4 road, after repeated attacked by unknown groups.