Aftermath of Syrian strike on Turkish forces

(28 Feb 2020) Pictures of the aftermath of the Syrian government’s overnight air strikes that killed 33 Turkish troops in Syria emerged on Friday. Associated Press footage showed rubble and abandoned Turkish military material at one of the sites targeted in the village of Balyun. The deaths, which came in an attack late Thursday in northwestern Syria, amounted to the highest number of Turkish soldiers killed in a single day since Ankara first intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2016. It marked a serious escalation in the direct conflict between Turkish and Russia-backed Syrian forces that has been waging since early February. The attack also sharply raised the risk of direct military confrontation between Turkey, a NATO member, and Russia. Turkey has had 54 soldiers killed in Syria’s Idlib province since the beginning of February, including the latest fatalities. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: