Mysterious Explosion Kills Turkish Soldier in Syria’s Idlib

A Turkish soldier was killed and others injured in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province, after a bomb targeted a military convoy on the M4 highway, which links Aleppo to Latakia.

 

Local sources said that the explosion was caused by explosive devices planted to target the Turkish convoy of armored vehicles and a number of soldiers heading to the Turkish military observation point near Badama town.

 

Other sources said that the blast took place during Russian aircraft sorties ahead of a joint military patrol with Turkish forces on the M4 road.

 

Turkish soldiers have been repeatedly targeted by unknown groups. In March, a number of them were injured in a similar explosion on M4.

 

Last week, two bomb-laden cars were found near Muhambal and Kafr Shalaya, west of Idlib.

 

Videos circulated on social media showed Turkish helicopters heading to the scene of the explosion to transport the injured to hospitals near the Syrian border for treatment.

 

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported a violent explosion of a Turkistan Islamic Party warehouse in al-Taybat village near al-Ghassaniyyah area, in the western countryside of Jisr al-Shughur.

 

Six armed party members were killed and others from extremist groups were injured in the explosion, which coincided with Russian jets flying over the area.

 

On Wednesday, clashes erupted between opposition factions and the regime and its affiliates on Tkad axis, in the western countryside of Aleppo.

 

This came hours after a drone equipped with ammunition exploded on the outskirts of Kafr Nass, in Atarib district, near Bab al-Hawa-Aleppo road.

 

At the same time, the Turkish army sent its fourth military reinforcements convoy in one week to de-escalation observation points north of Idlib.

 

Top commander of the Free Syrian Army Colonel Mustafa Bakkour said they are monitoring several regime and Iranian fighters stationed in a number of military sites on various front lines in the Idlib countryside and western Hama.

 

Bakkour also indicated intense activity of reconnaissance Russian and Iranian missions in northern al-Ghab, west of Hama and south of the M4 road, which suggests military preparations by the regime and Iranian forces.

 

He also pointed out that the Turkish forces constantly warn the opposition factions they must prepare their fighters for any possible regime military operation in Idlib and other areas outside its control.